It’s clear that Baldur’s Gate 3 actor Neil Newbon is very attached to Astarion. Newbon, who spent years working on BG3 in multiple roles to the point of burnout, has been adamant about playing Astarion again in the future. In fact, the actor is returning to the role for the audiobook adaptation of the character’s upcoming prequel.

While Newbon might not be returning as Astarion for the Baldur’s Gate 3 TV show, although the OG cast will be worked in somehow, the actor explains in a new interview that they feel there’s a lot that could be done with the character but, more importantly, they also explain that BG3 as a whole is an experience they may not be able to top. 

“I found a character that I realised I could do almost anything with,” Newbon told GINX TV in a recent discussion, “within the realms of staying him. Once I realised the potential of what I could do with Astarion, every day was just glorious.”

The actor explained that they have a strong work ethic passed down from their father which led to their intense commitment to the role. Newbon, as he told us in the past, is one of the few video game actors to do proper method acting. The actor even made an Astarion playlist filled with music the character would likely listen to if they existed in our world.

“When you’re working hard, you have to commit to it,” he said. “You have to. There’s no half measures. So I’m very very studious when it comes to my work. So I go through a thousand lines of dialogue that we have to do each week or whatever and each individual one I’m starting to make, not definite choices, ideas of choices. So, I’ve got lots of ammunition so when I go into a session I’ve got a whole bunch of different ways I can potentially try this moment or this scene.”

“I’m not entirely sure I’ll ever get to experience something like this ever again.”

Neil Newbon on his role as Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3

Astarion may not be fully human, but he is filled with humanity, and Newbon explains that humanity gives him a whole range to play with. Astarion, just like any person, isn’t one-note in his personality, and that means there’s a massive range of emotion and behaviour to pull from.

Newbon continued to add that playing Astarion “was just so much fun”, even between all of the other work the actor did on Baldur’s Gate 3. “Even the heavier scenes were so much fun in a different way. They were very challenging. But I felt so gratified to be able to play this character and honour his story and be the custodian of his story in that way. It was just awesome. It was glorious.”

The strength of Baldur’s Gate 3 is that Astarion is just one character that players can heavily connect to in the game. “It’s interesting how people have tapped into this game for so many different reasons,” he said. “So many different characters have resonated. I mean, I’m talking about Astarion a lot, but I’m just one of 258 actors plus the mo-cap performers… there were so many people that came into this.”

Newbon explains that he knows just how much Baldur’s Gate 3 has connected with people, not just his character, but every character. From talking directly to fans at conventions, it’s clear that Larian’s RPG has resonated with thousands of fans. For Newbon, that’s exactly what art should be.

“That’s what art is, really,” he said. “To provoke a feeling, to challenge your idea of what life is—or what your life is specifically—and then, maybe if you’re very lucky, it evokes a really possible change, or knowledge, or something, that you hadn’t thought of, or perspective that you haven’t thought of.

This is why, I think, this game above all of the games I’ve ever worked on has meant so much to me and other people is because it had such a profound connection with so many people in so many wonderful ways, that I’m not entirely sure I’ll ever get to experience something like this ever again. I don’t know. We’ll find out.”