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Of course Critical Role's Liam O'Brien has tried to put together Shakespeare readings - he even has a specific role in mind for Laura Bailey

To D&D, or not to D&D? That is the question Critical Role's Liam O'Brien says he and fellow castmates have considered before

News by Grant DeArmitt, Staff Writer

Published on Sat Aug 15 2026

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Everybody in Critical Role Campaign 4 is an actor in one way or another, but perhaps the most actory of all of them, at least in a classical sense, is Liam O'Brien, who plays hot orc dad/theater manager Halandil Fang in the expansive campaign through the mystic lands of Aramán. On this side of reality, O'Brien is known across the Critter fanbase as an ardent fan of the Bard - William Shakespeare, not Scanlan Shorthalt - and so it shouldn't surprise you to learn that The Mighty Nein star has tried to work that most revered of playwrights into group projects before.

The subject came up during a recent episode of Critical Role's fan Q&A talkback series Fireside Chat. Writing in on the chat, one theatrical fan asked of O'Brien (who was hosting this particular episode) - 'Have you ever considered a CR cast Shakespeare stream? What play would you do and how would you cast it?'

"I have," The Legend of Vox Machina voice actor answered, "We've kicked around the idea of doing something with Shakespeare text a couple of times over the years. It's never stuck to the wall, but we have thrown that spaghetti."

"I don't even know that I would need to land on one play," he continued, "I think that I would love to - if I were the director, I would love to throw my friends into individual chunks of Shakespeare text to see them done."

"Monologues?" asked episode cohost (and OG Roler) Sam Riegel.

"Scenes," O'Brien answered, "I want to see Laura Bailey get her husband to kill the Thane."

O'Brien's talking about casting costar Bailey as the legendary Lady Macbeth, who famously influences her husband, the show's titular Macbeth, into murdering those that would keep him from power. And if you didn't know that, don't worry, you're in good company.

"The Thane is that movie in the arctic...?" asked Riegel.

"Yeah," sighed O'Brien, "Where the Thane is hunting them."

Sorry Liam, maybe that Shakespeare read is a little bit further away than you'd hoped.

Critical Role Campaign 4 is streaming now on the group's Beacon, YouTube, and Twitch channels.

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:

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

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Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.