Interview: Actress Wendy Braun Loves Her Craft

PSXE: Do you see more of your peers – TV and movie actors/actresses – opting to work more with the gaming industry as it becomes more mainstream?

View Large Image

Wendy: "I’d say definitely. I think nowadays you have to do it all as an actor; it’s all acting, it’s not like there’s a hierarchy. It’s all the same work. It all requires the same intense focus and commitment and it’s really no easier than doing a film. So I see that a lot of my peers are absolutely happy to fill all their plates. The roles are equally exciting and challenging and fulfilling. I also think that the finished product is unlike seeing yourself on film."

PSXE: If you could pick any game series to do a voice for, which would it be?

Wendy: "Well, I’m not much of a gamer but doing something like Uncharted on a huge set where you get to be in it would be great, and the next logical step. Sometimes I feel like I’m a master at Ms. Pac-Man—"

I had to remind her at this point that retro is just so IN these days, and anybody who even mentions the name Pac-Man is cooler than they think they are.

"—and I feel like that more when I’m running around after my two kids. However, I can say that I was an arcade kid. At the time, when I was 13, my life goal was to have my very own tabletop Ms. Pac-Man game. Like, that’s all I wanted. ‘laughs’ So I’m not much of a gamer now, but my husband is a Mass Effect fan and a gamer, though, so I’ve witnessed the joy and entertainment video games can bring."

PSXE: Can you see yourself doing more voices in games? And if so, why?

View Large Image

Wendy: "Absolutely, yes. I think it’s just because as an actor, you get to go to these amazing places in the gaming world. So physically, mentally, emotionally, you get to play and stretch as an actor, and play all different kinds of characters. The one thing I always do; I literally step into the shoes of the character. So when I was playing Gianna, I wore these three-inch black boots, because it took me to a certain place; it let me click in and really feel the physicality. You can’t just phone in your voice; you can’t do that role in flip-flops. Literally step into the character’s shoes and you will fit the character more literally and more organically than you would otherwise.

It has just been a wild ride and a lot of fun."

End Interview

It's always enjoyable to speak to someone who not only takes their work seriously, but also loves every bit of it. It's more than a little likely that you'll hear Wendy's voice a great deal in the future, and that should include video games. If you'd like to learn more about Wendy and what she's up to, visit her official website. We'd like to thank Ms. Braun for her time, and we will reiterate a point we've made before:

As of now, voice acting is one of the the most important elements of the interactive entertainment experience. We require that talent for our experiences to be realistic and believable, and that's the usual goal, yes?