Bayonetta’s original voice actress, Hellena Taylor, took to Twitter to explain why she isn’t in Bayonetta 3, which is coming out at the end of the month and is made by Nintendo and Platinum Games. Taylor says that she was asked to play Bayonetta again in Bayonetta 3, and she was offered a maximum of £4,000.
This is a very low amount for a voice actor in a big game from a big publisher. She has told people that if they don’t want to go to the game, they can give the $60 to a charity of their choice.
Hellena Taylor on not being in Bayonetta 3
“Bayonetta franchise made aprox $450M. That doesn’t include merchandise. I’ve been training as an actor for seven and a half years. Three years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and four and a half years in Los Angeles”
“How much did Platinum think this was worth? They wanted to buy me out of the game by giving me the last offer, which was $4000 US. This is an insult to me, the work I’ve put into this game, and the fans.
“I’m asking fans to stay away from this game and give the money they were going to spend on it to charity instead.”
“All I wanted was a living wage that was fair and decent. Even though what they did was legal, it was wrong.
“Boycotting is your choice, and it’s fine if you don’t.”
“I decided to speak up for all the talented people who don’t get paid enough”
“This made me feel bad and made me think I was going to be homeless, which was hard on my mind.”
“Bayonetta always stands up for those with less power and for what’s right. And now you’re standing with her. Thank you”
“I tried out for the part, and I did very well. Then they sent me an insulting offer, so I thought of writing to Hideki Kamiya and did so. I then went to see him and asked him how much I’m worth. A friend wrote to him in Japanese, and I got a reply from him saying that he really appreciates me and what I’ve done for the game, and that the fans really want me to read it. Then I got a better offer, which was $4000.”
“Platinum said I was busy and had a hard schedule… I had nothing but time, in fact. I wish the new actress the best of luck, but she doesn’t do Bayonetta’s voice. I made that sound. She has no right to sign things as Bayonetta, just like I have no right to sign as Eva Green, even though I was her parrot in the video game The Golden Compass.
She thanks the fans for their support at the end.
Personal opinion
Well in short let me just say this is not the way to go about things. And the comments on the new voice actress not having the voice, the right. Well lending a voice to a character in whichever capacity is something to which intellectual property comes into play, and quite frankly Hellena does not own those, and thus is ‘just’ casted for a a role. To put this in perspective, we haven’t seen Charles Martinet (the iconic voice of Mario) complain about playing second fiddle to Chris Pratt in the Super Mario Bros. Mobie.
Sure the mentioned pay sounds bad, can’t disagree on that but come on Hellena, be the bigger one in this.
