Jennifer English | |
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![]() English at ComicCon in Stuttgart in 2024 | |
Alma mater | Royal Birmingham Conservatoire |
Occupation | Actress |
Jennifer English is a British actress, known for her portrayal of Shadowheart in the role-playing video game Baldur's Gate 3 (2023). In 2024, English was named a BAFTA Breakthrough talent in recognition of her work on Baldur's Gate 3. [1] She also provided the voice of Carlotta Montelli in Wuthering Waves , Latenna the Albinauric in Elden Ring (2022), and Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025). [2]
English is from rural Shropshire. She enjoyed playing videogames as a child, including The Sims , Spyro , Wacky Races , and Soul Blade . [3] She graduated from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2012. [4]
English began her career in theatre in 2015, with roles in productions of Abyss at Arcola Theatre [5] and Future Conditional at The Old Vic. [6] English's first video game voice acting role was in Divinity: Original Sin II (2017), a role-playing game developed by Larian Studios, where she played about seventy different characters. [7] She voiced Latenna the Albinauric in Elden Ring (2022). [8]
English reunited with Larian Studios when she joined the cast of Baldur's Gate 3 (2023). She portrayed the half-elf cleric Shadowheart, [9] providing both voice acting and motion capture performances for the character. [10] The character is considered a fan favorite among the game's audience and by English herself, who enjoyed the authenticity and complexity of the relationship players can have when becoming friends with or romancing Shadowheart. [11] [9] In 2024, she was selected as a BAFTA Breakthrough talent for her role in the game. [1] When asked about reprising the role in a future instalment of the series, she said that should would consider it "only if it honors her in a way I think we would all be proud of." [12]
She voiced Maelle in the 2025 videogame Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 . [13] She participated in blind auditions for the role before being cast. [14] The game's development team added a "story mode" difficulty setting with less challenging combat after English told them that she wanted to play the game, but could not complete it unless there was an easy mode. [15] [16] Her performance received praise from critics, [17] [18] and Tessa Kaur of TheGamer called her character "the emotional core" of the game. [19]
English hosted the Future Games Show Spring showcase in 2025. [20] She will play the lead role, Gwendolyn, in the upcoming video game Tides of Annihilation . [21]
English is queer, gay, and a lesbian. [3] She feels the gaming industry has made great progress in LGBTQ+ representation, and specifically loves the representation Larian Studios has included in Baldur's Gate 3, but states that the gaming industry could always use more. [22] She is in a relationship with Aliona Baranova, motion capture performance director for Baldur's Gate 3. [3] Baranova appeared alongside English as a voice actor in Expedition 33. [23] The couple has a joint Twitch account called JenandAliona. [16]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Divinity: Original Sin II | Leya, Additional Voices [8] | |
Augmented Empire | Willa [8] | ||
2022 | Elden Ring | Latenna [8] | |
2023 | Harmony: The Fall of Reverie | Bliss [8] | |
Baldur's Gate 3 | Shadowheart [8] | Also motion capture | |
2024 | Wuthering Waves | Carlotta [8] | |
2025 | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Maelle [8] | |
2026 | Tides of Annihilation | Gwendolyn [24] |