The Voice of Sam Riegel

I can't wait. I think this is gonna be a ton of fun. So yeah, hopefully everybody has taken off their work clothes for the day, they put on their slippers, they're sitting next to the fireplace with their loyal animal at their feet, and they are ready to listen to a wonderful episode of I Hear Voices. I'm super excited to have our guest today, who's not only a personal friend of mine, but is one of the great directors in the business, an awesome actor, and uh, just an

incredibly fun guy who is joining us today. Christie, it's Mr Sam Regal. Can't wait, Sam, Sam, Sam, I knew you before you knew Will. Does he know this? Maybe not. I don't know if Will knows that. We've known each other since we were children. That's like kids kids, right, So tell me how what happened there? How does that? How is that possible? Are you from Connecticut? Sam? What happened? No? I'm not from I'm from I grew up in New York City and I was a child actor, just like

some of the other members of this podcast. Yes, I wonder if I ever ran into each other back in the day in New York? Did you do? Were you a New York actor kid? Oh? Yeah, that's how I started? Was the New York actor kid? Were you doing theater? Mostly your television? And I was doing commercials and television and you know my law and everybody does Law and Order episode at least one, And I'm sure we ran across each other then. Did you know Danny Gerard? Did you?

And you know it was like did Leonardo DiCaprio was in a bunch of the auditions and there was a whole group of us that Mike Moran like a whole bunch of us that were there, did you? Oh? Man? I was Jerry O'Connell around, was was Donald phase on around Donald Face and and Kevin Connolly, and there was like a whole whole group of us. Yeah, so I'm sure they were all New Yorkers, But I mean, like I think of those people, I'm like, oh, they've been in l a forever, but they actually all started well,

started in New York. Yeah, So how did you guys know each other? Walk me through that. I don't. I don't remember. I do. I do, okay, because I've been like such a fan of yours even as a little kid. So basically, his sister, Eden Regal is an extremely talented, gifted singer. She has a beautiful voice and and we have to talk about if you've worked with her as well, just because I love her so much. But Eden eventually became a huge soap star. I think you didn't. Your

sister even won an Emmy Award. She did. She wanted Emmy. She was nominated, uh four or five times, and she won one um on All My Children, which was she was Susan Lucci's daughter was Yanka. She had the first the first gay kiss on on Dates Time television and now she does now she does what we all do. She does voiceover stuff and she does voice directing as well. Does she really in New York or out here? No? Here in l A. There, she's got children and her

husband's a writer. Okay, so Eden Regal was my Spanish tutor. Um, I didn't know, No, I didn't know. I knew that you guys knew each other, but I didn't realize that it was because of that. First of all, I love your mom. We're friends on Facebook and I'm always like, you know, saying hello, and I love her so much. But Eden was in a in a in a Broadway kids with me. Okay, yes, so that's how I knew Eden.

Broadway was I guess a repertory kind of uh, you know, theater kid production, except all the kids had been supergroup. It was. It was a supergroup of Broadway, Yes it was. But they were all Broadway actors and they you cut CDs and tapes, um, and you would put out like the Broadway Kids Sings Christmas and the odd Way Kids Goes to the Movie. Yeah, that was the big one for us. And Eden was like a big sister to me, like like quite literally a big sister to me. I

loved her so much. Um. I saw her on a lot of auditions. It was like her Lacey Sabert Kim Kim Brown, but like um. But Lacey was Lacey and Eden were like those. They were very similar in the way that we looked, and I think we saw each other a lot on different AUTI but it was always so loving, Like your sister was always so sweet to me. And eventually, you know, we went to Professional Children's School together.

But I was old. Oh you did. You went to your PCs a lot, Yes, but I was I was four years older, and I think by the time you probably got in there, I was already on my way out. Yeah, because she was in her senior I think she'd either graduated or she was in her senior year when she was tutoring me. Um. But she was always talking about and your mom was always talking about the fact that you went to Harvard and that you were in an acapella.

I did not to Harvard. Where did you go? I went to the I went to the University of Virginia, still a very good school. It's like there's a very very esteemed public academy. But you were part of an acapella. I was definitely part of an acapella group. That's it called it won't make any sense. It doesn't make It's called the academical Village people because because the University of Virginia was created by Thomas Jefferson and he called it

his his esteemed academical village. So we were the academical village village people. I love how I collegiate always the best names and the tone rangers chock full of notes. They always have the best novellas. Yeah, Wheel is actually really into those movies, those acapella movies Perfect, the pitch Perfect movies are the best films ever made. They're not movies. Their films are incredible. You know what's this is not

a tangent that we should be talking about. I don't even know what this podcast is about, but we don't either. But pitch Perfect. Did you know that it's actually based on a book? Yes, and the and the book was written about one of the acapella groups at my college. So it's kind of about me, is it? Yeah? Like I feel closer to you than I ever have right now, Sam, because those movies are important and to know they're about you is pretty incredible. Yeah, Yeah, we don't know what

this podcast it's actually about. Voices for all roads lead to Sam and and his ability to use voice as a conduit for creative artistic expression. Thank you very good, I hear voices. Let's go with our questions. Wait, I have wait, I have a question for you first, Christie, because I think this is important. It sounds it's it sounds like Sam's sister is an amazing singer and she is incredible actress, and that she want an Emmy. But the question going through my head is can you speak

Spanish absolute a month? Then no? Okay, so that not your sister. Your sister and you y'all are just geniuses. But your sister used to tell me I remember very distinctly sitting in your apartment that you had in Midtown. I think it was great. And she was tutoring me, and um, she was like, I just watch she's very high voice. She's like a princess, like literally a Disney princess. She's like, I just like to watch, um, you know, Spanish shows and that's what taught me how to learn Spanish.

And like she's like fluent and she's like you know, and I was like, that's so hard. I don't know. She's just got the ear for it. She's so I love her. Please send her my love. So let's get into why we're really here. Yea, you owe me money. Oh boy, we are here because for a number of reasons. So we wept. Awkward is great. We'll talk about the money later. No, um, we brought you. We we wanted to schedule at you write at this pretty much right at this time because as we just launched our super

awesome contest to become the next big voice actor. Yeah, I'm so excited about it for not not for you, not for me, but for whomever wins, because it's a it's a genuinely amazing prize, set of prizes, and it's a super cool opportunity for some lucky person out there. So here's what I wanted to So you are. Obviously, we can talk about critical role, which is huge. We're gonna talk about season two of Legend of Oxmachina, which is known for having the greatest guest cast in the

history of the world. We'll get into that. Um and when and when and that's coming out and has come out? I think, Uh, we have the first three episodes of drops, so go watch it right now. Well, no, after you listen to the post to the podcast. But as as well as your sister who has won in Emmy, so have you, and you have won in Emmy because you are one of the hardest working and best voiceover directors

in the business. So as a director, what advice would you give our up and coming are amateur actors as they're entering the contest, as they're starting their career, if you could sit down with them, which you're one of the prizes will get into that as well, But if you could sit down to them before they even get an opportunity to join the contest, what what would you tell them? Don't don't neglect the actor part of the voice actor. Maybe it should be called active voice or nope,

that's not a thing. But but but acting is is actually genuinely important in all facets of voice acting. Even if you're doing silly animation voices or or a commercial where you just have to say, you know, direct TV stream, well, whatever it is, you still need to be good at and a good actor. So be a good actor first and then worry about the voice part second. I would also say, and also this is good advice just for

people who are submitting voice over auditions. Hit them with a grabber first, like get it, get out of the gay with your with your performance. Start with something you know that's poppy, that's good, like don't don't yeah, I don't, don't scream or whatever in the first ten seconds of the thing, but you know, do do something something good soon because you know that's your that's your first impression.

You want to make a solid first impression. Um. And then also I would say, I don't feel like you have to do voices that you're not good at. When I do auditions and stuff, and if I look at the at the audition specs and it says like gritty and raw, deep voice, deep based baritone. He's seen War a hundred times, he's seen Yeah, I'm usually like, if it's a video game audition or whatever, I just take that. I throw it in the trash. I can't do that.

I don't do it. That's not what I do. Or or if I do submit because it's a really cool project or I've been requested on it or whatever, I'm not going to try to do this because I suck at that. It's not what I'm not proud of this. Yeah, and I'm not that guy. So I do the thing that I'm good at, which is, if I'm going to be in a war video game, I do the guy who just signed up for the military. You're always text just get yeah, exactly. And that's because that's what I'm

good at. And so even if I'm not good for that audition or whatever, um, I would never send in something that's bad or that I'm not proud of, because that casting director or whatever might hear your audition and be like, boy, he's terrible for this role, but he would be so good for text the guy who's just off the just off the bus. Here's a picture of my girl. I'm so excited, can't wait to get back to my sweetheart. Yea, always that one. Okay, So see good.

That's very good advice for everybody out there listening. Very good advice. I also find it really interesting that Sam is like he can do both sides of the microphone, you know what I mean? Like, that's do you think that's all the best, all the best voice over directors. It seemed like we're actors though, Andre Oh, absolutely fantastic. Yeah. I didn't realize that we interviewed her and I didn't

realize that she's the greatest. Um. Yeah, I mean not every voice director in uh in our world has been an actor or is an actor, but um, but you know some of us are like me Eden, Mary, Elizabeth McGlenn. Uh and yeah, a lot of a lot of the most successful or uh certainly the funnest to work with voice directors are people who who have been in the booth like we are, because just because they know they

get it. They they've been there, they understand the not just the pressure and the um, the nervousness, but also like those awkward moments between takes where no one's saying anything, or at least the actor can't hear what they're saying and starts thinking about like, oh god, they hate it, they hate me. They're saying all bad things. Oh I'm looking at their faces and they're sneering and they're scowling,

and I'm about to get fired and stuff. And it's it's so wonderful to have had that experience as an actor too, because you you know, to to get on the microphone and tell the actor that you're working with, like, hey, we're not even talking about you were just ordering lunch, you know, like that, and then they're like, oh, Okay, I feel better now, you know, but you are talking about them. Let's be of course that's always that we're just ordering lunch. That guy's awful. No, we get that,

we get that a lot. How did he even get the job? But I mean, I mean that goes that it makes sense. They always say it's you know, the race car drive. The best race car driver also knows something about the engine. You know. It's always so it's that same kind of you know, knowing every aspect of your business. And it's always so much easier to work with the director who has been on that side of the glass because they, you know, been in their shoes,

know what you're talking about. Can also there's there's a language that comes with being in the booth on both sides where you can easily you know, Andrea was was great at that. She was the first one who brought me onto that side of the industry, and she knew how to get something out of an actor because she was an actor and knew what needed to be said, what sometimes doesn't need to be said, what you don't

want to say. So there is that kind of unwritten language of the you know, we hear oofs and nugs and give me we know exactly what you're talking about kind of thing. So, um, I think too, there's a pacing.

I think during sessions one of the more important things for me is the pacing because yes, you are in your head some of the time when you're thinking about you know, you guys on the other side of this like very dark plexiglass that you can't see through most of the time, and then the pacing of it really helps spark your creativity. So i'd imagine that Sam, like you've learned how to negotiate, you know, setting that piece for the actor so that you bring that out for

them totally. Yeah, paces is a really important thing, uh, in sessions and momentum like once, especially for animation and when or when we're trying to do anything funny, like if you can get on a roll and get you know, getting a flow where where you're cooking, you do three takes of a line, great, got it, move on, do three takes of a line amazing, hilarious, Keep keep going.

That keeps everyone in the room like engaged, even if you even if you know, like hey, we're probably gonna go back and get that line one more time at the end of the session. But let's just keep plowing forward because he's having so much fun in there, or or you know, she her voice is right where we want it to be, so let's just keep going and

keep the momentum alive. It's it's so important, Okay, So that's why it's Yeah, oh man, it's a glass especially when you do you have that flow going and you know this is obviously COVID changed a lot, but especially when you're in the room with other actors and you're just playing off of each other and you've got that that perfect flow and like you said, that perfect pace. There's really nothing like ringing that tuning fork where you can just tell that you're flying and it's an awesome time.

But so question then, we we heard that you started as you know, a child actor in New York, But how did you end up getting into the voice over world. I when I got back to New York from college, I went to the University of Virginia. No, no, my sister went to Harvard and shall hold that over me till the day. Yeah, I just want to have small school in Cambridge might um. Anyway, I got back to New York and I was a different actor than I had been because I was bigger and my voice had changed.

I mean, obviously my voice had changed before college. But you know, when you're trying to get back into being a grown up actor after having been a kid actor for so long, it's like you you can't rely on the same tricks anymore. You're not You're not cute anymore. You're like sort of awkward, gangly young twenties, like, haven't filled out your face yet. I don't want to be

a Toys r Us kid. Yeah. And if they want to hire, if they want to hire, um twenty like, if the character is young twenties, they'll probably hire a thirty year old who looks like they're in their young twenties. Um. And so there's not a ton of parts, and you're you know, I wasn't. I wasn't as good a singer anymore because my voice had changed. And um, so yeah, the one thing that I could do still was speak. I could I could still act, and I still had a speaking voice, and so, um and I'm from d

the d C. Area. I don't have an accent or anything. So weirdly I got into doing these English learning tapes. These were tapes back then or c d s, but I was. I got hooked up with a company that was producing like English learning tapes for the Chinese market, and so we would do these epically long voiceover sessions, eight hour sessions where I would just be like the

ball is red. R E d read the ball is red, you know, like over and over and over and over again, with my perfect crystal clear speaking voice and um and non regional addiction exactly. Um. And down the hall they were auditioning for some anime. This was like right at the um at the dawn of sort of the anime DVD market in America. Um uh and you know, early

two thousands or whatever. And I walked down the hallway and because I was doing voiceover and stuff, and I auditioned for some anime stuff and I did ug oh, and I did some Pokemon and I did some you know, some anime stuff, and I was like, this is so cool, and and that got me a gig with that company h doing one of the teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles voices. Um. And the voice director of that was this woman named

Sue Blue, which who is a legend and um. And so from there I just got better at it and better at it, and did more and more anime and cartoons and video games and uh and from then became a voice actor and and director and realized also that I don't really miss the on camera part of it because it's it's it's not fun. Sometimes you guys are better at it than me. But I remember going to auditions and like walking into a room full of dudes who look exactly like me, except they're just a little

handsomer and they've got like bigger muscles and stuff. And I'm like, I'm the funny looking one here, and the part is not a funny looking guy. It's supposed to be a handsome guy. I'm not gonna it was awful, But with voiceover, it's it's more a meritocracy. And also you can you get to play all kinds of different parts that you would never play. Bad guys and good guys and trolls and mushrooms and turtles, and you know, it's it's so great. I love it. And see that's

the that's the thing we seem to be. You know, we're with every We've hit every type of voiceover actor you could possibly imagine. We're trying to bring on as many different types as you can. We've had strictly video game, We've had mo cap, We've had people that do mostly animate Megan, yeah, the from that new movie that came out, Megan,

the voice of Megan. Yeah, that's so cool. I mean, just some amazing And the one through line to all of this, and I'm saying this to all the people that that we want to enter the contest, everybody out there. The one through line is everybody loves it so much. It is just so much fun and so rewarding, and

everybody it's the it's pure acting for acting sake. It's you and the microphone, and it is just such a wonderful side in side of the business that um you we you know you do hear people, because you will hear a lot of people coming in and going like, oh, the on camera side, I don't like this about the on camera side. I don't like that about the nobody's coming and been like you know what I don't like

about vo doesn't exist. And so many on camera actors who are used to doing TV and movies and stuff will come in and are new to animation, and we'll we'll play and we'll do a really fun session and it'll take you ninety minutes or whatever, and they'll be like, wait, what we just did two episodes ninety minutes. This is all I want to do for the rest of my life the best. I have an interesting question, Sam, or

at least I think it is right. I know you, like we talk a lot about celebrities coming into projects and sort of putting their spin on things, and like you said, if they're new to animation, I'm sure that changes the way that you're engaging with them as a director.

But I mean, will you can carry you can piggyback on this too, Like we've talked about celebrities in the voice acting industry, I mean, what are your thoughts, like in terms of thoughts about like them taking our jobs, or how they fit into the industry, or or sure how they fit in the industry in a fair way, you know, and how they seemingly approached it, because you know a lot of I've seen I've seen both sides

of this obviously. As a voice actor, I know that fellow voice actors like the three of us are usually fantastic, uh in in anything you throw at them. We know what we're doing. We're technically proficient. We can get the job done in uh in in in a quick amount of time. We can we can deliver jokes, we get rhythm and cadence, and like we cannot get out of the park. And all the voice actors that you ever meet are like just the nicest, sweetest people and so supportive.

So from that perspective, seeing a big time celebrity who's already rich and doesn't need this work, come on in and take my jobs, isn't isn't the greatest. However, I

also see from the other side. I am a producer of animation and also a voice director, and I totally get um uh just from a writing perspective, like when you're writing a character, a lot of times you you want to write to either a type or even a specific actor um because changes Like if you can imagine someone in the role, if you imagine Marissa Tomay in this role or Snoop Dogg playing this role or whatever it is, like, that's going to change how you write

the character, even if that's not the person who eventually plays it. Um. But you know to to go out and try to get that person. Um it immediately solidifies like, oh, I know exactly what I'm gonna get. I'm gonna hire Whoopi Goldberg to do this, and then I don't have to think about like creating an intricate backstory for this one episode guest spot. I can just have Whoopi Goldberg be Whoopi Goldberg and that's plenty. That's gonna be great. Um,

and she'll and she'll kill it. She's been doing Whoopie Goldberg forever. She's the best. Whoopi Goldberg is really great at it. And then and and it saves time too. You don't have to sit in the booth with an actor saying like what if we tried this? No, what if we tried this? You can just be like Whoopie go thing. UM. So I get it. I I totally get it. And I and I think it's also a celebrity involvement with these types of projects really brings a

lot more attention to the project. And really, UM has boosted our respect for our industry and you know, it's a real thing now. Also, you guys are freaking television stars and you're taking our jobs too. That was my job, Sam, Sam. The last time I saw you in studio, I was reading like, UM, saucy. Um like audio books. So I don't know what you saucy audio? Wait? Wait, what do you mean? Like, how have we not how have we not talked about this? What is? What is? What are saucy?

I knew, I knew that you you were there doing some audio books because you're super talented audio book Wait are you reading the kind of words for throbbing? Is that the kind of audio books you were reading? Did you have to say the word turgid? Yeah? Yeah, So I actually got to a point where I had to have a different a name. I have a different name, and you're not going to tell us what it is? Um,

what was your name? What was your name? Don't say it because then don't know things, don't I don't remember it was for the first name, but it was. It was a sassier version of me. And the funny thing is that it was like audible. Okay, so so this is hilarious. We have talked about this. Oh my god, what are you doing that? Same? So we were at this studio in Magnolia, right, what is it? Out loud? You were out loud last time I saw you out

loud audio One of the greatest studios in both coasts amazing. Yeah, they really are. And and so I was out Loud Loud and then he's doing I think you were doing Lion Guard actually, which we watched all the time. Once again, uh Christie, that was my sister. No watched you were you doing Sophia? Then I was doing Sophia the first probably Orleana of Avalor. My sister was Online Guard though, and she also went to Harvard. Harvard. You're owning me,

You're owning me. I'm sorry. It out Loud also where we did Um Big Hero six and yeah, but we also we did oh No. I was thinking, so yeah, okay, no, I'm sorry. He does this thing where they fall in love or something with certain um post production or you know, production spaces, like when we did Kim Possible, we were at where we were at studios, were at l A Studios, and that had like It's heyday. And then I feel like then out Loud became a really a hot spot.

I mean l A Studios, they're still great, but but out Loud, out Loud is sort of the new the new shiny toy, and they're they're so great And I'm sorry, we're not changing the subject from you reading porn. Can we get back to this, this is a kid okay, Okay, So basically, um, I was. You know, it was slow for me for animation and whatnot, Um because Sam never hired me, had any of because every show we did you thought was his sisters. Okay, so listen. So basically

I I did. I always did, like enjoy doing audiobooks. I think there's a cadence in a pacing to it that's very relaxing and rewarding, and so I started getting

back into it audible, um started hiring me. I was pregnant a lot like the time period I was reading them, so it was like easy work to do, and so I was sitting there and doing it, and then I realized that they kept calling me back for like race here and race here, like like so I don't know what the shades of gray or like like even worse than that, like serious, no, not not worse than that, not worse than that, no, worse than that, no, but

like turgid, like saying words that were like appearances of things happening. I was like, I don't think I could do this anywhere. I'm sitting there pregnant, like reading these things. I think I went out and said hi to Sam because we would we would cross each other in the hall when he was doing you know, Lilion guards. All right, you pop back up with Will and conversation and I'm like, oh my god, I love Sam, and we start talking about D and D when he and I start doing

comic cons and your name started to come up. Well, because so that's a perfect segue, because I wanted to talk about the little tiny show that you all started called Critical Role Son. I mean one of them. So when people say to me, hey, okay, you know, what are some of the biggest regrets you have in your life? And one of them is still sitting recording ThunderCats and Matt Mercer leaning over and saying I'm getting a D and D game together, do you want to play? And

me going, ok, I knew this. I think I knew this. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm you nervous, I can't do that. Yeah, I know exactly. But it worked out perfectly because it was the cast it was absolutely supposed to be. You guys jelled instantly. I was allowed to come on as a guest star in the first season, which started my love of dungeons and dragons. But you, you,

together as this wonderful family, have started this juggernaut. Um, can you very briefly walk through how it started and and the amazing show that is the legend of oox Mocket. Oh well, wonderful setup. I um. We we started because it was one of our our critical role dudes. Liam O'Brien also fantastic voice actor. Um. It was his birthday and he and I were doing a podcast not unlike

this one UM called All Work No Play. And on All Work No Play, we would um challenge ourselves to do fun things together that we're not work um because we never got to just hang out as ends anymore. So like we went and took a curling lesson, and we got our palms read and we went to a water park and for one of the episodes, he said, I want to play D and D. It's my birthday coming up. I want to play D and D. I haven't played it since I was a kid. And I

was like, sure, whatever sounds great. I know I've never done that before. Put a group together. So he with Matt's help, and we all played and had such a great time. Um, it's really it's really great, Christie. If you played dn D or any table top role playing game. Okay, so Will has been talking to me a lot about it, and I really am dying to learn. I'm dying to learn. It can be kind of it can scratch whatever itch

you wanted to scratch. Like, if you're a really good writer, you can sort of approach it like a writer and think about, you know, the storytelling aspect of it. If you're a really good improviser or really like that kind of stuff, that's where my heart came from, you can approach it as an improviser. If you really love just

good acting, you can do that. Or if you just like sitting around with your friends and maybe sipping some alcohol and and telling stories and being a goofball, that's that can be your experience too, Or if you're like super into gaming and stats and that can be your thing. But um, but we just found that it was. Yeah, it was like this thing communal acting, communal storytelling. And it's part hang out, part acting workshop, parts story jam session.

And I always say it's improv with consequence. Yes, examply it's just so much fun. And we kept doing it, and we kept sort of falling in love with UM, the characters that we were playing and the story that we were telling together, but also kind of falling in love with each other as friends. Like we we weren't super close, all of us, but we we sort of developed like this really great friendship among us and UM. And then there's there's a lot of steps that it took,

but we eventually started streaming it online. People started watching it on two, which every Thursday night still seven pm, seven UM, and it became this thing that that UM that we were a part of. I don't think that we you know, we're certainly not the only ones and certainly not the leaders, but we were part of this movement where people were getting back into just pen and paper and sitting at a table game playing and storytelling together. And UM and it and we we rode the wave

and UH and it turned into a company. And now with those same friends and me get to have this company together. We get to make our our Twitch streaming show, we get to make comic books, we get to make this animated series, the Legend of Ox Macina available now on Prime Video. UM, and we get to still have fun and play play our games together. It's great and will you're a part of it as well. He's a great part of it. I thank you not use that

talent of it. It's one of my most favorite characters I ever had anything to do with, and it's because I got a chance to create it. And I always tell the story of knowing nothing of Dungeons and Dragons and Matt saying we come on the show. We ran into each other on the pack street at Comic Con in San Diego and he said, would you come on the show? I said, I kidding, I would love to, and then he said, I have to come over your house to create a character. And I remember turning to

I think it was my wife at the time. I think she was just my girlfriend at the time, and I was like, so, I've got to create this character for Dungeon and Dragons. Should take about a half hour minutes And it was something like six hours later with Matt at the table and we got ordered food and I'm I had written this whole backstory and We're rolling dice and I'm sweating and We're having so much fun.

And it changed my life. It changed my life. It really did have just and and I always I said this, um when I came on your show, and that one of the things that it does that Dudgeons and Dragons did for me is it gave me a whole new group of friends with a whole new kind of life behind it, where Mary and I became really close and we started at our home game, and you know, we hung out more with Steve, and we hung out more with all you guys, and all of a sudden, you're

you're on this chain where you're texting about your D and D game and you're wondering what's gonna happen next, and it just becomes this wonderful community and there's something so um marvelous about this shared fantasy world that you've created and what's going to happen next, and uh, it's it's it's truly amazing. So yeah, I always credit you know, Mercer and all of you with you know, bringing me into this thing and and just the little touch of critical role. But what that led to in my own

D and D and gaming life and how marvelous. And then you got you got into painting minis and and did a show for you all with where we're teaching paint miniatures, and it was so much fun and I got to play with everybody there and then and All Work and No Play You mentioned that where somehow, out of nowhere, I ended up with you all dressed in as what were nights and learning how that's right you

were in the first episode. I think of the of the we turned the All Work No Play podcast Christie in to a actual video show that we put on usually and Will was I think in the first episode. Yeah, we dressed that we learned sword play, and we dressed up as nights and we had a whole will. Will was in my first YouTube video and he blessed my whole social media you know content. So he will show up for you. He's a great first great guy. He's a really good because like friend, well friend too, Yeah,

but I don't care about that. He's a really good first guest. If anyone's starting a podcast, call Will kick it off with a bang. I did. I think I

miss judged D and D. I think I really did. Honestly, I thought it was like, let me tell you why, because and you guys really just changed me into potentially somebody who would actually give it a shot because I've humored Will and I said, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, this is something interested in a nerd And then he's told me I'm a nerd, so that's okay, you can call me a nerd. But then I was like, no, this seems like this is something more. I just don't understand

it right. And then when I when I hear you guys talking about it a lot, I'm like, Okay. Critical role is like a networking thing where people get to like be together and meet each other, like poker. So like in l A, poker is like really big and that's like you need to get into George Clooney's poker game or basketball team or like whatever. There's certain things in l A that are like c need to do. And so when I heard about this, I was like, oh,

this is like nerd poker. But when I hear you talk about the connection that you have with your friends like that, it makes me realize, like that is why critical role is got so much heart. It's just I see it. It's resonating off of the interview, and I think it's so beautiful. And now I'm like, no, it really is watching you all together. And that's so the fact that you've grown a juggernaut and had what one of the biggest kickstarters ever for Legend of Fox Moki.

Not seeing the show kind of from the beginning to where it's it's come has been amazing and it's it's a wonderful thing to watch. Watching you all do it together is really incredible because because you've all talking to each of you, you you all have roles like here's what I do in the camp to here's what I do in the company, Here's what I do in the company. And the synergy and working together and seeing what you've created,

it's truly inspiring. And to see a group of friends doing it together from step one is something that's amazing. So I'm I'm I'm honored to be the smallest little part of it. And we need to talk a bit about season two because season one on Prime Video was uh, people flipped out, absolutely loved it. We talked about the kickstarter so this was all started with fan you know, fan money essentially because people were around very quickly. So

we're going. I end up in Australia at a convention with Travis and Laura and in the middle of Australia, they have like a five hour line of people who addressed like their characters and it is. You can tell. It's when I looked around and went, my god, this is internationals is an international juggernaut. And he said, yeah, we're gonna start you know, the campaign too, because what we really want to do with voice actors, we want

to do an animated series. So I think the day I was talking to some of you, the day you you launched it, and then all of a sudden, it was like, wait a second, you've raised how much? So how much? How much money did you raise? In the

We set out to raise a significant amount. We set out to raise seven hundred fifty thousand dollars because that's what it takes to make a half hour of animation, and we wanted to make a pilot episode so that we could show the world that this is something that should be on on the TV and uh, and instead our fans were like, nah, we we want you guys to just make the show. So we we raised eleven point four million dollars UH in forty five days, I believe.

And it's the biggest it's the biggest film and TV kickstarter history, and it definitely changed our lives. Um, we didn't just caveat point of order. We didn't see we didn't we spent all of the money on the show any of it. Guys wanted to do was this show? No? Yes? And and because of that, because of that outpouring of fans support UM and the dollar value, all the studios that had said no to our pitch came came a knocking and said you no, Like, hey, well let's take

a meeting. We do want to make that show with you now. And UM Amazon and ended up being a really great partner for us, an amazing partner because they also owned Twitch, which is the platform that we broadcast our our our live streaming show on, so they already knew us, they already got us UM and they they said, it's great that your fans gave you guys enough money to make ten episodes, but we want to make that a real thing, so let's make another fourteen on top

of that, and we'll make two seasons of twelve. And then they've green led us for a third season of twelves. Like they've been amazing and so supportive. They never they never changed anything in in the story, like their their notes that they give on scripts are are like, you know, maybe you could think about changing this unless it's part of your canon. Because if it's part of Cannon, just leave it alone. We don't want to mess with it.

Like they're they're they're really great about like respecting the lore that we've created and the interaction with the fans, and uh, they're they've been awesome. It's great. It's it's been a great set up. And you know, very the fans. Your fans are so unbelievable, so incredibly loyal. The critters, Um, they follow you everywhere. I've gotten the love from the critters everywhere. They are incredible. They're amazing fans. They really,

they really are. They're very uh, they're they're super are positive, they're super inclusive. Um. But also they tell us when we mess up, but and not in a not in a crappy way, like and hey, guys, maybe you should just you know, think about this. And we're like, of course we should think about that. Um. But it's like, Christie, you're you're friends with my mom on Twitter, right on Facebook, okay,

on on any platform, on any social media platform. If you're if you become friends with my mom, she will endlessly support you, endlessly hype you up like all of your all of your posts. Yes, Yes, that's how I kind of feel about the critters as well, Like they have my back, like I could post anything, and and like I could post like I don't know how to program my remote control and maybe like I got you boo, because how you do it? Like they're very helpful and

they help each other too. It's been so wonderful to see over the years, so many people who watch our show, like Christie, will now be inspired to start playing start playing tabletop role playing games like ours. And we've heard stories and we've met We've met fans who have um had long running games now because they of watching our

show and being inspired by it. We've met people who have gotten married over their shared love of Critical Role and they've gotten into a gaming group together, and they've moved across the world to get married, you know, to each other. And it's like it's so amazing. Uh. Yes, So hats off to the critters. They are definitely the wind beneath our wings. Yeah. I know more than one

person literally and this is not not an exaggeration. I know more than one person that has told me that Critical Roles saved their life, That literally saved their life. They were in a bad place. They didn't know what they were going to live for, they didn't know what they were going to do, and they found Critical Role and everything changed. So it's it's a lot, it's a lot of content. We have hundreds and hundreds of hours

of content. So yes, I've I've heard similar things from people who were in a low moment of their life or they just lost a family member or whatever and just kind of needed needed to hang out, needed to hang out with a friend, uh, for an extended period of time. And it's hard. It's hard for friends, even in real life to just sit with someone who's gonna in a rough place for a long extended period of time.

So instead they would sit with us and watch and watch watch Critical Role for these hours and and sort of we would, we would turn into that supportive you know friend to them, um in their in their moment. Yeah, And it's it's just such a cool thing that we that we didn't set out to do, but are so honored to be a part of of so many people's lives who have found something joyful in us in their lowest moments. Amazing. I'm gonna put you on the spot here.

Hate to do it, But I gotta know favorite character you've played on in Critical Role? Which which is which of my of my D and D characters? Uh? And you can't say that's like picking your children. I can't pick one. No, no, I can pick I can even pick a child over my children. Um No, I I think the one my favorite character was the one who started all Scandlin Shorthauld, my first character, the guy I play on the Legend Box Market, just because he's uh,

he's everything I want to do in life. He's bold and egotistical and silly and funny but also crass. He sings um he and then later in the show you'll see he does have moments of of of real meaning and real uh, real feeling and real heart and um he's probably the closest to me as a person. I love all the characters that I play on Critical Role. And Christie, you will learn too that you'll you'll fall in love with your character because they see the more

you play with them. Um. Unlike any other role that you've played as an actor, because you're creating the story as go, you really feel like you are them and they are you, and so you start to like even when you're not playing, you start worrying about your character, like, oh man, how are they going to get out of this? You know? Or they could die? Yea, you know they

and when the character dies, that's it. They gone like you worried about yes, yes, yeah, and your your friend, your character that you've been with for years, it is now dead. It's horrible sence. Yeah, oh my, al right, well, thank you so much for joining us. Oh we've been We've been really excited about seeing you. So we're glad that You're glad it worked out. This is so cool and were so of course, first of all, everybody Season two Legend of Ox Making I'm prime video. It is phenomenal.

It is the quote unquote the best guest cast you will ever see anywhere. Um I hear the guest test even will Is will Is in it. Will Is in it, and he is so good, so much fun. It is a great show. So go check it out. And of course Sam is. This is going to sound very odd the way that I'm saying it, but Sam is one of the prizes for the Super Awesome Contest to become

the next Big Voice actor. So you are going to get a training set, training session, a mentoring session, nature, whatever you want session, whatever you want to coaching, I guess would be the way that we would say. From the Emmy Award winning Sam Regal at Mary McGlynn, it's going to be so unbelievable. We are so excited that you were here joining us. This has been incredibly cool, and of course every Thursday on Twitch Critical Role, the tiny little show that billions of people around the world

are watching. It's been a pleasure talking to both of you. I'm glad this worked out, and I'm so excited for your contest. I'm so excited for U for this podcast. And you know you talked about Critical Role, you know, being just friends that took off and became a juggernaut. I kind of feel like you guys are doing that too. You guys are kicking, but we keep kicking, but we're

getting great. Thank you. We also wanted to even give a nice shout out to Prime Video because Amazon and Prime Video have been really helping us out with the contest and with everything going on. So it's been really great working with everybody over there. I can see why you love them as partners. It's been a ton of fun and again, uh yeah, we're giving Sam away, Sam surprise, wrapping him in a big bow, and you win this. Harvard graduate Director of Gard, Director of Line Guard, Harvard graduate,

Sam Regal. He's going to read a saucy audio book for you, that's right, praising my role on all my children, all on all my children. And if he doesn't do that, he's one hell of a Spanish tutor. Yes, Sam Regal, Ladies and gentlemen, thank you seriously for joining US's so cool and we're just so happy for all the success you've had and we can't wait, uh for to see everything that's gonna happen again. So everybody, Legend of ox mocking A Season two. It is so cool. It drops.

It's dropped now. So it was January. The first three episodes UH dropped in. They are They're incredible, So go check it out and thank you again for joining us, Sam, thanks for having and for everybody out there, don't forget. The super awesome contest to become the next Big Voice actor is live. So January nine through February nine, submit a two minute either audio or video. Do whatever you want, but remember what Sam said, grab our attention as fast

as you can. Uh focus on the acting, because that's what it's about. We're trying to find actors. We are looking for a colleague. We're looking for somebody who can get into the booth. Day one, We're gonna give someone their big break. You win a year long contract with C E. S D, which is my voiceover agency. You want a thousand dollars, You're flown out to Los Angeles, you have lunch with Christy and I. You're gonna have a coaching session with Sam and Mary sending cash. It

is gonna be so much fun. So just remember, if you think you have what it takes a step up to the microphone, then put your voices where your mouth is. Thanks everybody. I Hear Voices as hosted by Wilfred Ill and Christy Carlson Romano. Executive produced by will Fred Ill, Brendan Rooney, Amy Sugarman, and Vicky Ernst Chang. Our executive in charge of production is Danielle Romo. Our producer is Lorraine Vera Weez and our editor slash engineer is Brian Burton.

And that was my announcer voice. Some side effects of listening to I Hear Voices are sore abs from hilarity falling down the Coco Melon rabbit hole, sneezing due to mass nostalgia, and hugs. Follow I Hear Voices wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss any of the amazing voices. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok at I Hear Voices podcast. You can also check us out on my Space, omegl Vine, lime Wire. Hey I'm a napster. Okay, well, let's teach you about the Internet, the who