Popular voice actors from the Dungeons and Dragons web series Critical Role stopped by SacAnime Summer at the end of August. Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham and Ashley Johnson came together for one of the biggest panels during SacAnime weekend.
Critters (Critical Role fans) were invited to submit questions to the moderator about what it’s like filming Critical Role, characters and the upcoming Campaign 4.
Campaigns
The cast walked through their process when it came to building their character. The cast had conflicting memories on whether they came together to decide on their class or were already prepared for the first campaign.
“I remember when I talked to Matt and I was like ‘There’s two classes left: A cleric and wizard,’” Johnson said. Since Johnson was new to DND, Mercer explained that a cleric is a healer, in which Johnson said, “That sounds kind of fun and a little different, I’ll try that.”
The second campaign was a surprise to everyone; no one knew each other’s design or class, while the third campaign was more open. Willingham said that campaign four likely has the most coordination so far because it is so big.
Memorable Moments
The cast thought back on how they had evolved as a group since they started. Willingham noted that the earlier campaigns were more casual with food, side conversations, “definitely no romance,” and sitting in the living room. Now, the cast has to have fewer side conversations and eat less on camera.
“The greatest example was when Liam [O’Brien] took the nasty plunge and said, ‘You know I’m in love with you, right?’” Willingham said.
Since Bailey and Willingham are married, some fans were curious about how being on Critical Role affects their relationship. Both of them said it helps them understand what the other person does for work. Bailey noted that the Critical Role cast’s spouses probably have no idea what they do for work, but Bailey and Willingham are a lucky exception.
“It’s such a rare opportunity to work with your spouse. You come home from work and be like ‘You’ll never guess what happened today – oh wait, you were right there,’” Willingham joked.
The cast wrapped up the panel by thanking their Critters for attending and supporting the cast through all their lunacy.
“There’s no point in over the decade that we’ve been doing this where we expect what’s going to happen,” Johnson said. This is the greatest and the best… the breast.”
About Critical Role
Critical Role is a web series where voice actors come together to play Dungeons and Dragons. Matthew Mercer leads the campaigns as the Dungeon Master. There are three campaigns out, with the fourth campaign scheduled to begin on October 2, 2025. During the campaign, Critical Role is streamed every Thursday on Critical Role’s YouTube and Twitch channels.
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