You’ve heard the voice. It’s that perfect mix of "I could kill you in your sleep" and "I actually really need a hug." If you’ve spent any time in the Forgotten Realms lately, you know exactly who I’m talking about. Jennifer English basically became the voice of a generation of gamers the second she stepped into the recording booth as Shadowheart.
But honestly? Most people think she just appeared out of thin air in 2023. They think she's just "the Shadowheart lady." That’s a massive disservice to one of the most hardworking actors in the industry today. Her journey didn't start with a Sharran artifact, and it definitely didn't end there.
The Grind Before the Goblins
Long before the massive success of Baldur’s Gate 3, Jennifer English was putting in the hours at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She’s a classically trained actor. That matters. It’s why her performances feel so weighted and real. She didn’t just wake up one day and decide to do "funny voices" for a living.
Back in 2017, she was doing the "additional voices" hustle. She voiced about seventy different characters in Divinity: Original Sin II. Imagine that. You’re playing a game and you might run into ten different people all voiced by the same person, and you’d never even know it because she’s that good at shifting her tone. She also popped up in Elden Ring as Latenna the Albinauric.
Funny story: Latenna has a pet wolf. Shadowheart is deathly afraid of wolves. The irony is not lost on the fans.
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Why Jennifer English as a Voice Actor is Different
The thing about Jennifer is that she isn't just a voice. She’s a physical performer. During the five-year development of Baldur's Gate 3, she was in a mocap suit. Those iconic head wiggles? The way Shadowheart shifts her weight when she’s being prickly? That’s all Jennifer.
She’s gone on record saying she put a lot of her own vulnerability into that role. It shows. When a character feels "alive," it’s usually because the actor stopped trying to sound like a cartoon and started acting like a human.
- The Mocap Factor: Every shrug and sigh was recorded.
- The Collaboration: She worked closely with writers like John Corcoran to "find" the character.
- The Persistence: Five years is a long time to live inside one character's head.
Life After the Absolute
If you think she peaked with Larian Studios, you haven't been paying attention to the 2025-2026 release schedule. Jennifer recently swept the awards circuit—including Best Performance at The Game Awards 2025—for her role as Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
It was a total 180 from Shadowheart. Maelle is vulnerable in a completely different way. Jennifer actually mentioned in a GamesRadar interview that some of the scenes in Expedition 33 were the most "gut-wrenching" things she’s ever done. That’s saying something for an actor who has voiced a character literally being tortured by a dark goddess.
And yeah, the "hot streak" continues. She’s recently been cast in Soulframe as Empress Alora, a "fairy empress with a Welsh accent." Talk about range.
The Personal Connection
You can't really talk about Jennifer English without mentioning Aliona Baranova. They met on the set of Baldur's Gate 3 where Aliona was the performance director. Basically, Aliona’s job was to make sure Jennifer’s physical acting translated perfectly to the screen.
They’re a couple in real life now, and they’re even working together on upcoming projects like Tides of Annihilation. In that one, Jennifer plays the protagonist, Gwendolyn, and Aliona plays the antagonist, Mordred. They’ve joked that it’s just reflecting real life. Kinda cute, right?
What Aspiring Actors Can Learn
Jennifer didn't "break in" via a lucky break. She treated it like a business from day one. If you're looking to follow in her footsteps, here's the reality:
- Acting comes first. Learn the craft. Go to school or take workshops. A "cool voice" is about 5% of the job.
- Get the gear. In 2026, you need a home studio that doesn't sound like a bathroom.
- Network like a pro. Most of Jennifer's big roles came from relationships she built on previous sets (like moving from Divinity to Baldur's Gate).
She’s essentially the "John Cazale" of video games right now—every project she touches seems to turn into a masterpiece. Whether it’s luck or just an incredible eye for scripts, she’s become a seal of quality.
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If you want to support her work, the best thing you can do is check out her latest performances in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 or keep an eye out for the Soulframe playtests. Watching an actor of this caliber evolve in real-time is honestly one of the best parts of being a gamer right now.