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We've spent almost twenty episodes with the cast of Critical Role Campaign 4 as of this writing, and we've learned a great deal about their characters. But what hasn't come up, at least during the live play this season, is how so many new faces came to be playing those Aramánian citizens. Remember, the cast this season has expanded from 8 seats to 14, and at Emerald City Comic Con this year, we decided to figure how those seats came to be filled.

Specifically, we did our investigating during an interview we conducted with three of Critical Role's longest-serving faces; those being Matt Mercer, Sam Riegel, and Travis Willingham. At our HQ in the Pop Spot behind the scenes of ECCC, we asked the OG Rolers, 'What does it take to become a new Critical Role cast member?'

"Looks," Riegel said immediately.

Well, there you have it.

When the laughter died down, Riegel continued.

"At the beginning of every episode of Critical Role," he said, "Matt usually says we're, 'A bunch of nerdy-ass voice actors who play D&D. I think we don't all have to be voice actors, but we have to be nerdy ass. The folks who do best on our channel are friends - we don't have to be best friends or longtime friends, but we love everybody who plays on our channel and especially the folks who are playing in Campaign 4. We all have really great bonds with them, and it shows on camera. It shows behind the scenes. It's so great to to make stories with your friends, and why can't you have more friends? We're adding them."

"And like any table," Willingham expanded, "Every person that comes in brings a new energy. It changes the equation, the feel of how the table and the story goes. We've been extremely - I would say pleasantly - surprised with just the folks that have visited the table over the past years. How it adds to the recipe and just changes the flow. People like Robbie Damond really opened our eyes into what an amazing ingredient it is into the overall stew of whatever it is we're cooking up.

"It's just all fucking cooking analogies," the Dispatch actor laughed. "The buffet of Critical Role lengthens and grows."

"There's got to be a good sense of self," Willingham concluded. "You've got to be able to not take yourself too seriously. If you're intimidated by TTRPGs, that's fine. That's also where we started out. There's not really a set criteria. It's more just about a feel [and] interest. Timing is a big one, too, because our shooting schedule is so bizarre. A lot of it's just trial and error, and that's kind of the kind of the fun part."

Watch Popverse's full interview with Critical Role's Matthew Mercer, Travis Willingham, and Sam Riegel from Emerald City Comic Con 2026 right here.

With two animated series on Prime Video, Campaign 4 in full swing, and so much more Exandrian lore to come, Critical Role is showing no signs of slowing down. That's why the adventuring party at Popverse are here to bring you everything we can from those nerdy-ass voice actors & Bo., including:

• Critical Role's Campaign 4 characters ranked
• How to watch Critical Role in order
• Ways for you to relive the Critical Role panel from ECCC '26
• Taliesin Jaffe on playing Mollymauk Tealeaf for Campaign 2 vs. playing him for Prime Video
• Matt Mercer's homebrew warrior class (created originally for Vin Diesel)

...and much, much more. Roll initiative, player. Magic awaits.