# Liam O'Brien
**Liam O'Brien** (Liam Christopher O'Brien, born 1976) is an American voice actor, writer, and director based in Los Angeles, known for roles in anime English dubs and video games and as a co-founder and cast member of the [Dungeons & Dragons](https://www.edgepedia.org/dungeons-and-dragons) actual-play show [Critical Role](https://www.edgepedia.org/critical-role).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/liam-obrien/) • [2](https://critrole.com/members/liam-obrien/) His best-known characters include Gaara in the *[Naruto](https://www.edgepedia.org/naruto-tv-series)* dub, Illidan Stormrage in the *Warcraft* series, Yasuo in *League of Legends*, War in *Darksiders*, and Caleb Widogast in Critical Role.[3](https://aiptcomics.com/2012/07/05/straight-from-the-voice-actors-mouth-an-interview-with-liam-obrien/) • [4](https://dignitas.gg/articles/the-voice-of-yasuo-and-many-more-interview-with-liam-obrien)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1976, Belleville, New Jersey[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/liam-obrien/) |
| Training | Acting program at New York University; professional theater in New York City and regional theaters before voice work[4](https://dignitas.gg/articles/the-voice-of-yasuo-and-many-more-interview-with-liam-obrien) |
| Signature roles | Gaara (*Naruto*), Illidan Stormrage (*World of Warcraft*), Yasuo (*League of Legends*), War (*Darksiders*), Caius Ballad (*Final Fantasy XIII-2*), Grimoire Weiss (*NieR*)[3](https://aiptcomics.com/2012/07/05/straight-from-the-voice-actors-mouth-an-interview-with-liam-obrien/) • [4](https://dignitas.gg/articles/the-voice-of-yasuo-and-many-more-interview-with-liam-obrien) |
| Video game credits | 515 credits on 309 games cataloged by MobyGames[5](https://www.mobygames.com/person/191235/liam-c-obrien/) |
| Critical Role | Co-founder and primary cast member; plays Vax'ildan, Caleb Widogast, and Orym across the campaigns[2](https://critrole.com/members/liam-obrien/) • [6](https://time.com/7020897/dungeons-and-dragons-live-performances/) |
| Animation production | Executive producer of *The Legend of Vox Machina* on Amazon Prime Video[2](https://critrole.com/members/liam-obrien/) |
| Awards | 2014 BTVA People's Choice Voice Acting Award, Best Male Vocal Performance in an Anime Feature Film/Special in a Supporting Role, for Gaara in *Naruto Shippûden: The Movie 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire*[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/liam-obrien/) |
## Early life and training
O'Brien was born in Belleville, New Jersey, in 1976.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/liam-obrien/) He described wanting to be an actor from high school onward, and after graduating he crossed the [Hudson River](https://www.edgepedia.org/hudson-river) to study at New York University's acting program.[4](https://dignitas.gg/articles/the-voice-of-yasuo-and-many-more-interview-with-liam-obrien) • [7](https://www.rpgsite.net/interview/3048-liam-obrien-interview-round-2) After NYU he worked professionally in theater in New York City and in regional theaters around the country.[4](https://dignitas.gg/articles/the-voice-of-yasuo-and-many-more-interview-with-liam-obrien)
The turn toward voice work came through a fellow stage actor. While performing Shakespeare in Ohio, O'Brien met the voice actor [Crispin Freeman](https://www.edgepedia.org/crispin-freeman), who had already been working in voice-over for a couple of years; back in New York, Freeman set up O'Brien's first voice-over audition, which he booked, leading to further roles.[4](https://dignitas.gg/articles/the-voice-of-yasuo-and-many-more-interview-with-liam-obrien) • [7](https://www.rpgsite.net/interview/3048-liam-obrien-interview-round-2) He later moved to Los Angeles intending to try on-camera work, and the voice-over side of the plan took hold.[4](https://dignitas.gg/articles/the-voice-of-yasuo-and-many-more-interview-with-liam-obrien)
## Voice acting career
O'Brien's early dubbing work established the two character types he has said he is most often cast as, the psychotic and the fop.[7](https://www.rpgsite.net/interview/3048-liam-obrien-interview-round-2) In anime he voices Gaara of the Sand in *Naruto* and *Boruto: Naruto Next Generations*, Captain Jushiro Ukitake in *Bleach*, Vincent Law in *[Ergo Proxy](https://www.edgepedia.org/ergo-proxy)*, and Gihren Zabi in *[Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin](https://www.edgepedia.org/mobile-suit-gundam-the-origin)*.[3](https://aiptcomics.com/2012/07/05/straight-from-the-voice-actors-mouth-an-interview-with-liam-obrien/) • [2](https://critrole.com/members/liam-obrien/)
**Video game roles.** His game credits span more than three hundred titles. Prominent characters include Illidan Stormrage in the *Warcraft* series, War in *Darksiders I, II & III*, Caius Ballad in *Final Fantasy XIII-2*, Grimoire Weiss in *NieR* and *NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139...*, Akihiko Sanada in *Persona 3*, Gollum in *Middle-Earth: Shadow of War*, Doctor Strange across several Marvel games, and [Reverse-Flash](https://www.edgepedia.org/reverse-flash) and [Brainiac 5](https://www.edgepedia.org/brainiac-5) in *Injustice 2*.[3](https://aiptcomics.com/2012/07/05/straight-from-the-voice-actors-mouth-an-interview-with-liam-obrien/) • [2](https://critrole.com/members/liam-obrien/) • [5](https://www.mobygames.com/person/191235/liam-c-obrien/) MobyGames catalogs 515 credits on 309 games for him, ranging from lead roles to large volumes of incidental voices; in *Fallout: New Vegas* he recorded 50 different voices.[5](https://www.mobygames.com/person/191235/liam-c-obrien/) • [4](https://dignitas.gg/articles/the-voice-of-yasuo-and-many-more-interview-with-liam-obrien) In animation beyond anime, he has voiced [Doctor Strange](https://www.edgepedia.org/doctor-strange) in *Marvel's Spider-Man*, *Ultimate Spider-Man*, and *Marvel's Avengers Assemble*, Yogar Lyste and other characters in *Star Wars: Rebels*, and Professor Maelstrom, Boris, and Vlad in Netflix's *Carmen Sandiego*.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/liam-obrien/) • [2](https://critrole.com/members/liam-obrien/)
## Voice direction and writing
Alongside acting, O'Brien has worked extensively behind the booth as a voice director and writer. Projects he has directed or written for include *The Last of Us*, *Resident Evil 6*, *Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor*, *LEGO Dimensions*, *World of Warcraft*, *The Witness*, and *Evolve*.[2](https://critrole.com/members/liam-obrien/) He has said his directing work grew out of his acting: while dubbing anime early in his career, colleagues noticed his grasp of the genre and the opportunities accumulated from there.[7](https://www.rpgsite.net/interview/3048-liam-obrien-interview-round-2) On *Resident Evil 6* he is credited as voice-over director, English dialogue advisor, and cast member simultaneously.[5](https://www.mobygames.com/person/191235/liam-c-obrien/)
## Critical Role
Critical Role began as a private game among voice actor friends. On the set of the film *Resident Evil: Damnation*, where O'Brien was voice directing and [Matthew Mercer](https://www.edgepedia.org/matthew-mercer) was recording the character [Leon S. Kennedy](https://www.edgepedia.org/leon-s-kennedy), O'Brien mentioned that he had played Dungeons & Dragons as a kid; Mercer invited him to join a game. A year or two later O'Brien took him up on the offer, and the group assembled at the apartment Mercer shared with [Marisha Ray](https://www.edgepedia.org/marisha-ray). After Ashley Johnson told Felicia Day about the home game, the group began streaming it on Geek & Sundry's Twitch channel, with the first episode airing in March 2015.[6](https://time.com/7020897/dungeons-and-dragons-live-performances/)
O'Brien is a co-founder of the company and a primary cast member of the flagship show.[2](https://critrole.com/members/liam-obrien/) Across the campaigns he has played the half-elf rogue/paladin Vax'ildan in the first campaign, the human wizard Caleb Widogast in the second, and Orym in the third.[2](https://critrole.com/members/liam-obrien/) • [8](https://www.dexerto.com/video/can-liam-obrien-remember-his-iconic-lines-3416019/) In March 2019, during the second campaign, the cast launched a [Kickstarter](https://www.edgepedia.org/kickstarter) to fund an animated special; it raised more than $1 million within an hour and more than $4.3 million by the end of the first day, and the project became the Amazon Prime Video series *The Legend of Vox Machina*, on which O'Brien is an executive producer and the voice of Vax'ildan.[6](https://time.com/7020897/dungeons-and-dragons-live-performances/) • [2](https://critrole.com/members/liam-obrien/) He also reprises Caleb in the animated adaptation of the second campaign, *The Mighty Nein*, and serves as one of its executive producers.[9](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-might-nein-new-dungeons-dragons-tv-series-will-be-a-huge-hit/)
## Recognition
O'Brien won Best Male Vocal Performance in an Anime Feature Film/Special in a Supporting Role at the 2014 BTVA People's Choice Voice Acting Awards for his role as Gaara in *Naruto Shippûden: The Movie 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire*, and he has also received a BTVA People's Choice Voice Acting Award, a BTVA Special/DVD Voice Acting Award, and a BTVA Anime Dub Television/OVA Voice Acting Award.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/liam-obrien/) IMDb lists 4 wins and 23 nominations for him overall.[10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1240448/awards/)
## References
1. [Liam O'Brien – Voice Actor, Writer, Director, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/liam-obrien/)
2. [Liam O'Brien, Critical Role](https://critrole.com/members/liam-obrien/)
3. [Straight From The Voice Actor's Mouth: An Interview With Liam O'Brien, AIPT (July 5, 2012)](https://aiptcomics.com/2012/07/05/straight-from-the-voice-actors-mouth-an-interview-with-liam-obrien/)
4. [The voice of Yasuo and many more: Interview with Liam O'Brien, Dignitas (August 6, 2015)](https://dignitas.gg/articles/the-voice-of-yasuo-and-many-more-interview-with-liam-obrien)
5. [Liam C. O'Brien - MobyGames](https://www.mobygames.com/person/191235/liam-c-obrien/)
6. [Live Performances of Dungeons & Dragons Are Filling Stadiums and Going Mainstream, TIME (September 18, 2024)](https://time.com/7020897/dungeons-and-dragons-live-performances/)
7. [Liam O'Brien Interview – round 2, RPG Site (February 11, 2012)](https://www.rpgsite.net/interview/3048-liam-obrien-interview-round-2)
8. [Can Liam O'Brien Remember His Iconic Lines?, Dexerto (October 8, 2026)](https://www.dexerto.com/video/can-liam-obrien-remember-his-iconic-lines-3416019/)
9. [This New 'Dungeons & Dragons' TV Series Will Be a Huge Hit, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-might-nein-new-dungeons-dragons-tv-series-will-be-a-huge-hit/)
10. [Liam O'Brien – Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1240448/awards/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Voice performers › American voice performers › Video game voice actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license