In the sprawling, narrative-rich world of Baldur’s Gate 3, romance options abound, with Shadowheart often cited as one of the most popular choices among players. However, the professional actors who bring these characters to life often have personal, and sometimes hilariously specific, reasons for their own in-game romantic preferences. For Ben Starr, the celebrated voice of Final Fantasy XVI’s Clive Rosfield, the decision to avoid a relationship with Shadowheart stems from a unique off-screen dynamic with her performer, Jennifer English. This article delves into Starr’s candid explanation, exploring the intersection of acting roles, personal perception, and how familial bonds in one game can make digital romance in another feel decidedly strange.
The Comic Con Confession: A Question of Romance
During a panel at Emerald City Comic Con 2026 featuring Starr, English, and Baldur’s Gate 3 performance director Aliona Baranova, the conversation naturally turned to whether the actors play the games they star in. A follow-up question directed at Starr specifically inquired if he had pursued a romance with Shadowheart. His immediate answer was a definitive no, prompting a playful yet pointed “why not?” from Jennifer English herself. This moment of candid interaction between colleagues revealed a layer of personal investment in their characters beyond the recording booth.
Starr’s Preferred Partner: A Self-Declared “Gale Girly”
When pressed for a reason, Ben Starr did not hesitate with his alternative choice. “If I’m going to be honest, I always see myself as a bit of a Gale girly,” he stated, referring to the wizard companion voiced by Tim Downie. English quickly retorted with a characteristically sharp query, asking if this was because Starr saw a bit of himself in Gale and was essentially romancing a version of himself. After both actors shared praise for Downie’s performance, Starr transitioned to the core, more personal reason for his Shadowheart snub, moving the discussion from playful ribbing to a fascinating insight into actor psychology.
The Root of the Awkwardness: Siblings in Another Life
The primary and most compelling reason Starr avoids romancing Shadowheart is not a critique of the character or her story, but a consequence of his other collaborative work with Jennifer English. The two star together in the upcoming RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, where English plays Maelle and Starr plays Verso—characters who are siblings within that game’s narrative. This established familial relationship has created a mental block for Starr when considering a romantic path with English’s other iconic character.
“No, I haven’t romanced you, but I think that that would be weird. It would be so weird,” Starr explained at the panel. English was in full agreement, succinctly concluding that such a scenario would now feel “incestuous.” This mutual acknowledgment highlights how deeply actors can internalize their on-screen relationships, allowing those dynamics to influence their personal experience of other media. The vocal similarity between English’s portrayals of Maelle and Shadowheart only reinforces this sensation, making the separation between the two roles porous for someone who worked closely with her.
Professional Respect and Personal Playthroughs
Beyond the specific romance choice, Starr emphasized a broader professional ethos he and his colleagues share. He clarified that their engagement with games like Baldur’s Gate 3 is not merely a hobby but an extension of their professional diligence. “We do, I think there is not just a great love between all of us as people. I think there’s a huge respect for the work that we do, and I think as actors we wouldn’t be doing our due diligence if we weren’t playing the games that are out there that you guys are playing,” he stated. This perspective frames their gameplay as a form of research and respect for the final product and its audience.
Fan Reactions and the Nature of Choice in RPGs
Starr’s revelation resonates with a core tenet of the role-playing game experience: personal choice. Just as players base their decisions on a multitude of factors—from character class synergy to pure aesthetic appeal—the actors themselves bring their own unique contexts to the game. For fans, hearing that a voice actor perceives their own character through such a specific lens adds a rich, meta-textual layer to the adventure. It reinforces the idea that every player’s journey is valid, whether motivated by strategic gameplay, narrative curiosity, or, in Starr’s case, an unavoidable sense of fictional siblinghood.
The incident also underscores the close-knit community within the voice acting industry and the lasting impressions collaborative projects leave. The bond formed while portraying siblings in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was strong enough to directly alter Starr’s approach to a completely separate game, demonstrating how these professional relationships transcend individual projects and bleed into personal enjoyment and interpretation.
Shadowheart’s Legacy Amidst a Sea of Options
It is important to note that Starr’s personal avoidance does nothing to diminish Shadowheart’s status as a fantastically written and performed character, a fact he would undoubtedly affirm. Baldur’s Gate 3 is celebrated precisely for offering a diverse roster of compelling companions like the fierce Karlach, the enigmatic Astarion, the intellectual Gale, and the gentle Halsin, ensuring every player finds a connection that suits their personal narrative. Starr’s story simply adds another dimension to the tapestry of player—and in this case, performer—experiences that surround Larian Studios’ landmark RPG.
The anecdote from Emerald City Comic Con ultimately serves as a charming reminder that the worlds of gaming and performance are deeply intertwined. Actors are not just hired voices; they become invested participants in the universes they help build. When Ben Starr loads up his save file in Baldur’s Gate 3, he steps into a world where his professional colleague and on-screen sister is a potential romantic partner, and he chooses a different path—one that leads him straight to Gale’s tower, proving that even for the voices behind the characters, the heart wants what it wants, especially when the alternative feels a little too much like awkward family dinner.
