As a BAFTA winner for her role as Selene in Returnal, and the actor behind more than 80 other video game characters, Jane Perry is the perfect candidate to kick off Develop:Brighton 2025’s first ever Performance track.
Ahead of her keynote on Wednesday, July 9, ‘From Data to Drama’, GamesIndustry.biz talks to Perry about some of the subjects in her talk: how the art of performance has changed over the course of her career, how collaboration with game developers has deepened, and the inevitable question about generative AI that no one sensible enjoys asking, and no one sensible enjoys answering.
As a reminder, for those thinking of attending: GamesIndustry.biz readers can get an additional 10% off all passes at Develop by using the code EMFQZT. You can book your tickets here.
Can you tell us about your talk at Develop:Brighton?
As it’s the inaugural Performance Track for Develop: Brighton, a portion of my talk will be about why, after two decades of Develop: Brighton, we felt it was time to assign some time in the schedule to the art of acting in games.
I’ll also talk about the history of acting in games and why it has become an important part of game development. We’ll be looking into the past, as well as into the future, as we speculate on how new technologies might shape the role that actors have in the gaming landscape.
How has the process of embodying a character evolved over the course of your decade-plus in games?
For me, the embodiment of character rests more with the skills and craft associated with my approaches to acting, as opposed to the medium in which I am working. For example, if I had to play Selene from Returnal on stage, or in a film, I would find myself undergoing the same process of discovery for that character: what is important to her, what are her fears, what’s at stake.
I think what changes are the various ways in which an actor meets the technological demands of whatever medium they happen to be working in.
In games, this means finding ways to bring a character off the page when it’s just you in the voice studio, as well as finding how to work effectively in the performance capture volume, so the head mounted camera, the mocap suit and the scanty bit of scaffolding that’s actually meant to represent the bridge of a massive spaceship don’t distract from one’s ability to dive into the character and play the given circumstances of the scene.
What effect do you think motion capture has had on the process of telling stories in games? Do you think it’s increased the standards of the material more generally?
I think motion capture/performance capture has added massively to the telling of stories in games. When you consider that 55% of communication is transmitted via body language, then it can only add to the player’s experience as they observe the characters they come across in a game.
The ways in which we move our bodies, from a large gesture right down to a subtle squint of the eye tells a world of story and is often sub-conscious. Motion capture gives us access to those gestures and impulses and therefore insight into what might be occurring for the character on multiple levels.
For example, an actor might be emphatic in what they are saying, but the body might display doubt. This is intriguing for the player, and it has the capacity to draw them further into the story to discover the truth of the characters feelings, and how that plays into the arc of the story.
I just watched the announcement trailer for IO Interactive’s 007 First Light, and was really struck by the incredible skill base of the actors, which we are fully able to appreciate because of the excellent work of the technicians and artists who take that data and turn it into game development magic. It’s hugely impressive to me.
“I choose to have faith that we will find our way through this massive, unprecedented paradigm shift”
Jane Perry on AI
Can you talk about how you collaborate with game developers, and how you’re able to leave a mark on a particular character?
When you have the pleasure of playing a larger role in the game, one of the luxuries that comes along with that is the opportunity to really get to know a character well. You can start to take ownership as you integrate the role into your own domain, and a quality of creativity and knowing comes to the fore.
What is also gratifying is the shorthand that comes from working with people you are familiar with and trust. I really lean on my performance directors to let me know if what I’m offering is too much, or if perhaps I could be braver in my interpretations. The same goes for the game dev team. When they are part of the recording sessions, we can riff, try things and see what they think. Extraordinary moments come from that creative spark that collaboration engenders.
I always encourage actors to test the temperature on collaboration and offering ideas. If it seems there is a receptivity to that, then go for it. Your interpretation might be so special and unique; it could be that singular thing that brings that character off the page in a significant and memorable way.
To Hitman players, Perry is unforgettable as Diana Burnwood
What have you learned from other actors while working in games? And do you feel you’ve been able to pass on learnings to cast members you’ve worked with?
One of the things that pretty much every actor in games I’ve come across will say is that the 99% of the community of artists involved are super excellent people: generous, humble and passionate.
I think to some degree this is because many of us, especially my generation of actors who work in games, had to put considerable thought into how to apply our skill base to support the demands of this new medium. There was no training available for how to act in games, so making sense of this new frontier was a very bonding experience for those of us who’ve been at it for 15-20 years.
And of course, everything we’ve all learned – what we’ve found to be effective and what might get in the way – is something that many of us are happy to pass on to the present generation of actors working in games, as well as the developers who make those games. Acting in games is a very sought after job these days, and the competition has become a lot more pronounced than it ever used to be.
I will always want to instill and encourage a willingness to be flexible and available to the demands of the tech itself, the performance director and the needs of the narrative aspect of the game. There are many more moving parts in a game, as opposed to film and TV, and not all of them are performance friendly – so it’s always about facilitating great storytelling which is in service of superb gameplay.
Do you think the recent industry downturn in big projects has had negative implications for actors, too?
For sure it has an impact. The news is so crushing when you hear of a studio going down, for example the recent news about EA Games closing Cliffhanger Studios and along with it, the much anticipated Black Panther game. That’s a lot of jobs down the tubes for the people who worked at Cliffhanger and of course a whole cast of actors, performance directors and the crew members and sound engineers supporting their work in the volume and the studio.
The pipeline of building games is complicated, and the financial model is so front-end loaded. The promise of what a game could be is alluring and exciting but the path to getting there can sometimes be precarious for all involved.
Has being synonymous with roles like Selene in Returnal and Diana Burnwood in Hitman opened doors for you? Does being so familiar to players for a certain role ever create issues in the casting process?
I think playing an iconic role like Diana Burnwood has definitely opened doors for me. I have been approached a few times to work on a game, because the developers are fans of the Hitman franchise or admired what Housemarque accomplished with Returnal.
And yes, I do wonder about the impact of being associated with a particular role. I don’t feel there is evidence to support the idea it’s been damaging to my career opportunities. But then again, that’s intel I might not be party to.
I suppose the flip side is that fans might be interested to hear one of their favorite actors have a go at something different. Also, I think if you are a good actor, with a good attitude and work ethic, then no matter how iconic the roles are that you’ve play, developers are going to want to work with you.
Being synonymous with characters like Selene has opened doors for Perry
Where do you believe the future of performance in games is going?
I was just having a look at the Optimus robot having a little dance (this is Elon Musk’s Tesla bot) and it sent a little chill down my spine. Actors, like pretty much everyone these days, have AI constantly nipping at our heels. I don’t feel the tech is there yet, not in the sense that an AI-generated voice and/or the physicality of a bot in any way matches the specificity of the human.
But it’s something we are having to reckon with in a very serious manner, because it is coming.
If our worst fears come true, what can actors pivot towards when our work options are diluted? Will we become the technicians that bring the AI generated performance to life? Will a bot scuttle up to the stage at the Games Awards or the BAFTAs to accept an award for best performance?
I think most audiences prefer a real human performance; however, the creative drive of the tech elite is incredibly strong, especially when the name of the game is to replace humans with machines.
It must be amazing, fun, and totally gratifying to make a robot dance so well or an artificially generated voice sound almost human. But I fear the pleasure of crafting such extraordinary things makes those engaged in the process blind to the consequences. Generally, I champion creativity in all its forms. But this particular expression of creativity leaves me cold and also curious as to where we are all going to end up.
I don’t much like jumping on the doom bandwagon and I trust the future will reveal opportunities for people to find wholesome productivity. I think we all instinctively understand what’s at stake here: if we lose our sense of purpose, our drive, focus and spirit go offline.
I take comfort in the fact that most actors and creatives have risked a lot to become storytellers and the drive to adapt and innovate is powerful enough to overcome many obstacles throughout history. I choose to have faith that we will find our way through this massive, unprecedented paradigm shift.
How seriously do you think game developers and publishers are taking AI with respect to actors?
In light of what I said above, I hope they are taking it very seriously! Not just for actors, but for coders, composters, artists, writers, etc. Most of the developers I know and have worked with place a very strong value in keeping the humans in work.
This debate around AI is going to be with us for the foreseeable future – that’s one thing I am certain of.
