Mark Meer Interview

RPG Site had the chance to conduct an interview with comedian and voice actor Mark Meer, who you might know as the voice of Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect series and several less prominent characters in Dragon Age: Origins, Jade Empire, Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark, and Baldur’s Gate II: Throne of Bhaal. A BioWare regular, in other words:

RPGSite: How and when did you first make the leap from improv acting to voice acting? Did you find it a difficult transition or did you take to it straight away?

Mark: I think my first voice work would have been with CBC Radio, performing sketch comedy that I also wrote. It was a pretty smooth transition, as I’ve always enjoyed doing voices (even back in my aforementioned Dungeons & Dragons days). Since then, in addition to my voice work with BioWare, I’ve worked on cartoons, acted as the station-identification voice for Canada’s Family Channel, and have been a cast member and writer on several seasons of CBC’s national radio sketch comedy program The Irrelevant Show, the latest of which we’re in the middle of recording.

RPGSite: You do seem to have a particularly strong relationship with BioWare, as you have appeared in several of their games over the years. When did you first become involved with them and why have you stuck with them for so long?

Mark: My first work for BioWare was a single line at the end of Baldur’s Gate 2, which I still recall – “There is no need for concern. The fate of this fool is sealed.” I was a mysterious hooded wizard, standing around plotting with some other equally-mysterious hooded wizards. BioWare seemed to like me, because they kept calling me. I stuck with them because they also kept paying me.