Ben Starr sits across from me still wearing the red nail polish that is part of his Jimbo cosplay. Playing the part of the game’s infamous joker, he recently collected Balatro’s BAFTA award for Best Debut Game on behalf of its developer LocalThunk. Aside from his unhinged social media content, Starr is best known for playing the leading role of Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy XVI. For this interview, he’s joined by his Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 co-star Jennifer English, beloved for her role as the world’s favourite romance option, Shadowheart from Baldur’s Gate 3.
With hugely successful roles under their belts, you’d expect the pair to receive voice acting offers purely based on their impressive portfolios. However, not only were they not handed their parts in the upcoming turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but the team at Sandfall Interactive didn’t even know who they were hiring when they were selected.
“What’s really wonderful about [Clair Obscur: Expedition 33] is that [our roles] didn’t actually fall into our laps,” English explains. “They didn’t seek us out,” Starr adds. “They didn’t come to us and were like ‘hey, do you want to play these characters?’.” “We had to audition for it,” English explains. “And they didn’t know who we were. It was blind auditions, so it could have gone to someone else.”
The decision to cast the pair has been a huge success for Sandfall Interactive. They both have passionate fan bases from their previous roles, and have drawn attention to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 through their star power, both with interviews like these, and in cast and character trailers. The pair have clear chemistry together. However, they claim this extends outside the voice recording studio and throughout the whole development team.
“This is a really tiny team,” Starr explains. “We feel like we’re part of a ragtag group, like the Goonies.” When English interjects with, “I want to be the Breakfast Club,” Starr concedes, “Like a cross between the Breakfast Club and the Goonies.” Despite the exhausting setting of the press junket, Starr and English’s enthusiasm for their parts is infectious, making it more surprising that they weren’t headhunted for their roles.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
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