Baldur's Gate 3 reveals new Jaheira actor
Larian Studios announced earlier this month that Baldur's Gate OGs Minsc and Jaheira will be returning for Baldur's Gate 3. Last week, the studio revealed that Minsc will be voiced by Matt Mercer, best known as the lead DM of Critical Role, and today it confirmed that Tracy Wiles will take up the role of Jaheira.
Wiles made the initial reveal herself, through her Twitter channel, saying that she began working in the role all the way back in January 2022.
"We are very happy to have @TracyWiles playing Jaheira in Baldur’s Gate 3!" Larian said in a retweet. "We can’t wait for you to encounter Jaheira in the game and see the amazing work she has done."
Wiles, an English actor, doesn't have a significant presence in North America, but she's had numerous roles in movies, television, on stage, and especially in radio plays: Her Wikipedia page says she's appeared in more than 300 plays and comedies, which would seem to make her an ideal candidate for videogame voice acting.
In fact, she has appeared in a handful of videogames prior to this one, including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Spellforce 3, Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, and most recently, Total War: Warhammer 3.
I was a little disappointed when Mercer was announced as the voice of Minsc rather than original actor Jim Cummings—not due to concerns about Mercer or his work, but strictly as a matter of nostalgia and tradition. And, I have to admit, I feel a twinge of the same about Wiles as Jaheira: Original actor Heidi Shannon's last credit was in 2001 so it's entirely possible that she's out of the business, but it would have been nice to bring her back for this iconic role. (In fairness to Larian, Beamdog reportedly attempted to recruit Shannon for Siege of Dragonspear in 2016, but were unable to locate her.)
All of that said, based on the very little bit we've heard of Wiles as Jaheira in the recent Game Awards trailer, she definitely sounds the part. I'm looking forward to hearing more soon.
Larian also announced today that it is looking for testers for acts 2 and 3 of Baldur's Gate 3, which previously haven't been seen. It looks like those tests will be on-site, however: Larian said it's looking for testers in Gent, Quebec, Barcelona, Selangor, Dublin, and Guildford, which just happens to be where all its studios are located.
Want to help fine-tune the experience, or even get your hands on Act 2 and 3 of Baldur’s Gate 3 before anyone else? ????We're looking for RPG fans to playtest in the following locations: Gent, Quebec, Barcelona, Selangor, Dublin, and Guildford!Learn more: https://t.co/hTtZ2CSdKg pic.twitter.com/USOS1pkAusDecember 21, 2022