Performance Director and Actor From Recent Game of the Year Masterpiece Boldly Claims Hollywood Is Sleeping on Video Game Actors [Exclusive]

Hollywood has demonstrated a willingness to take from video games, particularly in recent years, when the quality of adaptations continues to increase. The worlds of games are mined, their aesthetics lifted, and audiences poached when it comes time for a live-action version of the story to be told. But when it’s time to bring those beloved characters to the screen, the performers who gave them life are all too often left behind in the loading screen.

Aliona Baranova, who’s watched the industry embrace video games as IP goldmines while continuing to treat their casts as invisible, commented on the inequality video game actors face during a Baldur’s Gate 3 anniversary panel moderated by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt at FanX‘s Tampa Bay Comic Convention. “I feel like it’s a shame that the video game audience is being overlooked when it comes to screen projects,” Baranova said. “We see from you guys how dedicated you are… and I feel like that’s been neglected at the moment by filmmakers [and] studios.”

In recent years, video game actors have become household names across online fandoms, celebrated not just for their performances but for the deep emotional relationships they’ve built with players. These actors are the faces of their characters. They livestream with fans. They sell out convention appearances. And yet, when a studio greenlights an adaptation, these same actors are usually the last people being considered — if they’re considered at all. It’s not just an oversight, it’s a systemic failure to respect the cultural weight video game actors now carry, and Baranova is ready to call it out.

Fandom Loyalty That Hollywood Still Doesn’t Get

Baranova pointed to the overwhelming dedication of fans, particularly those from queer communities, who track down even the most obscure work from their favorite performers. “There was a medical drama I did in the UK… Maternal. I’ve seen that it’s been translated into Chinese, all my scenes have been found, translated into Chinese, and put on Bilibili and watched thousands of times,” she said. “There’s a BBC murder mystery I was in. I was in like one episode, and fans of my work made more noise about me in that show than anyone else in that show.”

She isn’t alone. Baranova described how other Baldur’s Gate 3 cast members have seen similar outpourings of support: “Jen [English] had a short film at the BFI that premiered… she posted a story on Instagram, and last minute, 60 people travelled to come and support her.” The conclusion? Fandoms will show up with unmatched passion and persistence. “We see all the time how willing everyone is to support us in the screen projects we do. Why are filmmakers not seeing that yet?”

“Why Are We Not Being Considered?”: Baranova Points Out the Massive Missed Opportunity

The frustration isn’t just that these actors are overlooked; it’s that the studios act as though the games themselves didn’t already provide a roadmap for success. “How well did it go down when actors from The Last of Us from the game were also in the TV show?” Baranova asked. “Ashley Johnson was the number one most looked-up person on IMDb when the TV project came out.”

“Why is more of that not happening? Why was Doug Cockle not in the TV series, The Witcher? Why are we not being considered when there’s video game adaptations?” She also made it clear that the Baldur’s Gate 3 cast would jump at the chance to reprise their roles in live-action or animation. “Even animated adaptations like Arcane, we would love to be part of those.”

But despite the proven popularity and professional training of many video game actors, the screen industry still largely treats them as niche performers. Baranova doesn’t buy that excuse. “We are also theatre-trained. A lot of us are formally trained in the UK… and I think that’s something that maybe execs are a bit short-sighted about. They think, ‘They just know how to do a video game.’”

“It’s Being Slept On”: Video Game Actors Deserve the Spotlight Too

In the end, the frustration comes from being shut out of something they helped build, while watching their performances go viral and their fan bases mobilize around them. “Studios are neglecting the video game audience who are so willing to support and so dedicated and passionate about… their favorite video game actors,” Baranova said. “And I think it’s a shame that that’s being overlooked. It’s being slept on.”

Baranova isn’t just speaking for herself. She’s voicing what many in the video game industry have long felt but rarely get the platform to say. These performers aren’t side characters in the success of modern gaming; they’re central to why audiences fall in love with these stories in the first place. Ignoring their draw, training, and fanbase isn’t just shortsighted, it’s a missed opportunity that fans are already demanding be corrected. As Baranova put it, the talent is here, the audience is ready, and the question isn’t why they should be cast: it’s why haven’t they been already?

Baldur’s Gate 3

Released

August 3, 2023

ESRB

M

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

Publisher(s)

Larian Studios

Franchise

Baldur’s Gate