Critical Role's Laura Bailey Eats Her Last Meal
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Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Laura Bailey's 'last meal' reflects her preference for 'noshes' and comfort foods, blending high-end caviar with Tex-Mex queso and fried chicken.
- ❖A pivotal moment in her career was a call from Funimation's owner, Barry, emphasizing the seriousness of voice acting as a job, leading her to drop out of college.
- ❖The character of Toru Honda from 'Fruits Basket' profoundly shaped Bailey's outlook on life, transforming her from a 'grouchy' kid to a more buoyant person.
- ❖The intense backlash and death threats received for her role as Abby in 'The Last of Us Part II' caused her to significantly reduce her online presence and public availability.
- ❖Bailey believes in actively shaping one's destiny, contrasting with the host's 'kayaker on a river' metaphor.
- ❖The evolution of 'nerd culture' from niche to mainstream meant her once-obscure 'A Song of Ice and Fire' tattoo idea became too common after the HBO series.
Insights
1From Aspiring Biologist to Voice Acting Star
Laura Bailey initially pursued biology but pivoted to theater after realizing her disinterest in the math component. A key turning point was watching a Katie Holmes interview where Holmes discussed disappointing her high school theater teacher to take a role in 'Dawson's Creek.' This made acting seem like a viable career path, prompting Bailey to tell her mom she wanted an agent, a significant leap from her shy beginnings.
I had a strong interest in it until I got to the math portion. And then I realized I don't want any part of this. And that all happened around the same time that I like discovered theater. I was watching this this interview with her and yeah, she had been cast in in a play in her high school and then she um got cast in Dawson's Creek... It just seemed so approachable after I saw somebody dealing with like, well, yeah, once if you're in a show you can't leave that. Everybody's depending on you. And then she was also from a small town. I grew up in like Allen in North Texas. Like there was nothing there, you know? Once I saw that got on the phone with my mom. I called her at her work and I was like, 'Mom, I want to be an actress.'
2The Transformative Power of Character Roles
Bailey recounts how voicing Toru Honda in 'Fruits Basket' at age 19 profoundly changed her personality. Previously known as 'Oscar' for being grouchy, embodying Toru's optimistic, self-sacrificing nature helped her cultivate a more positive outlook on life, a trait she still 'channels' today.
Toru is the best. She's the best human. Look, she was one of the first characters I did outside of Dragon Ball Z... And then Toru comes along and she's she sees the best in everybody. She wants everybody to be happy. She's self-sacrificing to a fault. And I was 19 when I was recording her. And I wanted to be like that. I wanted to be able to see the the joy in all all of my life... My nickname when I was a kid was Oscar. Yeah, cuz I was just kind of like a like a whiny little kid. I I was I was grouchy and I'm kind of still grouchy.
3Navigating Online Backlash and Industry Leaks
Bailey details the severe negative reaction to her role as Abby in 'The Last of Us Part II,' exacerbated by game leaks that revealed horrific scenes out of context. She received constant death threats against herself, her parents, and her infant child, leading Sony to provide security and causing her to significantly withdraw from her previously open online presence. She highlights how leaks ruin years of work, crash sales, and negatively impact developers' livelihoods.
I knew it was going to get a reaction obviously because like Joel is beloved... but because of the leaks because of the way that it happened it was it was just a lot. I had to have Sony security... they were looking into all of the active death threats that were coming in. These were against you specifically just for voicing the character. For playing the character. I mean I would performed it. It was full performance capture... they were threatening my parents. They were threatening my baby who was a baby at the time... people work years and years and pour their heart and souls into these projects and then to have a fan bypass all of it and release release the game to people before it's ready or you know, it and it ruins the sales and it crashes the reviews and it makes the game perform worse.
Bottom Line
The mainstreaming of 'nerd culture' has altered personal connections to once-niche interests.
Laura Bailey's decision not to get an 'A Song of Ice and Fire' tattoo (an Arya Stark quote) because it became too well-known after the HBO series illustrates how popularization can diminish the unique, insider appeal of subcultures. This suggests that as niche interests become mainstream, their original enthusiasts may seek new, less accessible forms of expression.
Brands and creators targeting 'nerd culture' should consider strategies that cater to both new, mainstream audiences and long-time fans who value exclusivity and deep lore. This could involve creating tiered content, exclusive fan experiences, or 'deep cut' references that reward dedicated engagement.
The 'Dust of Deliciousness' anecdote from Critical Role highlights the power of player agency and long-term narrative consistency in TTRPGs.
Bailey's character Jester used a forgotten magical spice powder ('Dust of Deliciousness') given by the DM hundreds of hours earlier to trick a hag. This demonstrates how player retention of obscure inventory items and unexpected creative uses can lead to memorable, unscripted narrative moments, even surprising the DM.
Game designers and DMs can leverage this by seeding seemingly minor or ambiguous items early in campaigns, allowing players to discover creative applications much later. This rewards player attentiveness, fosters emergent storytelling, and creates a deeper sense of agency and world interaction.
Key Concepts
The River and Kayak vs. Being the River
The host views life as a kayaker on a river, where external forces dictate the path, and one can only strive to stay afloat. Laura Bailey, conversely, believes one must 'be the river,' actively making choices and taking tributaries to shape one's destiny and career path, rather than passively flowing.
Lessons
- Embrace 'girl dinner' or 'noshy' eating habits when alone, prioritizing personal comfort and preference over traditional meal structures.
- Actively seek out and embody characteristics of fictional characters that you admire to foster personal growth and shift your own outlook on life.
- If you are a public figure, consider adjusting your online presence and public availability to protect your mental well-being and personal safety, especially in the face of intense online scrutiny or threats.
Cultivating Empathy Through Role-Playing
Engage in tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) or similar immersive storytelling activities to actively step into diverse characters' shoes.
Commit to playing characters for extended periods, allowing their choices and perspectives to become 'second nature' and challenge your own biases.
Reflect on the decisions made by your characters that differ from your own, using these insights to understand alternative viewpoints and foster real-world empathy.
Notable Moments
Laura Bailey recounts a specific phone call from Barry, the owner of Funimation, early in her career. She had missed a recording session for a school event, and he called to tell her, 'Hey, you're young. I need you to realize this is for real. This is a job. You can't just miss it because you have a thing you have to go to for school.' This moment solidified her commitment to voice acting.
This interaction served as a clear, unambiguous 'adulting' moment, transforming her perception of voice acting from a hobby to a serious career. It highlights the often-unseen pivotal moments that shape professional trajectories and the importance of direct mentorship (even if stern).
Bailey describes a dream about being a lonely ball of light in darkness, which then zoomed out to reveal other lights, then rivers of lights, and finally a glowing person. The dream started sad but ended joyfully, leading her to wake up happy.
This dream profoundly impacted her philosophy on death and interconnectedness, shifting her perspective from individual isolation to a sense of collective belonging and shared experience. It's a powerful personal narrative about finding peace and purpose in a larger context.
Quotes
"I feel exceptionally mortal when I think about um you know if I if I were to die, I would be leaving this little one behind."
"I think it helps you see things from other people's perspective because you are actively living in somebody else's shoes."
"I knew it was going to get a reaction obviously because like Joel is beloved and he's an amazing character and I loved him. So I I knew that that was coming but because of the leaks because of the way that it happened it was it was just a lot."
"People work years and years and pour their heart and souls into these projects and then to have a fan bypass all of it and release release the game to people before it's ready or you know, it and it ruins the sales and it crashes the reviews and it makes the game perform worse."
"I feel like her being one of my first roles really like Yeah, she shaped who I was at the time. And I feel like she changed me."
Q&A
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