Jennifer English
Jennifer English | |
|---|---|
| File:Stuttgart 2024 - ComicCon - Jennifer English - by-RaBoe 005.jpg English at ComicCon in Stuttgart in 2024 | |
| Alma mater | Royal Birmingham Conservatoire |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2015–present |
Jennifer English is an English actress known for her voice work in video games, including the roles of Latenna the Albinauric in Elden Ring (2022), Shadowheart in Baldur's Gate 3 (2023), Carlotta in Wuthering Waves (2024) and Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025).[1]
Her performance in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 earned her the award for "Best Lead Performer" at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards as well as an award for "Best Performance" at the Game Awards 2025. English had also been, in the previous year, listed among the twenty BAFTA "2024 UK Breakthrough" talents in recognition of her work in Baldur's Gate 3.[2]
Early life and education
[edit | edit source]English is from rural Shropshire. She enjoyed playing videogames as a child, including The Sims, Spyro, Wacky Races, and Soul Blade.[3] She graduated from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2012.[4]
Career
[edit | edit source]English began her career in theatre in 2015, with roles in productions of Abyss at Arcola Theatre[5] and Future Conditional at The Old Vic.[6] English's first video game voice acting role was in Divinity: Original Sin II (2017), a role-playing game developed by Larian Studios, where she played about seventy different characters.[7] She voiced Latenna the Albinauric in Elden Ring (2022).[8]
English reunited with Larian Studios when she joined the cast of Baldur's Gate 3 (2023). She portrayed the half-elf cleric Shadowheart,[9] providing both voice acting and motion capture performances for the character.[10] The character is considered a fan favorite among the game's audience and by English herself, who enjoyed the authenticity and complexity of the relationship players can have when becoming friends with or romancing Shadowheart.[11][9] English also enjoyed that Larian listened to feedback from fans and English herself in developing the character.[12] In 2024, she was selected as one of the twenty BAFTA Breakthrough UK participants for her role in the game.[2] When asked about reprising the role in a future installment of the series, she said that should would consider it "only if it honors her in a way I think we would all be proud of."[13]
She voiced Maelle in the 2025 video game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.[14] She participated in blind auditions for the role before being cast.[15] The game's development team added a "story mode" difficulty setting with less challenging combat after English told them that she wanted to play the game, but could not complete it unless there was an easy mode.[16][17] Her performance received acclaim from critics,[18][19] and Tessa Kaur of TheGamer called her character "the emotional core" of the game.[20] She won the "Best Performance" award at The Game Awards 2025 for her role in Expedition 33.[21]
English hosted the Future Games Show Spring showcase in 2025.[22] She will play the lead role, Gwendolyn, in the upcoming video game Tides of Annihilation.[23]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]English is a lesbian.[3] She feels the gaming industry has made great progress in LGBTQ+ representation, and specifically loves the representation Larian Studios has included in Baldur's Gate 3, but states that the gaming industry could always use more.[24] English further explained that she used the game to explore her own identity.[12] She is in a relationship with Aliona Baranova, motion capture performance director for Baldur's Gate 3.[3] Baranova appeared alongside English as a voice actor in Expedition 33.[25] The couple has a joint Twitch account called JenandAliona.[17]
In 2021, English was diagnosed with ADHD. [26]
Works
[edit | edit source]Video games
[edit | edit source]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Divinity: Original Sin II | Leya, Additional Voices[8] | |
| Augmented Empire | Willa[8] | ||
| 2022 | Elden Ring | Latenna[8] | |
| 2023 | Harmony: The Fall of Reverie | Bliss[8] | |
| Baldur's Gate 3 | Shadowheart[8] | Also motion capture | |
| 2024 | Wuthering Waves | Carlotta[8] | |
| 2025 | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Maelle[8] | |
| 2026 | Soulframe | Alora | |
| TBA | Tides of Annihilation | Gwendolyn[27] |
Awards and nominations
[edit | edit source]| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Golden Joystick Awards | Best Lead Performer | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Won | [28] |
| The Game Awards 2025 | Best Performance | Won | [29] |
References
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