SiN Episodes - Interview - The Voice Cast
When SiN Episodes is unlocked next week, it will mark the return of the original SiN voice cast, as well as the addition of several new characters that will enter the fight between HardCorps and SinTEK. We managed to catch up with three of the principal cast members - Hannah Logan as Elexis Sinclaire, Jen Taylor as Jessica Cannon, and Billy O'Sullivan as J.C. - for a brief chat about the work on SiN Episodes and the characters they play. We would like to thank them for their time, and Zak Belica for setting this whole thing up! This Interview by SpaecKow & badman was published 2006-05-03 on ritualistic.
Hannah Logan (Elexis Sinclaire)
How does it feel to revisit a character from 7 years ago?
Honestly, when I first created the voice of Elexis, it never occurred to me that she would be back. I am very impressed with Ritual and the success of Sin, since at the time it was just a gig I was grateful to get. Re-creating Elexis is like visiting an old friend. I'm glad to see her again.
Elexis is back! Has she gotten a lot meaner since last we saw her? How far has she come?
I don't know that Elexis is any meaner, but it goes without saying that any villain that is still kickin' after seven years is a force to be reckoned with. How far has she come? Like any good villain, she doesn't give up, so she is seven years wiser... with, one could imagine, seven more years of treacherous tools she's collected in that time.
Blade is obsessed with Elexis, but how does Elexis feel about him, what do you think? Is there some kind of weird romance in the air perhaps? They're both kind of crazy, maybe they'd make a good couple.
Well, if by "good couple" you mean dysfunctional and abusive they are made for each other. Clearly, they are both obsessed - that's what keeps the game going seven years later. Love and hate are different sides of the same coin; I think they are in "love" with hating each other. Passion, pain, pleasure, winning, it's all the same in their cat and mouse game.
Elexis' looks make up half of her character, but is it right to dismiss her as some bimbo? She certainly seems a lot more clever than some might say. Is she nothing but a sex object, or does she seem to you as someone who is very much in control of the feminine part of her?
I think Elexis is very much in touch with her "feminine"side, but uses it in a masculine way, as a weapon. A bimbo is, ultimately, a victim. Elexis knows exactly what she is doing - she uses her sensuality to win, not that it always works, but it is definitely a MAJOR piece of ammo in her arsenal.
Jen Taylor (Jessica Cannon)
You have had the opportunity to shape some of the most beloved female characters in the gaming community - for example Cortana, and even Princess Peach from Mario! Has game voice work been something you've sought out? Are you a gamer?
"Most beloved female characters"... I gotta write that one down. I cannot say that I seek out gaming work per se, though I do enjoy it. It's a great challenge to believably place oneself in intense physical situations simply using one's voice. Also, it is delightful to work on a story as opposed to a 30 second cereal commercial (for example). A gamer? Naw, I'm not that cool.
You've played central female action roles before - Cortana is a dame on a mission just like Ms. Cannon, but do your previous characters overlap with Jessica beyond that? What makes Jessica unique? Please talk about the similarities and differences between these characters and Jessica.
Alrighty, let's get down to work with this one. Cortana (of Halo) is certainly on a mission but she's also a computer and has no real physical form. Jessica is obviously not a near omniscient creation but she has a physical life and I'm expecting and hoping to see her kick ass. She also seems to have a finely crafted strategic mind. The fact that she's constantly aiding the player indicates that she has managed to elude the bad guys herself. Smart, sassy and lethal... gotta love that.
Princess Peach, um, not sure how to compare the two there... Princess Peach looks pretty in her cute clothes and plays a mean game of golf - if you let her. I have also voiced "Toad" in those games who, I fear, sounds a lot like Gonzo. Again, no real comparison to Jessica.
I do voice Cate Archer in "No One Lives Forever 2" and she is more comparable than any of my other characters. She's smart and lethal as well. She's living in a different sort of world though and is bit more like a female Bond. Classy, British chick who does damage with flair. Jessica is younger and tougher in a raw street-smart sort of way.
Now, could you please tell us something about the production of this game? What differences do you see between this and other game work you have done? Was it interesting to have other actors to work off?
This is the first game where I've actually worked with another actor and that was a thrill and a pleasure. I was in Portland and he was in Seattle but we were connected via ISDN. Remarkable how much easier (and more realistic sounding, I presume) it is to actually talk to someone. In almost every other piece on which I've worked... you simply have your own lines.
You are never positive to what you are responding. With Halo, they gave me a full script (which was a first) and led me through the story but this is the first time I've had a recorded conversation with someone... and I expect it will make a difference.
Finally, Jessica is likely to have many more adventures in the future - where do you see this character going, who do you see her becoming?
Well, I hope she doesn't become a mutant, that's my biggest concern. Though the lady is tough, street smart and wiser than her years - I think she has an inner purity that is lovely. I hope she is able to retain that and not allow it to be polluted by the ugliness around her.
Billy O'Sullivan (J.C.)
How does it feel to revisit a character from 7 years ago?
Let’s make it plain and simple. When you get to help Blade kick ass and take names regardless of how long it’s been, it feels pretty fucking good...
Seriously I love the fact that JC is the nucleus of the whole operation, so having this older, wiser, cockier role is a fun and commanding position that lets me play around a little more. I know a ton more than I did seven years ago, so I tried to let those experiences learned reflect into JC's persona.
What kind of role does JC play in the Sin Episodes: Emergence story?
JC is the man at the terminal devising plans, cracking codes, hacking systems and more often than not, bringing the missions home completed. Without JC's database-like knowledge of just about anything (minus Women), Blade and the rest of the Sin gang would be on ice or in an urn.
What's the relationship between Blade and JC like now, versus back in the first game?
They have grown together and gained respect for one another. They still both know their roles and not to step on toes or someone will end up dead. Pretty plain and simple, no BS.
JC was always the players real avatar in the world, so to speak, - he's supposed to be reacting the way that the player would, thinking what he would, so it's a very important role within the game. So he is probably going to be someone the average gaming geek can relate to, but what's more interesting is whether you find him likable? Geeks rarely get good press, and their portrayal is generally negative in film and other media - does JC go against that?
Geeks have ALWAYS been cool. And finally after people woke up and scraped the goo from their eyes, we, the geeks of the world are getting the credit and the ladies we deserve. Not to mention saving a ton of asses with our minds. After you take a long look at JC, you have to admit... he's a pretty smooth pimp. Yeah a little jerky and snide, but most of his communication skills come through the keyboard, not from the lips.