It’s now been two years since Baldur’s Gate 3 released following its lengthy early access period, and it’s one of the most beloved RPGs of all time. This adoration is no small part due to the game’s smattering of brilliant performers including Neil Newbon, Jennifer English, Theo Solomon and more.
As with any performance, Baldur’s Gate 3’s party of lovable characters were all subject to an audition process which determined which actor would play which role. One of the standout performances for many in the RPG is Samantha Béart’s performance as the infernal Tiefling Karlach, but they originally auditioned for something completely different.
Speaking to Eurogamer, Béart explained that she originally auditioned for a character called Kayra, “or something similar to that”, but wasn’t brought on to fulfil the role. This character was a simple girl worried about her mistress, and the actor thought she had completely flubbed the audition.
With so many other British actors starring in minor or even major roles for Larian’s RPG, the performer thought they were “going to be the only person in the UK that wasn’t going to be in Baldur’s Gate 3”. However, after working on the BAFTA-nominated game The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow, they caught the attention of BG3 developers.
“Someone from Larian was very nice about my performance,” the actor explained. “So I slid into the DMs and thought, ‘if you are going to make a wish, make it very, very specific’, which isn’t ‘if there is anything I can do in this game, I’ll do it’, because that’s how you become merchant number 72.”
Béart then asked Larian if there were any major roles that still hadn’t been cast, believing “probably not because you are in the last couple of years [of development]”. As it turns out, the role of Karlach was still open, and they were brought on board as the lovable Tiefling we all know today.
Speaking of her time as the face behind the digital mask that is Karlach, Béart explained that the last two years of fan interactions have been “all rather wholesome and sweet” with thousands of players supporting the actor at conventions and the like.
“It’s so humbling. It’s not why you go into this job. You want to entertain, and maybe make people think about stuff, but it doesn’t normally strike them so deeply in their hearts. It’s a very privileged position to be in,” the actor explained.
For more BG3 coverage, read about the new mod that recreates the original game’s opening in Larian’s latest masterpiece.
