There’s just something about him. Beyond his rakish charm and devilish good looks, not to mention his impeccable style, Neil Newbon has an aura that draws you in and leaves you hungry for more; and more he gives, leaving his fan base some of the most satisfied we’ve ever encountered.
Newbon has undoubtedly erupted in popularity given the unprecedented international success of Baldur’s Gate 3 —the 2023 Dungeons & Dragons-based role-playing video game (RPG) developed and published by Larian Studios—in which he portrays the heartbreakingly gorgeous and emotionally devastating vampire spawn Astarion.
His performance as Astarion has thus far earned him the honor of being nominated for many awards, notably Performer in a Leading Role at the BAFTA Games Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Character at the Dice Awards, and Best Performer at the New York Game Awards. He has won Best Performance at the 2023 Game Awards, as well as the Golden Joystick award for Best Supporting Performer.
As both the voice actor for Astarion as well as the motion capture artist, Newbon has become synonymous with the character within not only his own rapidly growing fan base but to the well over one million players of the game as well. “I think the level of connection is a wonderful experience,” says Newbon. “I don’t think any of us could have predicted how deeply people would relate to Astarion.”
“Personally,” he continues, “I was just hoping that everybody got the character and didn’t just write him off because initially, obviously, the trope is that he’s just another hedonistic vampire. But actually, of course, that’s just the setup. Then if you spend a little bit of time with him, the facade starts peeling off and you realize what an incredibly complicated character he is.”
“All of these characters’ brilliance is a testament to Larian,” he praises. Throughout our conversation, Newbon without fail will always find a way to pivot the spotlight of the praise he receives back to those that created his character—Larian Studios and Astarion’s writer, Stephen Rooney. “I feel very honored that I get to champion a story like this and that I get to be the actor to fill in the shoes of a character like this in a story that means so much to so many people. I think it’s very lovely that I get to be able to help.”
Having been introduced to Newbon ourselves when inviting Astarion to join our party during a playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3, a game we downloaded after consuming several edits of both Newbon and his video game character on TikTok, we were immediately hooked by the incredible range and emotional depth of his voice acting. When coupled with the nuances of the pixelated companion’s physical reactions and gestures, we, like so many before us, were entranced by the incredible talent that went into the role and had to know more. More about the video game’s lore, more about Astarion’s journey, and more about the man who made him come to life in such a vivid and striking manner.
The further down the Reddit and TikTok rabbit hole we went, the clearer it became that Newbon had done something really special. From people like ourselves that found Astarion’s journey healing, to those that fell undeniably and irrevocably in love with the well-written pixels, and every player both casual and diehard in between, a community in Newbon’s name has been created and continues to grow by the day.
As a voice and performance capture actor for other beloved video games such as the Resident Evil franchise (Nicholai Ginovaef, Karl Heisenberg) and Detroit: Become Human (Elijah Kamski and Gavin Reed) as well as a working TV and film actor for over 30 years (Quinten, The Discovery of Heaven; Simon Walker, Hollyoaks), Newbon already had a solid fan base to begin with.
While there are many actors in his position–those who have acted a part so well that fan bases have created artistic worlds that envelop them—what sets Newbon apart from the rest is his accessibility. Many would love to put him atop a pedestal, but he stays with his feet firmly rooted in his own normalcy. Always authentically himself, he interacts with fans as if they are old friends—from interactive Twitch streams and a welcoming Discord server to purchasing his own fan art and fulfilling sign requests live, Newbon is easily the most relatable celebrity we’ve encountered. Instead of being left wanting, those who admire him have ample opportunity to be a part of this portion of his world.
“A huge thank you to the community for embracing my character, for listening to me a little bit and joining us with our adventures,” smiles Newbon. “I feel very seen by the community. I feel very accepted by a lot of people.” Giving with both his laughter and his time, he’s a joy to watch succeed and an even greater joy to converse with.
Newbon maintains a light vibe in his streams, ensuring a safe space for fans that offers an escape from the rigors of life through an exploration of his various voice-acted characters and the video games they reside in. However, when it comes to advocacy and protecting his peace, he makes a serious effort to be heard and seen clearly, as he should. “I’m very guarded about the details of my personal life, because I don’t think it’s that important for people to know, to be honest,” explains Newbon. “I think people knowing those details about me actually gets in the way of me being able to do my job. I think it’s better to protect my family and friends, unless they’re in the public eye as well.”
To some, the parasocial relationship between the character, his actor, and his audience would be a heavy burden to bear. Newbon doesn’t view it that way. “It doesn’t feel heavy, because I’m not exposing aspects of my life that are precious. I have very strong boundaries with people in a positive, hopefully polite, way. It’s because of that, I think, that I have the freedom to be able to meet fans, to listen to them and hear their stories, and cheer them on in that way.”
One imagines that the rise of celebrity is akin to free-falling into a crowd, hoping to be caught. When the actor of a beloved character takes off their mask and the fans get to know the man behind this role they love so much, the audience either accepts them with loving arms, tears them apart, or drops them entirely. Newbon has been able to walk that fine line without giving away too much of his own self while still ensuring his fans feel supported, safe, and seen. The ability to do so is something Newbon credits to having a healthy relationship with social media. “I’m Generation X, so I grew up without social media. Social media came in when I was an adult. I think there is something to be said about the ability to remember what social media is and what it is not.”
“The worry that I have for people is when they confuse exposure with validation. Yes, you can put something on the Internet, and theoretically, everybody that has the Internet can read it. But it doesn’t validate you. Neither does it devalue you, necessarily…unless, of course, you’re saying something so batshit, insane, and offensive that people can get pissed off.” The same can be said about others’ opinions of you—anyone can say anything they want. It’s up to you to be able to brush off the uninformed and continue to live your life in the best way possible.
“My ability to not give a shit about people’s opinions of me is very much wedded to the same thing that I do as an actor, which is that I don’t make a judgment about the character I’m portraying,” says Newbon. “I’m just going to show you my version of the character. And if you don’t like it, that’s okay.”
“That’s what art is. Art is not there for me to feel good about myself. I’m an artist and storyteller, to offer up my version of the story, of my small part of this big story.”
Newbon often looks for the “why” behind his character’s motivations. Why is this character evil? Why is this character making the choices that they do? There is a lot of credence to the truthfulness he seeks to bring to each part he plays, something we are inclined to believe is a large part of what has him on so many gamers’ minds after finishing Astarion’s storyline. We know it’s why he’s certainly been on ours. “I speak other people’s words,” says Newbon. “These aren’t my words. These are the colors.”
Whatever the medium, experiencing Neil Newbon perform is like standing on the beach and suddenly finding yourself adrift in the deep sea. His abilities are so layered and so nuanced that one doesn’t even notice that they’ve been lulled into fascinated obsession until they come up for air, as the version of reality he weaves feels too natural to believe that these storylines and these characters don’t exist within ours. With how much advocacy work and community outreach Newbon does to support his audience, and how much support they return, it can be argued that in a way, characters like Astarion are loved into life.
“I poured my heart and soul into his character. I used every acting technique I’ve ever learned. And I had the best time working with Larian, the other actors, the directors, the producers, the developers, I had the most incredible experience. So I’m just really glad that people got [my acting]. I mean, I just…thank you,” he says. “I also want to give thanks to the hundreds of people throughout my training and career that championed me, raised me up, inspired me, helped and guided me, believed and rooted for me, and ultimately who took a chance on me. Without you all, I wouldn’t be here doing this thing that fulfills me, almost as much as being a dad does.”
“Thank you for embracing Astarion,” ends Newbon “Thank you for having a great time with him. Because that was the point.”
