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Do you ever get the feeling that a job was made for you? For the cast of Critical Role, this is a feeling they get often. The cast is full of seasoned voice actors, and they’re so prolific in the industry that their names are sometimes listed as references in audition breakdowns.

“It’s funny because occasionally when we get acting breakdowns or casting breakdowns from our agents, and occasionally it’s like, ‘We’re really looking for like a Laura Bailey soundalike.’ And I’m like, ‘Do you want me to text her,’” Marisha Ray says during a Critical Role spotlight panel at New York Comic Con 2023.

Evidently, producers seem to put out calls like this often, because Laura Bailey once had one too. “I’ve gotten an audition that said Laura Bailey soundalike,” Laura Bailey says.

“And you didn’t book it, did you,” Ray asks. “Did you get the job,” Sam Riegel adds.

“No,” Laura says, causing her Critical Role castmates and the audience to laugh. “You’ve got to work on that. You’ve got to work on it,” Riegel teases.

The other cast members had similar experiences where they auditioned for roles that were modeled after them. “I once auditioned for a project that I won’t name where they sent me a vocal reference that was me. And I did have to do it, and it was not a lock, and it took several weeks, and I eventually did get that role,” Liam O’Brien shares.

“I had another project I auditioned for where the voice reference was me, and I didn’t book it, and I still want to meet the person who did book it,” Matthew Mercer adds.

If you ever feel down about blowing a job interview, just remember that Laura Bailey once lost out on a role that specifically asked for a Laura Bailey soundalike.

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:

• How to watch Critical Role in order
• Travis Willingham on the differences between The Legend of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein
• 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.