TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
"They kinda want the Astarion thing."
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Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3 is certainly up there in the hall of fame of killer RPG companions—not just because he's literally a killer as a vampire, but because he's a nuanced, complicated character performed by a very talented actor. It's no shock that Neil Newbon, who played him in Larian's finest, received awards for his work.
But he's not really interested in retreading the same ground. That's per a recent interview with FRVR, where the actor explained his reasoning while discussing David Bowie: "I think he understood that extreme repetition breeds stagnation as an artist … I always liked that about him as an artist, that he was constantly trying out new things."
As a matter of fact, it's Bowie's influence on Newbon that's encouraged him to mix things up: "I've definitely avoided a few roles recently not because they were bad projects or anything, just because they, for me, the character—they kinda want the Astarion thing.
"It was just like, 'Well, I don't really want to do that again. It's too to the character I've already done, I don't think I could offer anything necessarily that's interesting to this particular character'." In the specifics, it's more about the role itself than the actual timbre of his voice, though: "That’s a different thing, I’m talking about when people say: 'This character’s just like Astarion!'"
This is actually something Newbon's expressed before, speaking in a separate interview last year with YouTuber Luality. Back then, he said that "I'd love to play Astarion again, but I wouldn't necessarily enjoy playing an Astarion-like character."
It all makes sense—after all, Newbon really seems like he adores the craft, and I cannot imagine a worse torture than being stuck in the same type-cast venn diagram of flamboyant and tragic for the rest of your acting career. Torture for him, mind—dulcet tones for us, but I'm certainly glad he's able to stretch his legs. For instance, as a religious space insect in Starfinder: Afterlight.
Baldur's Gate 3 romance: Who to pursueBaldur's Gate 3 multiplayer: How co-op worksBaldur's Gate 3 endings: For better or worseBaldur's Gate 3 multiclass builds: Coolest combosBest RPGs: The greatest you can play now
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Harvey's history with games st...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
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Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
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Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
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Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3 is certainly up there in the hall of fame of killer RPG companions—not just because he's literally a killer as a vampire, but because he's a nuanced, complicated character performed by a very talented actor. It's no shock that Neil Newbon, who played him in Larian's finest, received awards for his work.
But he's not really interested in retreading the same ground. That's per a recent interview with FRVR, where the actor explained his reasoning while discussing David Bowie: "I think he understood that extreme repetition breeds stagnation as an artist … I always liked that about him as an artist, that he was constantly trying out new things."
As a matter of fact, it's Bowie's influence on Newbon that's encouraged him to mix things up: "I've definitely avoided a few roles recently not because they were bad projects or anything, just because they, for me, the character—they kinda want the Astarion thing.
"It was just like, 'Well, I don't really want to do that again. It's too to the character I've already done, I don't think I could offer anything necessarily that's interesting to this particular character'." In the specifics, it's more about the role itself than the actual timbre of his voice, though: "That’s a different thing, I’m talking about when people say: 'This character’s just like Astarion!'"
This is actually something Newbon's expressed before, speaking in a separate interview last year with YouTuber Luality. Back then, he said that "I'd love to play Astarion again, but I wouldn't necessarily enjoy playing an Astarion-like character."
It all makes sense—after all, Newbon really seems like he adores the craft, and I cannot imagine a worse torture than being stuck in the same type-cast venn diagram of flamboyant and tragic for the rest of your acting career. Torture for him, mind—dulcet tones for us, but I'm certainly glad he's able to stretch his legs. For instance, as a religious space insect in Starfinder: Afterlight.
Baldur's Gate 3 romance: Who to pursueBaldur's Gate 3 multiplayer: How co-op worksBaldur's Gate 3 endings: For better or worseBaldur's Gate 3 multiclass builds: Coolest combosBest RPGs: The greatest you can play now
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Harvey's history with games st...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?