Queer Baldur’s Gate 3 actor praises game’s ‘special’ LGBTQ+ fanbase
Baldur’s Gate 3 voice actor Jennifer English has told PinkNews of her love of, and the appreciation she feels for, LGBTQ+ fans.
“People have told me that [Baldur’s Gate 3] has given them the chance to explore parts of themselves that they weren’t able to explore before and that’s been magical,” she says.
The Larian Studios video game received overwhelmingly positive reviews when it was released in August 2023, both from long-time fans of the series and newcomers to the world of Faerûn.
Not only was the title’s gameplay – inspired by Dungeons & Dragons – heralded as revolutionary, but also the openness for players to explore their sexuality and gender identity through the game’s in-depth character creator and story cemented it as an instant classic.
Baldur’s Gate 3 won titles across various ceremonies last year, including from GLAAD, and was named game of the year at the Games Awards.
English, who voices fan-favourite companion Shadowheart, says the reaction made her incredibly proud. “I think [Baldur’s Gate 3‘s] legacy is going to be huge. What’s so special about it is that everyone I know who worked on it was so passionate about it.
“And Larian put their hearts and souls into it. They care so much about the integrity of it and the importance of the storytelling. Hopefully, that paves the way for other games and how people view games as this important piece of art. It’s not all pew, pew, pew.”
‘I can’t tell you how full it makes my heart’
Her performance in the role-playing game landed her among 21 names in the UK to be selected for the BAFTA Breakthrough programme this year, a talent initiative that helps accelerate the careers of artists from a range of backgrounds across film, TV and video games. The initiative is supported by Netflix.
Being queer herself, English is particularly pleased about the large LGBTQ+ following that the game has garnered, thanks, in part, to its powerful storytelling that allows players to explore their sexuality and gender.
“You don’t know what you’re going to get from a community until the game is out there,” she says. “You don’t know who is going to play this game. I’ve been wonderfully in love with this incredibly queer [fan base], like it is so queer, especially with fans of Shadowheart.
“I can’t speak for other [Baldur’s Gate 3 actors] but the people [who] come and meet me at conventions are overwhelmingly queer or allies. It’s such an inclusive community, it’s created something very special.
“We’ve had people make friendship groups, fall in love and become part of something. I’m just so proud.”
Shadowheart has become a fan-favourite among queer fans for her down-to-earth personality and pansexuality.
The reaction has been amazing to see, English adds.
“I can’t tell you how full it makes my heart because over that four-and-a-half years of recording, I put so much of myself into her, and I related to so much of her story. It’s a very vulnerable thing to then put it out into the world.
“It was absolutely terrifying when it was released because I was like: ‘What if they don’t like her? What if people don’t resonate?’ And they just did. It’s why we do what we do.
“We want to connect, we want to tell these stories that deeply connect to people.”
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