🔴Astarion Actor Neil Newbon talks Baldur's Gate 3, Bear Romance & Why this role gets him Emotional 

TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Welcome Neil Newbon 0:30 - Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3 4:30 - Fan Reception to Baldur's Gate 3 and creating real friendships 5:23 - Neil literally left his blood on the floor for Baldur’s Gate 3 6:03 - So much love was poured into Baldur’s Gate 3 8:20 - Neil freaked out when he knew he was in Baldur’s Gate 3 13:11 - Directing on Baldur's Gate 3 15:18 - Astarion is an Anti-Hero 17:16 - Bear Romance Scene & Incredible Cast of Baldur’s Gate 3 19:17 - Astarion’s Backstory & Developing the character 23:29 - Method Acting & Method Techniques 25:29 - Neil completely burned out working on Baldur’s Gate 3 29:35 - DND 30:23 - Neil gets Emotional 31:30 - Astarion’s laugh 32:02 - Playing Astarion in Live Action 33:00 - Companion vs Origin 33:27 - Neil gets Emotional again 34:38 - 180 hours of total cinematics 35:13 - Has Neil played the game? 35:40 - Astarion talks to Dan

Me: I'm going to bring Astarion on this quest *clicks on Astarion* Astarion: "Don't touch me!"

When I said Astarion was a fav everyone just assumed it was for the looks but no, they didnt get it, its in the voice! The cheekiness, the vulnerability, etc etc thats what caught my attention as "first impression" & Neil voiced it perfectly!

Neil just nails the seductive part of Astarion, but is in his vulnerability he shines. He's such an amazing character, reminds me of Lestat

my favorite lines from Astarion are also my fav from the whole game: "People say size doesnt matter... ha hA HA!" - the giggle is soooo good. when you say to Astarion, that you thought the parasite would protect him from the sun, after he died in the explosion in lathanders temple and gets ressurected: "Well, apperently there is a Limit. Somwhere between a nice summer day, and THE FULL CONCENTRATED POWER, OF THE SUN!" i justlove it.

Astarion would not have been nearly as iconic if he'd been played by anyone else. Neil gave Astarion a depth, vulnerability, and level of sass that I don't think anyone else could. The writing was incredible but the acting is what really made it ❤

The cat thing with Astarion worked out so perfectly! "DON'T TOUCH ME" phrase gets me every time 😅 i literally try not to switch to Astarion in camp to respect his space

The way Neil's voice goes from cheeky charm to deep trauma and vulnerability when talking about his time under Cassador is some of the best voice acting in a game with amazing VA across the board. The first time I heard that, I went from not caring/trusting Astarion too much to actively wanting to help him. The moral dilemma at the end of his companion quest was also one of the more interesting ones in the game. I actually broke my paladin oath b/c my consciounce was telling me to let the spawn go and Neil's portrayal of "good Astarion" had a lot to do with it. I liked that version so much better than the calous and power hungry Astarion (fear-driven, really) that I made a tough call just so I could "fix him". I sincerely hope Neil gets the chance to play him again.

Man as someone who got stupidly attached to Astarion right at the beginning of early access, I gotta empathise with Neil over having Astarion taking up a permanent space in your brain for years and then finally getting to watch the whole internet explode all losing their minds over him at once. Astarion is such a neat little guy. But I never noticed before now that Neil has the pointy sharp canines a little bit too? That’s basically 50% of the way to a cosplay already, right? Surely the real challenge would be finding a wig that does what Astarion’s hair does under the constraints of real life gravity. So. Much. Hairspray.

He’s a hot nerd who is inclusive and has a great personality… no wonder he became such a star through astarion! ❤

I've been playing EA since it came out. Astarion is my favorite - and the voice acting is what really sells it. Knowing his situation, and telling him the parasite is going to turn him into a mindflayer in that first interaction is amazing. "Hahaha! Of COURSE it'll turn me into a monster." Said so gut wrenchingly.

Astarion is such an interesting character and his acting is really good, i am loving every bit of the game so far.

His character made me laugh, get angry, cry, and fall in love. He did such a magnificent job. This is easily my favorite game of all time, I love it so much ♥

People are naturally attracted to those who are passionate about the things they love, & Neil rly freaking nailed it.

I would pay unholy amounts of gold to listen to his Astarion Spotify playlist!

Astarion's looks are nice, don't get me wrong, but his charisma, voice and personality are what really make me love him. Neil did an amazing job!

Got emotional myself watching him get emotional about the work, that kind of enthusiasm and passion is so damn contagious!

Astarion has always been my favorite since the beginning of early access, and seeing Neil care so much about him and his role is really touching.

Mans figured out the hidden code in the Codename. He was meant to be in this role.

Neil is amazing

"I maybe wanna cosplay Astarion sometimes" ...and a thousand Sewing machines from Astarion Fans are start humming 😁

I already adored Neil but every new interview has just made me love him more. I love when actors are passionate about their characters and he's clearly passionate about Astarion. He quite easily slips into his character on his Twitch streams a lot too 😂 can't wait to watch his playthrough of BG3 on stream, though knowing him, it will take YEARS to get through it 😂

I've got C-PTSD from an absolute nightmare of a childhood, kept like a slave. I am looking forward to play Astarion (currently he's companion), because his entire backstory makes me feel like I can have a chance in-game to free myself from my past and get revenge. If only by clicking on stuff, but hey, catharsis takes many forms! :) Thanks Neil for giving voice and character to Astarion!

The voice acting for Astarion is amazing. I have had some truly heartbreaking scenes already.

The story arc of Astarion is one of the best I have seen, not just in RPG but as a character period. The vamp trope has been so done but this feels so rooted and beautifully twisted. There are reasons for the way he is, he’s not two dimensional and the incredible dialogue delivered with such emotion that this character is just pure joy to behold. The fact that people can’t bear to be cruel to him is just amazing. To then find out that the VA/MoCap actor is such a wonderfully passionate, erudite and likeable person too is the cherry on top. If they ever make a live active film (and they should for origin, sequel or original ensemble, hells I’d love all three) then it would be epically criminal if Neil Newbon did not play Astarion in that. Loved the interview. 🖤🖤🖤

Neil Newborn is the reason why I kept Astarion in my party. En enjoyed him immensely. He has such great talent and unique voice.

How can one man be so handsome, cool, talented, funny, dedicated, and yet so humble. Thank you for everything you've done and for bringing Astarion to life.

Astarion is such an incredible character. I got very emotional watching his character growth in my playthrough

As a romance writer, Stephen really understands how to build a romance. Astarion's story is a perfect paranormal romance build when you romance him. And how well he represents the cycle of abuse, keeping or breaking, and how he reacts to the world with Fawn (fight, flight, fawn, freeze, flop) really shows a well written representation for survivors of that type of abuse. My whole life has been about reading, writing, and editing and Astarion has been the best representation for survivors like myself, so beautifully written and acted.

what an utter legend

That energy when talking about 'this gonna be BG3', I love it so much, so pure. EDIT: Amazing person, just contagious energy, a lovely interview.

Astarion's stilted theatrical base pose always reminded me of a ballet dancer pose. So I assumed he might have been an avid dancer when he was alive, what with being an elf and a noble, too.

I've always wanted to play DND but I don't have friends irl who play games and I've been too nervous to meet new ppl who actually play it - so hearing Neil say it's the best way to experience it (AND we get to have Astarion as a companion) has me sold. I will be happy to purchase Baldur's Gate 3 and support this team and community. Thank you Dan for the interview! Bless Neil, he is such a sweetheart and a legend ❤

You can really feel Neil's love for Astarion and the entire process of making this game while he talks about it and it's honestly such a treat to see. That love and admiration clearly comes across in the performances and it's part of what makes this game so special. Boundless levels of respect for this man and all of those who worked to make this game so great.

I LOVE it when the VA is already a fan of the series they join because the passion is infectious! Also it is just super fun for fans❤️🤣

I love Astarion as a character so much. So many layers to that little vamp, and his snarky one liners made me giggle.

What an incredibly humble and sweet man. This is the kind of person you wish nothing but all the success in the world for.

His laugh is epic. I recommend casting Hideous Laughter on Astarion or getting him high on Underdark mushrooms once.

Every single play session I doing BG3, I'm ALWAYS set aback by the quality of the writing but especially the acting. I genuinely feel that this game is a landmark moment. The profound effect it has had on me goes right up there with reading Terry Pratchett's books for the first time, which trust me, is huge!

Omg Neil is just the sweetest Person! And he cares so much about the game and the character - and it really shows! And YES we need him cosplaying Astarion and Playing him in a life action film! Bring it all on! ❤

Playing with him in my party right now, really enjoying the character and his story.

He's so fucking talented. His performance is nuanced and fantastic. he's so humble too god i love him

I hope the cast knows that some of us get emotional, too, over games as meaningful as this one. I know it's not an easy thing to ask for, but I've been begging for more games like BG3 that remind of DAO, where you can actually get attached to the characters and have fond memories of many years later 💜 I don't want to downplay the exceptions that other people enjoy, but I wish most AAA companies tried half as hard to make games like this. Even Neil keeps saying what a special project this has been, so despite good games being out there, I think they understand the need for this particular kind of game that just hits different. I do appreciate companies like Spiders Studio for trying, tho, Greedfall wasn't perfect, but I still felt the love and hard work behind it.

Astarion has never left my party once in my 2 plahthroughs. He's such a special little guy and an incredible asset in personality and utility. He is definitely my favorite by a longshot. Followed closely by Shadowheart and Karlach and Laezel.

Astarion questline hits so much home for me, I cried and laughed. I adore this character and he will live for ever in my head rent free!!! Awesome job on him by Neil! I can not wait for his cosplay :D

I didn’t get the hype around Astarion at first cuz I played as a rogue and never needed him in my party, but after many more play thrus I’ve realized how funny and charming he is. Honestly Neil’s performance really blew me away.

I found Neil's work through Astarion, and I am so glad I did. Astarion is one of my favorite characters of all time, and I'm so happy to have found my new favorite voice actor. Since then i follow his twitch and can point out his unique voice in countless games ive played since. Amazing game, amazing cast. i love this interview.

I love Neil Newbon in everything he's in. Been a fan since Detroid Become Human and I just keep falling in love with his performances more and more for every new project he works on.

He was absolutely born born for this role

Astarion became an instant favourite character for me, not just in this game, but out of all the games I've played. Neil absolutely nailed the role and his passion for the project really shines through in his performance!

just got into baldurs gate 3 and by far out of all the characters presented in my playthrough so far Astarions voice acting is easily one of my favorites if not favorite. i also love that Neil said he likes to view the villains he plays as anti heros instead, because they are in they're own story just linking into anothers while having their own fleshed out origin and morals and thoughts. thats exactly what i love to hear especially from voice actors because you can hear the passion for him playing Astarion just in the acting.

While watching this I was thinking "he kinda looks like Astarion". Glad to see I wasn't the only one thinking that😂. Would love to see him act as Astarion again, doesn't matter in what way. And I totally want to see the cosplay and Twitch playthrough if he decides to do those. But seriously, Neil Newbon is such an amazing voice actor and I'm grateful he got to play this role because I can't imagine a life without this exact version of Astarion being part of it. The moment I heard his voice....I think I just fell in love with the character. Bought the game within a few hours and then fell in love with the whole game. I just really appreciate the work Larian and the whole team have done, Baldur's Gate 3 is awesome.😎🥰

Neil's passion for his work is so contagious.

Astarion working with a clown, Astarion getting blown up by a space Lazer, and Astarion EATING SHIT lines are delivered unlike anything I've ever seen/heard.

I think my first experience with Neil's work is Elijah Kamski in Detroit, I totally just thought he was American, and that he does an impressive English accent for Astarion. Now it makes sense

This interview brought a massive smile to my face 😌 What an incredible person Neil is! Absolutely burning with passion - and it's contagious.

Had flash backs to the re village stream when I saw Neil’s name. This guy’s awesome!

He explains everything so beautifully. Love him!

i love how he's barely letting the interviewer get a word in edgewise

Any Baldur's Gate 3 live action/animation movie where Astarion isn't played by Neil Newbon would be a crime. Larian already used mocap and facial expression capture for the game, similar to the way James Cameron did for _Avatar,_ so the voice actors are already used to it. Problem is... if you wrote a movie script from the game, you'd have to decide on one definitive storyline and "canon" endings for the characters, and for a definitive look and personality and D&D class for Tav, which is difficult. Also, the romance _would_ have to be between Tav and Astarion, as Astarion's personal storyline is so massively dependent on Tav being there for him. If Tav isn't there, or with someone else, and no-one connects emotionally with Astarion, we'd never see his true self under the persona he affected, and Astarion would frankly have zero reason _not_ to chose the Rite of Ascension. Otherwise, he'd be all alone once the tadpoles are removed, forced to flee from the sun back into the shadows while the others enjoy their "Heroes of Baldur's Gate" celebration. Hardly an enticing prospect. Same problem with a sequel. Honestly, I would throw my money at any DLC that shows us Tav and Astarion adventuring to find a cure for him and let's us continue playing these characters, but I know that will never happen. Making a DLC expansion merely for this specific outcome for this one companion would not only be madness from a corporate standpoint, but the fans of the other companions who want to see what happened to _them_ (assuming they survived, which for Karlach effectively means either she's forced to go to Avernus or she accepted transformation into a mindflayer) would be miffed. Heck, why can't Elminster research the Netherese magic on the tadpoles and cough up some amulet that mimics that magic, allowing him to walk in the sun and cross rivers... otherwise all that "adventuring" will be quite a chore for Tav and Astarion, as now Astarion is _weaker_ and more fragile than he was at the start of Act 1! He can only move about for half of the day... or a few hours during summer days, whichj honestly sucks. Unless him covering up completely would be sufficient to let him survive direct sunlight, the way vampires do in some TV shows like _Buffy the Vampire Slayer"... in a tabletop D&D that would be the gamemaster's call. Astarion isn't a full vampire, after all... his mystic "condition" isn't as strong, hence the curse of the sun shouldn't affect him as strongly. (handwave) Usually it's handled the other way around, as true vampires are stronger, but hey. Get some good-aligned Faerunian Deity of Light on the line, we have a reformed vampire spawn here who adores the sun, how about some miracle, eh? A little divine ritual to test him if he is worthy? Although I agree with Astarion's sentiment: If no hero ever came along to free him from Cazar's clutches, if the so-called gods of good never bothered to answer Astarion's prayers for salvation, his pleading in the darkness while he was buried alive for a year, Astarion owes them _nothing._

I didn't know Neil Newbon before watching this and he seems like a sunshine version of Johnny Depp. I mean that in the best possible way.

I love Astarion as a character and Neil has absolutely brought him to live with his performance. It is even more awesome to learn how passionate the VA is about the character and BG/D&D in general. Totally deserved the spot into this game man.

Niel did a great job and give life to one of the best characters in the game

He seems so cool. I actually had made a generic character to start with and when I encountered Astarion half way through act one (found him kind of late) I liked him so much I decided to start over and play as Astarion.

I recognized his voice just a little but I couldn’t place exactly where I heard it before and it was bugging the heck out of me. So I looked it up and I was blown away🙀He has played so many of my most favorite characters, even when the roles were small ones. Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 3 remake, Detroit. I have yet to play Baldur’s Gate 3 but I have watch some RU-vid clips and videos of it. But the character Astarion was the one that really caught my attention and I couldn’t help but fall in love with him🤭 I would love to play the game in the future. Sadly, I don’t have the hardware or software to be able to play it yet which is so sad😢 I am extremely happy you did this interview with Neil Newbon so extremely happy thank you.😊

Great interview, thank you very much! I really loved Astarion, a great character with a good background and above all with the best voice acting in the entire game. Neil gives us an amazing performance, no one could have done it better, I really hope to see him as Astarion anytime anywhere. Such an intensity, you could feel everything thanks to his great work

I almost finished the game and I can say : this is my favorite game ever played (the last one was Mass effect 3 that I did more than 10 years ago) Astarion is my favorite character in the game and my romance. It's like someone took everything I love in every pop culture that I know and put it together. He is just perfect and I love him so damn much, I just want to say : Thank Neil for bringing Astarion to life, i will never forget him.

What a gem of a man. And for my favorite companion!?! Ugh, now I have to go find his Twitch so I can go down the obsessive loving rabbit hole.

How awesome is that guy. Jeez. Astarion is my favorite. I'm replaying the campaign as Dark Urge and he's my best friend this time cause i keep doing so much nasty stuff.

Neil nailed it so good. I loved his performance during the Cazador scenes

His passion shines so brightly its beautiful to see. I also notice how quick he is to give credit to others and uplift all of his colleagues. What a wonderful human.

I am the biggest fan of Astarion when he gets mad. Screaming Astarion got me fall into him completely

I'm glad Neil loved playing him so much. Brings a special kind of joy to loving the character as a fan.

I haven't ever laughed so much in a computer game, mostly in response to Astarion. He is hilariously camp and definitely knows how to have a good time. He'd be great company in real life (without the vampirism or tadpole though lol) All the voice acting in the game is superb.

I love the idea of the voice actors returning in some sort of live action role in the future. I know the DnD movie didn't perform super well, but i thought it was a fun movie, and if they ever make another DnD movie I'd love to see some of the BG3 actors pop up as easter eggs. It helps that nearly all of them resemble the characters they played! It's great hearing that the actors would be interested in reprising the roles

Passion and love for a craft absolutely is contagious. I'd been in a bad depression spell before picking up BG3 and the game has really helped me get a bit of myself back. You can tell the love that was poured into this (from everyone - developers, voice actors, artists, etc.) and it makes me want to be better at my work as well. I didn't actually plan on romancing anyone in the game, but my shady little Drow couldn't help but fall for Astarion. His storyline and acting really hooked me. Thank you, Dan, for a great interview (I've started watching all the cast interviews) and thank you, Neil, for sharing your talent and passion with the world. It truly makes a difference.

I LOVE NEIL so good to see himm in another role his such a legend thanks Dan these interviews are nuts

The part where you speak about method techniques and then start talking about playlists remind me of how much I listen to specific character playlists on repeat before a dnd session !

awww he’s so sweet and passionate

Neil, you're a gem! ❤ Your passion for your work, your attention to every detail, your devotion to your characters, it's a pleasure! I love the versatility of your voice and how you manage to make every character you play unique. I'm so glad that you are our Astarion. I remember my first day in the EA and I met him for the first time. He said his first line and I went completely nuts because I recognized your voice 😅😅

as someone who's interested in acting but couldn't really get a start in it yet, neil newbon talking about his craft seems to be great learning material

I fucking L O V E how Neil talks about the physicality and talk about commedia dell'arte in piecing together Astarion. I love him. God, I love theatre nerds

The Reddit forums have been calling BG3 an Astarion Dating Simulator. He's that good at the character.

Wizards couldn't have gotten a better studio to make this game. Their passion just oozes out of it. We live in a golden age of gaming, so many good indie games and big games like this coming out with the players in mind. No cash grab battle passes or micro transactions.

What a down to earth guy and a really awesome character! I've had him in my party pretty much my whole time playing so far, at first it was only because of how perfect he is at lockpicking, but I quickly grew to appreciate the character beyond that. The voice acting and writing in this game is stellar, and does so much work in holding up an already awesome core experience. So glad we've all got the chance to play it and that all these people got to work on something so great!

I would love to know what Neil's spotify playlist is for Astarion 💙

He's adorable! So much passion and, near the end, he's getting all emotional over a character. I definitely understand why everyone's fascinated not only with Astarion but also the VA that plays him. Cosplay as Astarion?! Yes, please!!

He's such a darling, love it!

I cannot wrap my head around the sheer volume of work and love that went into BG3. I wanna see what scripts and spreadsheets looked like to keep track of all the branching dialogue and consequences and random happenstances for each character.

amazing what a great guy. love that he cares so much for his work

In my first playthrough, I was planning on romancing Gale. And then, suddenly, there was Astarion and I was into the romance with him and didn't know exactly why I did that, but then there are his scars and you learn more of his backstory and that there is so much depth and Neil puts this on point. There are so many powerful lines (200 years of pure shit made me shiver), but also there is so much vulnerability, the cheekiness of course... Can't put it in words how he just slithered into my heart. I cried in his companion quest. When he kinda breaks down and is relieved at the same time, it's just the best piece of acting I ever saw. I am so extremely curious what outcome Neil will choose for Astarion in his very own playthrough (although I fear bad things considering what happened to poor Azra mere hours after meeting Neil, his Char and Astarion).

I've been so confused listening to this interview, because Newbon keeps mentioning "Joss Whedon" who is not only sliiightly controversial these days, but also isn't credited for any sort of involvement in BG3. Now I finally found out that he is actually talking about "Josh Weeden".

He's such a good fit for Astarion, he even has little vampire teeth irl ❤

Neil is without a doubt one I am gonna follow going forward, I was blown away by his performance in BG3. I gotta admit, when I first met the character, I did not like him, but he grew on me, and at the end I was fully crying at his main story questline.

Neil career is taking off. Resident Evil Village, now BG3. Dude is on fire. Astarion best character of BG3 and Heisenburg was best character in Village

Who knew this goofball elf could be so endearing ♥️ voice actors can truly elevate a character from well-written to fan favorite!

Astarion and in obvious extension Neil Newbon gave a shitty year a whole lot of life back ♥ I will never forget that.

Omg, this man is liquid passion ❤

Neil , really appreciate your time Dedication to authenticity and immersion for the player. You as well as the rest of the team just help solidify and exemplify what a role-playing experience in a authentic predefined world/setting is like. Bg3 literally feels like opening up one of your favorite, dark fantasy novels/books, and being transported into it. Not just from your Minds eye but literally with your own visual perception, helping to reaffirm what has been brought to life. But that is only possible if you have a team of individuals who are willing to be truly authentic about what they’re doing and you, sir, as well as the rest of the entire team… Y’all did just that. Thank you very much.

Neils voice does things to me.