Olivia Lepore

Olivia is a versatile actor who has showcased her work in many forms, including her performance as Swann in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. We hear for the first time how some of those key emotional scenes came together, we also delved in to her relationships with fellow cast members turned close friends alongside some funny stories from days on set. All this and so much more. 

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Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 2:10 Olivia Lepore
• 7:14 First Audition Story
• 9:00 Recast - Swann
• 11:53 Personal Connection To Swann
• 17:34 Theatre Training In Video Games
• 20:51 Working With The Cast
• 25:09 Who Was Swann?
• 27:18 Creative Director - Michel Koch
• 28:31 An Emotional Challenge
• 38:05 Olivia Get's Stumped
• 41:01 The 90's Setting Comparison
• 45:58 Behind The Scenes - The Concert
• 52:38 What's Next For Olivia?
• 54:17 Quick Fire Round

Transcript

Simon: 0:01

Hello and welcome to another episode of Gone Gold with me Simon Hill, esports host, industry presenter and TV personality. Insomniac Spider-Man 2 alongside Brawl Shazza in Lost Ark and many, many more. We also hit an all-new chart position this week, which was number 12 in the UK Apple Podcast Charts, which is our highest yet. So thank you to everyone who hit download on the recent episodes. Don't forget to give this show a rating on your chosen platform. Just hit those stars and even leave a little comment or review, which will help us push this show in front of more people and chart in positions in your country too. Also, don't forget to check out our social media Gone Gold Show. That's on X, TikTok and Instagram. On there, you'll be able to see video footage from these episodes where I get to sit down with our guests and you get to see the emotions on their faces. They're telling these incredible stories. That's Gone Gold Show on Twitter or X, Instagram and TikTok. Right, time for this episode now. Back on episode one, we were joined by the co-creator of Life is Strange and creative director on Lost Records, Michelle Ko. On this episode, we have one of his lead characters in Olivia Lepore, who portrayed Swan Holloway in Lost Records Bloom and Rage. From tapping into her emotional performances to funny mocap stories, we also hear for the very first time how a certain scene came together. It's all here. It's Gone Gold with Olivia Lepore. It's Gone Gold with Olivia Lepore. We launched the show back with the co-creator of Lost Records, Bloom and Rage, 11 episodes later, and we're joined by its lead character and versatile actor, Olivia Lepore, who delivered an award-winning performance as the introverted Swan Holloway. Olivia has already established herself as a key voice within the video games world, alongside her many other ventures as a writer, director, and producer. We're very excited to have her here on Gone Gold. Olivia, Olivia, welcome to the show. Hi,

Olivia: 2:51

thank you for having me.

Simon: 2:52

Thank you so much for joining us. I've wanted to get you on for a while and ever since I interviewed the co-creator Michelle Ko back in, I think that was like May or April, I've always thought, you know, I would just love to get Olivia on. So how is the world of Olivia right now? It's been a rollercoaster of a year for you, somewhat transformative. Have you managed to sit back and appreciate some of the new life you're living? Yes,

Olivia: 3:17

actually. I definitely have some like down periods where I'm not crazy busy. where I've kind of been able to just sit in the awe of what this game has kind of done for my life. It's wild. It's absolutely wild. I've definitely been taking advantage of it like on TikTok. I like to engage with the fans on TikTok and it's really fun.

Simon: 3:41

When we spoke to Michelle, who said how immensely proud he was of the game and how it came out, and he was immensely proud of your performance and what you were able to bring to the lead character. What were you able to remember about the time when you first auditioned to then now kind of establishing yourself in the video games world

Olivia: 4:02

oh well in the very beginning i knew nothing um i had very limited experience in the video game world i had taken um like an intensive workshop for about a month that i'm lucky that our actor union here in canada actra provided this video game workshop to just kind of give you like the feel of what it is to work in video games so i had a very limited knowledge of it and So going from that and from like my first day in mocap where I was stupid nervous, like it was crazy how nervous I was and I didn't want to mess up. But everybody on the team was so, so lovely and made me feel so at home. So that was great. And then looking at to now, I definitely have more confidence, way more confidence in the field. And I'm like, I'm ready to dive into more and do more. And in the video game world, I just have like an insane appreciation for this world as well that I didn't have before. And I didn't, I was never, I mean, I think the fans know this now, but I was never a gamer, much of a gamer, a little bit when I was a kid, but, uh, so I, I wasn't super familiar with this world, but I did a ton of research and obviously talked to everybody involved in the game. And, um, I think one of the most mind blowing facts to me about video games is that it's way bigger than the film and television industry, just in terms of like how many billions it's worth. And it's funny because I feel like a lot of people still don't know that. Unless you're like really a gamer, There's like a whole part of society that has no clue that games are this massive.

Simon: 5:48

They're surpassing Hollywood films now.

Olivia: 5:51

Oh yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. It's way bigger, just globally. And in terms of the way that they've elevated storytelling and how it's quite unmatched, I feel like they definitely are rivaling films and television, but they're surpassing.

Simon: 6:07

Absolutely.

Olivia: 6:08

They're clearly doing something right.

Simon: 6:10

It's a big industry. And did you expect the game and the character that you portrayed to get so big and to be so much now within the pop culture world?

Olivia: 6:20

It's so funny. Even hearing that, I'm like, is it? I mean, I know it's doing really well. Not to downplay the game. I have read the reviews and I know the fans are super engaged, but I guess I don't really have a grasp of like, the size of it or like i i don't know the

Simon: 6:39

magnitude of everything don't not do is so encapsulating because nobody does a story quite like

Olivia: 6:46

that's true that's true i mean i know how big life is strange is right but because this was like it's still relatively a new release i'm like i don't i don't really nobody's sending me the number so i don't know how it's

Simon: 6:58

still pretty good

Olivia: 7:00

that's great that's great that's fantastic i mean The way that I know is by interacting with the fans. And I find it just so special how deeply people connect to it. Yeah, I don't know if I answered your question at all.

Simon: 7:16

No, yeah, I think you absolutely did. And you can tell you're very passionate about this as well. Your initial audition... is a really fun story and one that Michelle spoke about in our first episode. Your first audition read was for Kat, who was later played by the talented Natalie Leconte. Tell us about how all this came about.

Olivia: 7:36

Oh, I love this story because it's kind of like a classic actor goes in for an audition, doesn't really hear back, but then gets another random part. What was great about that is I remember, I think it was one of my first auditions It was maybe the second or third. I might be lying. It was one of my first video game auditions, maybe like the fifth. And I had no idea really like the size of the role or whatever. I didn't know what it was. I was like, okay, let's go do this. I auditioned the same way that I would for film or television. So I got a reader. I went into a studio space, did this audition. And I remember just having so much fun with it. I thought, I gave the coolest read as Kat. I really thought I was just, because obviously the lines for Kat are so different than Swan. So, you know, she's such like a tough cookie and the lines for her were very, you just had to be cool. And I thought I did such a great job. And, you know, I walked out of there, my reader was like, you did great. You're totally going to get this one. I mean, we can't, you know, we have to tell ourselves that after every audition. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I was like, okay, we'll see what happens. I don't know. Maybe like a month went by. I'm not sure. And you know, after a certain amount of time, like you stop, uh, if you don't hear anything, it usually means no, it's not going to work out for you. Um, but then I got this email from my agent that was like, well, they want you to go in for a different character. And I was like, okay. So I prepped for this time. It was Swan. I went in for Swan and this time it was in person. The first one was a tape. And then we went in person with all the other actors that were going in for the other core friends. And it was funny because I don't... I was nervous, but not to the extent that I usually am in auditions. I think just because I loved the writing so much. The writing just flowed. It really made sense. The characters seemed really fleshed out. And I was like, wow, this is a great script. So when lines flow like that, it just becomes easier. Our job is so much easier as actors. We can believe it so much easier. So I went in just going like, I'm just going to have fun. I hadn't really had that many callbacks before, especially for video games. And I think it was obviously felt so much easier than Kat because I was like, Swan feels a lot like me. Like she's very, and I joke, I joke about this part of the story being that I found out later through Mahi Puyo, I believe I might be saying her name wrong, but I met her through the game. She's a cinematic filmmaker. genius of the game and she's the one who went through all of the tapes so when i auditioned for cat she watched she was given the task of taking all of the tapes and making it sound like each actor was talking to each other like all the characters were talking to each other so she saw everybody's audition and originally i think michelle and the team were like no we're not going to take olivia for cat like they weren't going to think beyond that and um And Marie was like, I think she might be really good for Swan. So... I think they saw my tape. They're like, yeah, bring her in for Swan. So this audition that I thought that I did that was so cool for Kat, because I thought I was just playing it so well, really just read as like this awkward girl. And they were like, okay, we think she could play this kind of awkward, quirky person. They were right. So I laugh at myself a lot. Like, I really think I'm cool, but maybe I'm really

Simon: 11:24

not.

Olivia: 11:26

Although Swan is cool in her own way.

Simon: 11:28

Absolutely, she And you've actually tied in this really well with the next question, because when you got recalled to read for Swan, the studio knew instantly, as you've just mentioned there, that you were perfect for this lead character. Did you find more of an emotional connection in your read for Swan compared to your initial read for Cat?

Olivia: 11:48

That's such a great question because I found connection through both of them. So I know I joke that I come off awkward or whatever, but... The reason I actually loved auditioning for Kat and I felt very connected to it and I really wanted the part was because I think in the initial read, they hinted at this character having some sort of illness and that she's got these best friends, but she's probably dying. They hinted at that. And I initially felt so connected to that in the sense that my best friend when I was nine passed away from cancer. So I felt... already felt some kind of connection to that. I was like, wow, I can, I've never had to play the sick person, but I can find some sort of connection to that. So both characters, right? Like then, you know, moving into the role of Swan, where it really was the best friend watching her friend go through illness. Then I connected obviously even more because that was what I went through as a child. So both of them, like I, I really, understood because i watched someone be sick for so long

Simon: 12:57

yeah of course

Olivia: 12:59

so yeah yeah i know that was a bit depressing but no i i connected

Simon: 13:03

and then when you went in for the read for swan did you feel that this was built for you was this role exactly what you needed

Olivia: 13:13

yeah yeah definitely it it's really i remember thinking how weird it was i was like what Did they write this for me? This is so strange. And I was so blown away by just the story of friendship because growing up, I felt that I could never find in the media what I was looking for. And as a child, I really wanted to see something that reflected my life. I never saw stories really of friendship. You see a lot of stories about romantic love and, you know, one of them ends up sick, blah, blah, blah. But I rarely saw stuff about just friends. I mean, I know there's an aspect of romantic love in this story, but there are options, right? You don't always have to choose that. Yeah, just a little bit. But, you know, there is the option that she doesn't romance someone. So, I mean, ultimately, this story is about friendship. At least that's what it is for me. So, yeah, when I read this, I was like, whoa, this is crazy. Like, there's so much I have in common with this character, with this story, with this plot line. This is crazy. This is insane. I had never auditioned for something that felt so close to home.

Simon: 14:16

I think one of the most beautiful parts of the game is something you've just mentioned because you don't really see it that often in the video game space to this degree. You mentioned friendship. Having that old school kinship of where you would support one another, you'd want to hang out, you'd want to sit outside the video store talking and all these cool things that are in the game and represented really well. That must have been really special for you, especially coming from the background you've had.

Olivia: 14:45

Definitely. It was very reminiscent of growing up. And yeah, like I said, it was just, it was incredibly special too. to play all of that out and to be making these new friends like in real life, like the other actors and everything. So it was wonderful.

Simon: 15:01

And one of the many common similarities between yourself and Swan is that you're both animal lovers. Swan has a pet cat, which you got to choose the name for. If I remember correctly, it was Snowy Shadow or Pumpkin. Firstly, what name would you have gone for? And secondly, this ties into our previous question. How did having these common traits help you with the performance going into the game?

Olivia: 15:25

Okay, wait. So the first one is which name would I have chosen? Yeah. Pumpkin, probably. I think it's really cute. They're all cute, but I like the name Pumpkin. And then sometimes a character can feel really far away from you in the sense that it feels like you're trying to put on somebody else's skin. And you're trying to fit into somebody else's clothing, which can't quite fit. I mean, that's our job as actors. So I hope that as I grow in this career, that I can do all sorts of different roles. And that's definitely a goal, but especially in the beginning. And I think the way that a lot of actors kind of get their footing in the very beginning is by playing something a little closer to them, right? People are going to cast you initially differently. based on your vibe, your energy, the essence that you bring in the room. That's kind of how you're going to get your foot in the door. So I think that's what happened with me. And it just made the process like a lot smoother and simpler. And just like, I wasn't breaking my head to figure out who this person was. I was like, well, I know her. It just made sense to me. I mean, there's all the other challenges of being an actor, right? Like even if a character is really close to you, you still have to You're still acting. But when something is that similar to you, it just makes it fun. Like just so, so fun. And I got to be kind of the quirkiest parts of myself of who Olivia is and kind of like dial up certain parts of who I am that maybe I don't show public as much. So that was really fun.

Simon: 17:01

That's cool to explore. It's also, I mean, the smile on your face whilst you're describing that emotion there, being able to project something that you normally wouldn't allow others to see. You can clearly tell what that really meant to you whilst being in this game as well.

Olivia: 17:13

Absolutely.

Simon: 17:14

Having a background in theatre seems to be the foundations that make a successful actor. And for you, you've gone on record to say how important that background has been for you, especially working in video games now. How were you able to use those skills to add an extra layer to a character like swan

Olivia: 17:34

yeah i'm so grateful for theater and for my theater background because i'm not sure if i didn't have that background i'm not sure how i would fare in the in this world because to me video games is the perfect marriage between theater and film and like i love that space i love it so much and theater training is is beyond intense, first of all. And it's just, it really, going to theater school kind of really helped me figure out who I was as a person and as an actor, an artist. And that training just, I don't even know how to put it into words. It's intense. It's intense. It's very intense. And I am of the belief that, and this is not saying for myself, but the best actors in the world, like the famous ones we know, have a background in theater. Yeah. And are able to, to go back and forth between a theater performance and a film performance, which to some might look very easy, but it is not. And as someone who struggled immensely, like when I went from theater to film, I struggled to adapt my performance. It was very difficult in the beginning because I spent my whole life doing theater and then film is a very different medium and you could see everything written on somebody's face very clearly, right? So what was so lovely about doing this game was like, I spent the last 10 years training and working in film. And then before that was like, like practically 20 years of theater. And then I got this video game and I was like, oh my God, this is the in-between. I get to be kind of bigger visually in terms of my performance because they kind of need you to be a little bit more animated. But what I loved so much specifically about Lost Records is that it, it, The story is kind of like a movie. So they wanted very grounded, very real performances, which I felt that I was able to, I don't want to say master, but get a hold of and get better at in the last 10 years of working in film where I was able to tell a story with just like an eyebrow lift or like a movement of my eye as opposed to theater where it takes your whole body. So yeah, I think both sides, I needed both sides to be able to do this.

Simon: 19:47

We have something in common here. So I... trained at an acting school as well i remember doing a six week theater course here in the uk which is totally different i ended up becoming a drama actor in the uk which only lasted a few years because i was a little bit naive so i was in some bbc dramas but i i was i was naive to the industry and and didn't quite understand it and i wish i had help at the time but you're right i think the difference being able to subtly deliver expressions to a camera that's just right here close facial whereas theatrical it's it's about your breathing it's about expressiveness and loosening every limb in your body and bringing all that from the bottom up and I think what you clearly did as Swan is embody a bit of both but bring that theatre training really to the forefront of your performance and it shone through it was incredible

Olivia: 20:42

thank you that's so cool yeah no that's exactly it having both was so important to me and it that works well.

Simon: 20:52

Your fellow cast members also delivered incredible performances bringing to life the characters we've now grown to love. How was it working with Amelia, Andrea, Carter, Victoria Diamond, and of course we've mentioned Nathalie Laconte as well. It seems you all had great chemistry from the art.

Olivia: 21:07

Oh yeah, it was a blast. I definitely feel like we all got really lucky with each other. It's not always the case that you're going to really get along with every single person on set and Um, this just felt really easy between all of us and also Jordan, um, who plays Corey and, and just everyone all together. It was, we did a lot of laughing. We laughed a lot, like while we were on set together, especially, I tell this a lot in other, uh, I've spoken about this before, how Natalie would often make me break character because she's really funny. Um, and I couldn't like hold it together sometimes, but yeah. Yeah. And their performances. I mean, I've played a bit of the game. I've watched clips and stuff and I'm blown away because I don't get to hear what they do in the studio. I only know what they did in mocap and I could tell in mocap, like incredible, incredible performances and then listening to it. And then everybody together, I'm so blown away by their talent. And they're all so successful in their own rights. Like their careers are wonderful and they're just going to keep growing. exploding like i i know it

Simon: 22:16

yeah absolutely and you got quite close personally with the likes of victoria didn't you i know you guys are close friends but you seem to keep in touch with everyone since post game

Olivia: 22:26

yeah yeah no it's really lovely like we're always chatting we have a little group chat so once in a while we'll send something to each other wish each other a happy birthday like whatever it is um and yeah i victoria and amelia live where i live so that's easier the rest are in uh a little further away in Toronto, so it's obviously just a little easier to catch up with people who live in the same place as you. But yeah, they're all so lovely. I wish we all lived close to each other.

Simon: 22:55

It was a wonderful performance from all of you. And again, I think the chemistry, and that's rare in video games, right? It's why they can be so chop and changey a lot of the time. Yeah. When you're able to really lock in on that chemistry, it shines through. And that's what Don't Nod seems to be very, very good at with Life is Strange and now with Lost Records.

Olivia: 23:12

Well, you know what? I'm going to shout out Phil, our voice director. director. Yeah. I mean, Michelle is, you know, the whole vision, but then to have Phil come in and to watch the way it was so interesting to watch the way he worked, because in his mind, he's, you know, let's say I'm the last person to come in for a scene. All the other girls have recorded their parts. And then I come in and do my part for that scene. He's got to remember in his head exactly how the other women acted. performed and what their performance was like so that he makes sure I'm on the same playing field. I sound like I'm in that conversation as well. So he's got all these characters, all these voices in his head that he's trying to match together without even hearing it back. And that is such an incredibly difficult skill. And voice directors, I don't know how they do it, but that's a testament to Michelle and Phil and the way they work together and the way they just knew that all of us in the voice booth working separately would still sound amazing altogether. I feel

Simon: 24:13

like Phil would have a lot of stories to tell if he was ever interviewed.

Olivia: 24:18

Oh my God.

Simon: 24:18

He's been around the block a while.

Olivia: 24:22

Oh yeah, 100%. He's got the best stories. He's got stories when I'm in the voice booth, it's always a good time. Oh, that's

Simon: 24:30

even more intriguing now.

Olivia: 24:34

I mean, like I know so many people have wanted to interview him. I don't know if it's just because he's so busy Yeah, absolutely.

Simon: 24:48

Michelle has also talked about the script and synopsis for the character of Swan. It was very much a way of him expressing himself, using Swan as a vehicle for elements of his own personality. Yeah. Did this add any additional pressure to the meanings for the performance for you? Or was it more of you being able to embrace the connection that you had for the character?

Olivia: 25:09

Well, definitely in the beginning, I had no idea that this was... kind of this other version of him. I had no clue. I was just getting to know him. And I think as time went on, I kind of put the pieces together. I was like, oh, yeah, this makes sense that this would kind of be Michel. But no, I don't think I felt any added pressure. And I think that's simply because he was so kind and happy with my performance. And when he wasn't, he'd tell me. But for the most part, he just seemed very content with the way it was going. And, you with the path you're on like that's going to make an actor feel good and just keep giving their best right um

Simon: 25:51

yeah yeah

Olivia: 25:52

yeah we're all just very insecure that's what i'm trying to say as actors just tell us we're doing

Simon: 25:57

okay seems to be part of the role insecurity and also an overthinker

Olivia: 26:06

absolutely i mean that a lot of us actors are so it just all made sense but but yeah so so i didn't feel that added pressure just because I think I was working with such an incredibly kind team. Yeah.

Simon: 26:18

He had a lot of positive things to say about you in our interview. Don't make me cry. He discussed you at length and he talked about how amazing and forthcoming and accepting you were if there were changes or being able to collaborate together. He spoke very highly of you.

Olivia: 26:38

Oh, that's so sweet. I... I think so highly of him. Like, I think I thanked the whole team, particularly Michelle, like a hundred times after the game was, throughout the game, when the game was done. Like I did not stop saying, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. This changed my life. Thank you. I was annoying about it, but yeah, the feeling is very mutual.

Simon: 27:02

I mean, just from interviewing him, you would have had more of an insight than me, but I just get the impression from Michelle, his brain operates like nobody else's. Everything is moving 100 miles an hour and he knows where it's going. He's a very intelligent man.

Olivia: 27:18

Oh, extremely. I mean, to be the head of a machine like this, like creating a game, you have to be just like a little bit nuts.

Simon: 27:27

Yeah.

Olivia: 27:28

And brilliant. Yeah. And it just... It works, it works. And I definitely could tell when we were working on the game, like, this is a really, really smart guy and he has such brilliant vision and it's very clear in his mind.

Simon: 27:45

Yeah, you can tell that. He's already created one award-winning series. No doubt Lost Records is in for some awards of its own. Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed! Award ceremony part of the year is coming very, very soon. Type 2 in particular. Spoilers ahead, by the way, for anyone listening. Type 2 in particular was very emotional. focused on a lot more of the evolution of the story. The back and forth timeline was so intriguing going between yourself, Amelia, who played Nora, and Andrea, who played Autumn. How were you able to tap into more intention and emotional side of Swan going into part two of the gameplay? Don't nod a renown for innovation in storytelling. So this must have been a challenge for you and the rest of the cast.

Olivia: 28:31

Well, I've said this to them. I said... when we were recording the second half, this is the hardest stuff I've ever done as an actor. And I feel like a lot of people, especially my peers, well, I shouldn't speak for them, but I get the feeling that a lot of people don't understand how difficult voice acting can be in certain situations. And even I, and I say, I'm saying this because going into this, I had no idea how hard it was going to be. I really thought, I thought film and television would be like the hardest kind of medium for me just because I had to make so much adapting from theater. And I had zero idea that voice acting, no, that's the hardest thing. Because you are literally in a booth with nobody else playing off of yourself and your imagination. I'm not sure if I'll ever do something as brutal as recording that second half. the way that phil pushed me to stay into these really because the thing is there's so many different paths within this game right so like let's say you're going over the part where swan just found out that cat's sick well there's so many different lines within just this one scene so and then there's so many scenes where where there's a lot of crying involved there's a lot of sadness there's a lot of yelling there's a lot of so you're doing this for hours and hours and hours and I did like three or four back-to-back sessions of just what felt like I was going into the studio to just be tortured. Amelia and I joke about this a lot. We sent each other selfies of like mascara running down our face. Like we looked horrible walking out of the studio. It looked like somebody just beat us up. And it was just emotionally brutal because we really had to, and there's no lying. You cannot lie emotionally. your way through scenes like this, you can hear if something doesn't sound authentic. And there were definitely days where my energy was lower and Phil could tell. And we were doing these really high stakes scenes that required a lot of me. And if I popped out for just a second, like mentally popped out for a second and tried to like say a line as if I wasn't fully emotionally attached to it, immediately he's like, you're out of it. Like you're, you're, where'd you go? Like, I need you back in this space. He would say something that would relate to my personal life. Cause he got to know me very well. And he, he kind of relate something to my personal life or, or like sometimes he would bring up like scary movies and stuff. Anyway, it really depends on the scene, but he would, he would do something to get me back into that mental head space that I needed to be in to give an authentic performance. And I've never been pushed that way. And I, I have been pushed in other sense, like in different projects and in theater school and different training scenarios where I thought like, oh my God, this director is going to be the end of me. Like I've been in so many scenarios where I was like, it doesn't get worse than this. And not to say, I don't want to say, oh, it got worse. Worse than like the best way, because as an actor to be challenged in this way, I got to prove to myself what I can really do. Like I had no, idea I really didn't know like oh this is where I can go and I built such a deeper understanding of who I am as an artist and as a person because I didn't think that I could hit those levels of just like despair in a game or just frustration too because also you know acting and like angry Yeah. Yeah. that aren't family, it's very vulnerable. And I always joked, I was like, I can do anger, no problem. And then we would get to these yelling lines and he's like, can you give me more, please? Like, can you do more? I'm like, oh, oh, I'm supposed to do more. And it's just, it was so challenging in the best way. So yeah, I don't know where I was going with that, but there you go. No,

Simon: 33:00

that was perfect. And I tell you what was really cool about that even from someone that has the small bit of knowledge that I do about the acting world, to see this side, the insights we're getting here, no one sees that. No one understands that outside of the realm of an actor. So for the listeners and the viewers out here that are picking up on this, it's such a cool insight to get, isn't it? To understand the full process and range that a human has to go through emotionally to portray something.

Olivia: 33:32

Yeah, yeah. And it's so... rewarding as an actor. When you walk out of a session like that and you're like, wow, I can't believe I just did that. That's insane. And then to hear it all back all together and go, every single one of those women poured their heart and soul into those moments. And all mixed together sometimes where there was like the scene where they're all beating up on Corey or that scene at the abyss, that really kind of big one, the climax, I should say. And to hear it all mixed together, you sometimes don't hear everybody's like what they did individually in the booth because it kind of got all put together. And sometimes we're talking over each other. So you don't really hear the extent of like what somebody did. went through in that booth but i know i know we all had to go through but it's still it sounds obviously it's all together sounds incredible and it's they did such a great job with the edit

Simon: 34:30

yeah it was fantastic and there was growth for you too in part from parts one to part two swan became a little bit more daring there was acceptance to who she was and she took more risks as she got older what was your impressions of her as you saw her grow in the game

Olivia: 34:49

I admire her so much. I think we all need a little bit of Swan. I felt very proud of her as you see her develop. And it was very inspiring because I was like, I want to be like Swan when I grow up. Her level of acceptance for herself, her love for herself that she builds as time goes on. that was sparked by having these friends that just accepted her and loved her for who she was is so beautiful. We all just need at least one person in our life that just sees us and doesn't expect really anything of us and just accepts us exactly as who we are, the good, the bad, the ugly. Yeah. And I think because she had these girls in her life that just... just saw her, didn't expect anything more from her than exactly who she was, helped her grow and helped her love herself. And she, in a sense, she does find peace with her life when she moves as she, you know, when she's the older version of her, when she's 43. I find it very inspiring. I hope everybody, I think a lot of us, especially in our twenties and early teens, like the girls are, We're just trying to figure out our lives and who we are. And even I still go through moments of like, am I ever just going to accept like, this is me. I don't have to be anything more, anything less. This is exactly who I am. You're going to love it. You're going to hate it, whatever it is. Like, I don't know. I'm just very, I'm very inspired by her story arc.

Simon: 36:34

It was beautiful to witness, especially going from part one to part two. And I think also, as we mentioned the word acceptance, she was able to just let go of the things that clearly pulled her back into that introverted life to go, no, this is who I am. I want to be proud of who I am. And she showcased that. You showcased that for her. And I think it was very well represented by Don't Nod and the team. And of course, all the actors involved that it's okay to be who you are.

Olivia: 37:05

Yes, exactly. And what I love so much about this game is I hope it's a really great, like, I hope these characters can be role models for others and people can look up to them. And yes, they're just characters or whatever, but media really shapes who we are, right? I mean, it definitely did for me growing up. It shaped just, you know, whether it was film, television, games, whatever it was, it really shaped my mindset, especially as a young teen. And I needed something positive to look up to. And I wish I had this game when I was a teenager. Yeah, I really hope it's helping people.

Simon: 37:43

I think judging by what we've seen in just the last few months since the second part of the game released, it has affected a lot of people in the right way. And I think it's helped a lot of people understand that, yeah, society can suck, but you are you and that's okay too. Yeah.

Olivia: 37:59

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Society can suck. I love that.

Simon: 38:06

A lot of actors who have been in video games have described the process of bringing these characters to life as a challenging playground where they get to explore their emotions and get lost in the worlds they're helping create. When you're pulling on the mocap suits and you're filming scenes, for example, of the hidden house in the woods with your friends, really digging into this character arc, are you able to express yourself in ways you couldn't do in day-to-day life?

Olivia: 38:34

Probably. I don't know. I think so. I stumped you with this one. I don't know. Definitely got to express myself differently. I mean, there are a lot of parts of her. a lot of parts of her that are not me too. Like, I mean, I relate to her so much, but there's certain aspects that obviously differ from me. Um, yeah, I don't really know what to say. Maybe you'll cut this one. I don't know. I think it makes it more entertaining. Yeah. Yeah. Probably. I'm like,

Simon: 39:12

uh, I'd say we'll save your blushes and move on quickly. And before, Is there a future for you in video games now? You started this theatre journey way back when. You're documenting a lot of your stuff. You've always got a camera in your hand. But is video games still in your life?

Olivia: 39:36

Yes. 100%. 100%. If any casting directors are listening, I'm here. I'm willing to keep working in games. She's around. I'm around. I'm very lucky. I live in a place where video games are pretty massive and a lot get made right here in Montreal. The voice industry is huge here and that's where I got my start. So yeah, I definitely, definitely don't want it to end. with this and you know I'm still auditioning I'm still you know

Simon: 40:10

fingers crossed awesome well I have some good friends at Ubisoft I'll try and put you in contact oh yeah that'd be fantastic

Olivia: 40:20

I'd get my foot in the door at UB they're just

Simon: 40:22

down the road from you right Montreal so

Olivia: 40:25

yes oh my god they have I think they have like 11 studios here it's wild

Simon: 40:29

yeah they're just a mammoth of a company the game was set in the glory days of the 90s and Michelle and I had a really great chat about what it was like to visit a video store, which was a key location in the game. Studio did a great job of incorporating the 90s into its core DNA. From finger skateboard toys, nods to movie posters, the soundtrack, of course, and so much more. What do you remember about the 90s personally, and how were you able to envision that space whilst filming in the game?

Olivia: 41:01

I definitely remember, like, the records... Well, record stores and then video stores and... I loved the video store growing up. Like that was every Friday I was there or more. I think I was there quite often throughout the week. So, so getting to play within that world was so much nostalgia and I missed it so much. And I got to really relive my, my younger days and like, Uh, it was so fun. It was so fun. Like who doesn't want that feeling of nostalgia? It just, it's a mixture of like sadness and happiness. It's just like, oh, I long for my youth, but also it makes me smile with a tear. Yeah. And what I loved too was when I was playing a bit of the game, uh, exploring swan's room made me remember so many random toys i had as a kid around like little gadgets and stuff uh and it just really brought me back and you know at that moment we were just like oh my god i forgot that existed yeah that happened a lot and yeah if i can't imagine so i didn't grow i wasn't it i wasn't a teenager in the 90s i was a baby and i So I can't imagine the feeling of somebody playing the game that maybe was a team in the 90s. I know maybe... I think the audience for this, though, is maybe teens. I don't know. You'd have to tell me. I think it's teens, right? So I'm like, I don't know if they have that appreciation. I'm like, do they know what a video store is? But at least they get to live it through the game. Oh,

Simon: 42:45

yeah. Yeah. And I don't know if you knew this, but Michelle talked about it on the episode that originally there were plans to have the video store open and you were able to walk around it. They just couldn't make the logistics work in the end. So initially they were going to fully develop and block out and open the video store. So you could go in and interact. Yeah. Which would have been incredible.

Olivia: 43:12

Oh my God. I would have cried. That would have been so cool. At least we had that moment. You know what made me laugh because I forgot this existed is when Swan goes to put in the little video, her movie in the slot. little little sock because the place is yeah because it's closed and I was not the VHS player like at the video store oh the store

Simon: 43:35

yeah yeah

Olivia: 43:36

yeah yeah so she like goes because the place is closed and she's like okay I'm gonna put it through this little I used to do that all the time I forgot that there was that little thing it's just so simple but so like reminiscent and I loved it

Simon: 43:49

The nostalgia really hit in that game. And again, with video stores, they were like a day out for us. You would go and spend hours looking through all the VHS tapes. What's new? What's in the charts? Then you'd get your bag of popcorn and some... other nasty treat to take home. I

Olivia: 44:07

used to beg my mom. Oh my God. I was always begging my mom. Can I have this? Can I have that? Can I have... No, Olivia, you can't have

Simon: 44:14

all that

Olivia: 44:17

popcorn. Arguments would happen.

Simon: 44:20

This is the thing. And this is what people don't realize, especially some of the younger guys today is, although this was one of the greatest days out you could ever have, it almost... It was also quite problematic in a lot of ways because you would always want more than one film to take home and seven or eight different treats to take home. You could have one and one. That was it.

Olivia: 44:42

And then forget it. If you're late on bringing the video back, oh, I was in trouble.

Simon: 44:47

Yeah, that was it. Game over. You're not having another video for like another six weeks.

Olivia: 44:52

Yeah, my parents would get so mad.

Simon: 44:55

And then later, of course, towards the late 90s, early 2000s, you started getting video games you could rent from the video store as well. Oh

Olivia: 45:03

my God, that's true. Yeah. Well, I remember like kind of, you know, when it was on its way out, you know, the video store was on its way out. The one near my house would... Merged with like a cell phone company. And like they would sell cell phones. And then there was the video... The entire video game section was massive. And then the other half was... just movies and TV.

Simon: 45:25

Oh, the memories. Bringing it all back. Bringing it all back. Let's get your thoughts on one of the most intense scenes in the entire game. Spoilers again for anyone that hasn't played the game. Natalie certainly deserves her flowers for the performance she gave as Kat, but you also helped create a memorable scene which... was including the buildup and the execution of the live concert scene in the car park. Cap would later take a turn for the worse. What did you remember about the moment leading up to that scene and the scene itself? Because it was very emotionally intense.

Olivia: 45:58

Yeah. It's really funny because when we shot that in mocap, it was a bit the opposite of what you'd expect. So That day we were rushing. We were trying to get through a lot of content in one day. And it was the very end of the day. We were like almost time's up and we needed to get in this shot of when she's on the truck and she's screaming and, you know, doing her whole thing there. And it was quite chaotic. So all of us, I remember all of us were like, What is going on? What are we shooting right now? And then and then we had Phil and Michelle going, OK, everybody get ready for the scene. You're going to go here. You're going to go here. You're going to do this. OK, now. And then there was a lot of improv happening, too, because we didn't necessarily get a full breakdown of like what we were going to do. It wasn't rehearsed like super well. So we I just remember like we had very few takes left to get this scene in. And this is a, I don't think I've told this story anywhere. So this is a hot take. Like it was, we didn't have much, much time. So I remember like, I'm supposed to be like, Swan is crying and we're all crying, watching this. We're freaking out. And I just remember being like, what the hell is happening? But I had to, I had to like try to stay in character. And, and I just, I just, the great thing about mocap is, is that we weren't capturing audio, right? Yeah, yeah. So physically, I was like, okay, give the physical performance of like sad. But I think if you saw my face, it was like, it was just like, I know people are only listening to this, but it was me looking very confused and just like, I'm just watching. I was watching Natalie do this like ginormous performance. And then next to me, Andrea was, and Amelia are freaking pros. They were crying. They were full blown crying, which they didn't need to be for mocap. Cause nobody's capturing that. And they were just so in it, even like on the flip of a switch, it was insane, which really as an actor, I looked at them and I was like, I'm going to take a few notes. Like that is incredible. I think I was, what happens, I got like a bit overwhelmed by everything happening around me that I was a bit, not out of it, but like taking everything in, I'll say. Like I was really taking in. Because there was a lot of what's really cool about vocab is that if something's happening in the middle of the scene that the directors are like, oh, we don't want it going in this direction, they could talk to us. As long as we don't look at them and we don't acknowledge them and we stay in character, they can be talking to us the whole time. So that's kind of what happened. We had like Natalie screaming. We had Jordan, I think, picking Natalie up. And then... I also think Victoria was, yeah, Victoria was in that. So it was all of us. So what happens is when there's like six of us in the mocap space and two directors, it's a lot of people in the volume. So it's just like a lot of stuff happening, especially when you're not super well rehearsed. It can become very chaotic. So we had our two directors talking. We had the yelling. We had the crying. And I'm just there like, oh, wow. wow, this is coming together. And they got everything they needed in just a couple takes. It all came together. And everybody was such a pro about it. I look back and I'm laughing at myself because I'm like, wow, I could have done better. But I did better in the studio, which is where it really counts. I put in the performance in the studio. But it's just, it's really...

Simon: 49:56

You nailed it.

Olivia: 49:57

Thank you. But it was funny to look back on that particular scene and it was kind of like the opposite of what you'd imagine.

Simon: 50:03

Yeah, man, it's incredible to see the difference in, like you say, what was done in the voice studio to the volume. Completely different. Yeah, incredible. I bet there's plenty more stories like this.

Olivia: 50:15

Yeah. Oh yeah, oh yeah. There's definitely a... And this all depends on like how... Every company shoots differently, right? Like they have different schedules, different whatever, budgets, whatever it may be. But what was so challenging as an actor was working within the schedule they had planned and really having to switch so quickly to getting a bunch of direction. You're getting, okay, this is where you're gonna stand, this is what you're gonna do. Go, go, go, go, go, go, go. Then switching into character and just flipping. And you have to be able to do it so, so quickly And I loved it. It was a great challenge and it helped me grow a lot as an artist.

Simon: 50:54

Just a couple more questions before I let you go. During those emotional scenes that you're talking about, like you said, you have Michelle and Phil in the volume with you to talk you through branches, decisions, delivery, which made for some compelling performances from everyone involved. Ones we've just touched upon there. How do you feel having those guys on set with you aided you in your performance and what you're able to take away from the mocap stage?

Olivia: 51:18

I loved it. I loved it. It was, both of them are so brilliant, Phil and Michelle. Their guidance was invaluable. Like I mentioned before, Phil with my performance really pushed me to new levels that I didn't think I could reach. And I remember in the beginning when we first met, it was almost like a warning. Like he warned me, like, you don't know what you're going to do yet. but you're going to do something great. You know, like you don't know where I'm going to push you, but we're going to get there. And I remember thinking in the beginning, like, okay, I know what I can do. Like I'm ready. I know, I know what I'm capable of doing, but I didn't. And we really went to two really insane places with this. And I'm so, so grateful to him and, and Michelle too. And just everything. I don't, I, I can't say I, enough good things about the entire process and not just them too because often we were getting direction from the visual artists like the people the developers that were there that were were guiding us for certain things too so everybody was ridiculously kind and helpful I can't I can't say enough good things

Simon: 52:38

Before we end on a quickfire round, there's your only prep that you've had for that. Tell people out there that Olivia's a lot more than just a video game voiceover artist. You are a producer, a writer, a director. Again, we've mentioned theatrically trained. What else are you working on at the moment and have you been working

Olivia: 52:59

on? Yeah. Oh.

Simon: 53:00

That you can talk about.

Olivia: 53:01

This is great. No, this is lovely. I'm definitely working on... I'm working on my own project right now.

Simon: 53:07

So...

Olivia: 53:08

I've written a film that I'm very, very proud of that I feel people need to see, particularly young women. I've geared it towards young women really need to see. So what I'm working on right now is actually funding, trying to get the funding for this film that I really, really, really want to make. I've got a wonderful team put together to make it. So I'm working on the pitch and anyway. I, I'm working on my own stuff. So I'll say that. Um, yeah, I'm still working in voice. I, I, I can't talk too much about what those projects are, but I'm still doing that. And then what else? Oh my God. Um, yeah. I think that's the gist of it right now. Like I can't say too much.

Simon: 53:58

And NDAs are a thing, people.

Olivia: 54:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm still auditioning a lot, auditioning a lot. So hopefully we will see me on a screen one day, not just in video games. Awesome, yeah. That's the next.

Simon: 54:12

Let's hope.

Olivia: 54:13

Next big goal. Yeah, yeah. That's the next thing that I really would love.

Simon: 54:17

Definitely achievable for you, Olivia. And as I just mentioned, I didn't prep you for this, but I know how much you love being put on the spot. So I thought what a better way to end this show by putting you on the spot. So we're going to do a quick far round. I'll ask you a few questions you answer with the first thing that comes into your head.

Olivia: 54:36

Oh God. Okay.

Simon: 54:37

Okay. Yeah. Favourite line you recorded.

Olivia: 54:39

Poop. Favourite. I'm sorry.

Simon: 54:47

Poop. How long can I carry on with a quick fire round after

Olivia: 54:51

that? There's a story behind that, but anyway. Let's not.

Simon: 54:59

Favourite snack during sessions? Oh,

Olivia: 55:01

um... Tofu dip. I had this tofu dip and crackers.

Simon: 55:07

Amazing. Spicy food just before you go on to a voice.

Olivia: 55:10

There's a story about that too. Not anything spicy. No, that was very bad for me.

Simon: 55:19

Anyway. Which character would you want as a roommate?

Olivia: 55:22

Nora.

Simon: 55:23

Manifesting, if you could voice in any game, what would it be?

Olivia: 55:27

The next installment of Lost... I'm like let's get another game oh my god I can't even properly answer that because I don't know what's like being created and what's being made out there

Simon: 55:42

yeah that's fair enough we'll see that's fair enough I mean we got some funny answers in there that has left a lot to be desired and also left it open for a part two in the future Olivia this has been incredible I'm so glad that we got to make this work and thank you so much for giving me your time to be here today I think you're an incredible actress I think what you're doing is amazing. What I love to do on this show is I love to leave my guests having the last word. you can choose to do with that what you will. But I would like to say one more time, Olivia, thank you so much for taking the time to be on Gone Gold today.

Olivia: 56:17

Thank you, Simon. Thank you so much for having me. It was a blast and hopefully we could do it again.

Simon: 56:22

That was such a feel good episode, wasn't it? Olivia there with so many amazing stories, so many passionate gestures, and you can tell how much the studio means to her and the community. And I think it's also been a journey for her personally to explore Swan to explore this new side of her career alongside all those incredible accolades and what she's been able to achieve so far fantastic episode great to get Olivia on and what was even more special is how it ties into the very first episode of this show again Lost Records Bloom and Rage great game go and check it out if you haven't already and for everyone who's tuned in stayed with us thank you very much don't forget to give this show a rating hit those stars on your chosen podcast So thank you again very much for everyone who stayed with us. I'll be back next week with another killer episode. We'll see you then. one you won't want to miss, a decorated voiceover artist who has had some incredible performances and great character stories throughout his career. Can't wait to share it with you. That's coming next week. Until then, you know what to do. Keep it gungold.