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We chat with Wayne Brady about entering the Critical Role universe for The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4.
"All right, brilliant. Hi, I'm Alex. I'm with Gamereactor.
Hi, Wayne. Hope you're well.
Hey, sir.
First of all, did you have much knowledge of the show going in?
You're coming in as sort of a newcomer to Vox Machina."
"It's quite a well-established, I would say, IP at this point in franchises.
Did you have much knowledge about it going into it?
Yes, big fan had already watched the show.
So as a huge animation fan, as a D&D fan, Critical Role fan, and as a fan of Sam Riegel, who I've worked with for years on other animation projects, I just knew that I had to do it."
"And after he showed me the character and I read the first script, it was a no-brainer.
Yeah, yeah.
Did you have any nerves then? Because you are sort of making history for Critical Role and Vox Machina.
You're being, I believe, the first person to step into the role of another person's player character, taking over the role of Tarion."
"Was there any sort of, like, I don't know, I guess not nerves, as you say, because you know Sam so well, as you just said there.
Was there any sort of conversation beforehand of how you were going to make the role your own, as well as, I guess, pay homage in an aspect?
No, Sam, look, it's not that deep."
"It's not that deep. I've been in the show for 30 years, and I've broken far more bigger glass ceilings than some of the other work I've done.
So for this, this is a nerve-wracking.
It's getting to play make-believe in a world that I love with people that I respect."
"So it was possibly one of the lowest bars of stress, because this is something that I actually love, and Sam is someone who I respect, and I think that the whole Critical Role team, they're awesome.
So no pressure whatsoever."
"Now that I know that, you know, because I always knew that Sam voiced the role, but even Sam said, oh yeah, I might do this, but you go do your thing.
So there's all love. So there was no pressure for me.
Yeah, yeah."
"That's something I was going to chat to you about as well, actually.
It's a really collaborative cast. It's a really collaborative show, because as you say, it's been a D&D show beforehand, and everyone knows each other really well."
"Is that any different? Is that sort of quite a unique environment to step into?
And was it like that in the recording as much as you'd expect from, say, like the table?
Did you get to sort of record with the other cast, or was it more of a solo experience?
It was all a solo experience."
"But having watched them perform together and do the campaigns, you know, being an improviser, which improvisation is what D&D is based upon, there's a spirit of yes and that permeates the entire project.
So even though I was doing my work solo, I knew that they would be open to anything that I bring to the table."
"And you said you played D&D before. I'm an D&D player myself.
Would you find that Tarion is the character that you usually gravitate towards when you're creating a character, or do you go something different?
What do you like to play?
No, I think when I think of Tarion, I kind of like to either play a paladin or a fighter."
"I think we all like to play the heightened versions of who we would like to be.
I would never immediately think of myself as someone like Tarion because of all of his issues.
So I think I definitely try in my mind to be some big fighter or someone that can vanquish the otherworldly foes easily."
"And just one quick final question for you then, before I wrap, as I'm getting your message too.
If Tarion was to, say, come back in another way, as I know that season five will be the last season of Vox Machina, In a heartbeat."
"There's always spin-offs in a heartbeat.
In a heartbeat.
There we go. Thank you so much for your time, Lee.
Thank you."
