Today's guest is Jason Baughan - a classically trained actor whose journey from the West End stage to directing cinematic storytelling in major video games is nothing short of epic.
In this episode, Todd Kramer and Jay Reum welcome the multi-talented Jason Baughan (yes, that's "Baughan," not "Bourne") for a spirited dive into his career evolution. Trained at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Jason started with a love of Shakespeare and a West End run in the Olivier-winning Sunny Afternoon, where he went from guitar player to live stage drummer in front of 900 people.
Eventually, burnout pushed him toward a surprising pivot — directing voice performance in major video games like Assassin's Creed and The Witcher. Jason talks about why actor-directors bring something special to the booth, how storytelling works differently in games, and why leaving the stage wasn't a step back but a step toward something new.
⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 – Opening 02:00 – Jay's packing panic for India 04:30 – Todd's amateur dramatic debut 06:10 – Jason Baughan or Jason Bourne? 07:45 – Baughan's Guildhall roots 09:00 – Theatre life and Olivier wins 10:40 – Playing drums live on West End 12:30 – Burnout and career redirection 14:15 – The "Sunny Afternoon" cast switch 16:00 – What makes a good show sour 17:50 – Discovering voice direction 19:10 – Skills actors bring to directing 21:00 – Working on Assassin's Creed 22:30 – The Witcher voice secrets 24:40 – Directing performance in games 26:20 – Why story matters in gameplay 28:00 – Loving the collaborative process 30:30 – Actor-director dynamics 32:15 – Jay and Jason's past projects 34:00 – Todd's accidental name flub 35:10 – Why Jason still calls himself an actor 36:40 – Getting real about identity shifts 39:00 – Final thoughts and actor wisdom
💬 Join the Conversation What resonated with you in Jason's story? Drop your thoughts in the comments — or tag us on socials with your takeaways!
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör
Todd Kramer. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Todd Kramer och inte av,
eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.
