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What's the secret to the sensational success of Critical Role? The answer to that question depends on who you ask, but probably the best place to start asking is with one of the folks who's been there since the TTRPG actual play series started. Like, for instance, Laura Bailey. Bailey, who plays The Legend of Vox Machina's Vex and The Mighty Nein's Jester, believes that the key to CR's success lies in how the group started - not as the media empire that they are now or even as a business, but as a D&D-style adventuring group.

Let us explain.

Bailey recently joined Critical Role costars Marisha Ray and Ashley Johnson on the Perri Nemiroff-hosted Collider Ladies Night. In front of a giant assembled crowd, the three cast members and their interviewer got into a host of inside-baseball topics, and at one point in the discussion, the OG Rolers were asked: what similarity between the original eight cast members makes Critical Role work so well?

"I think our differences are what make it work, right?" Bailey answered. "Because we always liken our entire business and friendship relationship to being an adventuring party. I low-key think [it works] because we were an adventuring party first."

"In D&D or any RPGs," she continued, "You have the sneaky one, and then you have the big punchy one, and then you have the team leader. You kind of have like prescribed roles, and we sort of did that naturally. We kind of fell into our own pillars."

Those pillars, these days, take the shape of the roles all the original cast members play in Critical Role Productions, the company that spawned out of their live play phenomenon. And not only is Bailey proud of that, but she's proud of the idea that they've retained their friendship for this decade-plus.

"I'm very proud that we did this together," the voice actor continued, "And that we are still friends through it all. Because everyone tells you, 'Do not go into business with your friends,' and we did, and I still love you both. Some of the other members? Not as much." 

(We're sure she's kidding, Sam.)

"But yeah," Bailey concluded, "We're a family, and I'm proud of both of you so much, and I'm proud of everybody else involved. I love you."

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 release schedule
• 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.