Erika Ishii: The Voice of Gaming

Erika Ishii may have a career spanning across all verticals of entertainment, but she will forever be known for her work in the video game industry. 

As one of gaming’s most sought-after voiceover actors, she has brought to life brilliant and memorable characters including Ruth Dzeng in Cyberpunk 2077, Domina Venomblade in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, and Maddy Cho in Marvel’s Avengers—just to name a few. Earlier this year, it was announced that Ishii would voice lesbian character Valkyrie in the ninth season of Apex Legends, which is considered the biggest and queerest season yet. Openly genderfluid, Ishii has a strong presence in the LGBTQ community. She was more than ready to take on this badass character, and the Apex fandom embraced her with open arms. 

Born into a family of Hollywood professionals, Ishii began booking commercials when she was 4 years old and landed a guest role on the hit sitcom Full House. She took a hiatus from acting to concentrate on the violin, then went on to graduate cum laude with a degree in communications from UCLA before returning to the spotlight.

OFM had the opportunity to connect with Ishii and talk more about Apex Legends, how being her authentic self benefited her career, and how she hopes to help change the world with stories. 

For those who are unfamiliar, can you begin by telling us more about Apex Legends?
Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle royale, and Arena’s new game. Essentially, long story short, the combatants are dropped on an island and have to battle it out “King of the Kill” style. I play Valkyrie, the newest legend for Season Nine, and it is thrilling because I was a fan of the game before I got to be a part of it. 

Who is Valkyrie? You have tweeted saying you have been waiting to play a role like this character.
Yes! Valkyrie is mixed Japanese-American; she’s a lesbian, but Valk is Valk. Her defining traits are that she is bold, brass, and cocky. She is totally a maverick, and she is trying to live up to the legacy of her famous father, who she looked up to and admired.

In your opinion, what makes Apex Legends worth checking out?
First of all, from a gaming point of view, the mechanics are incredible, and the movement is buttery smooth. It is satisfying. The design is great, but I also love the narrative. Before I was in the game, I remember seeing the story trailer for Season Four, and it was purely a story-based trailer. Having that level of attention to the lore and the character building is something that is very, very special for online games because they are under constant pressure to put something out, update everything, put out new characters, new mechanics. Having a story and characters centered is truly special.

Do you consider yourself a gamer?
That is such a loaded term these days [laughs]. Like, do you consider yourself a movie-goer? It’s funny that there is an identity wrapped up in this medium, but yes, I have been playing games for as long as I can remember. Even before I was in video games, I was playing them and discussing them professionally. 

What are some of your other favorite video games to play?
I play a lot of Apex Legends, of course. I love indie games. Like, Hades was so incredible, and I love a lot of narrative driven games. The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II were very meaningful for me. I just try to play a little bit of everything. Now, I feel like I hav

Do you have a favorite fandom?
I cannot play favorites with my fandoms! Before I got a chance to tell stories for beloved franchises, I was active in many fandoms. I have dressed up for midnight releases, written fanfiction and poetry, and posted in forums for many stories including, but not limited to, Lord of the Rings, Sailor Moon, Harry Potter, which is currently a complicated relationship, Star Wars, D&D and roleplaying games, Cowboy Bebop, Invader Zim, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Legend of Zelda.

Is doing voiceover work for video games similar or completely different than doing it for animation?
The process is different because most of the time for video games, you do not have a full script. For animation, oftentimes, you get a script, but for video games, you are a lot more often than not in the dark. You might not have character art, you might not have a full script, and you might not even know what the game is. So, in animation, you are given a lot more information and details, especially western animation. Also, the style of acting is different depending on what type of game it is. It can be different from animation.

In addition to voicing multiple video games characters, you have appeared on stage, film, and television, and even have family roots in Hollywood. Has acting always been your passion?
I was very, very fortunate that as a child, my parents saw that I was extroverted and loved the limelight. So, they put me into acting. I grew up around sets and in theatre, and I feel very, very fortunate to have had a family that was supportive of acting. I know that is not the case for a lot of my fellow performers.

Was there ever a time you thought about not pursuing a career in entertainment?
I majored in mass media communications at UCLA, so I had some vague notion that maybe I wanted to do what The Colbert Report and The Daily Show were doing at the time. Like, comedy journalism. I have been very fortunate in my sort of daily life to still have a platform to discuss world views and give my viewpoints on important issues, but even when I was majoring in communications, I was still doing violin and Shakespeare Club at UCLA. There has always been a part of me that was performing because that is what my heart wanted me to do. 

I was not aware that you are a seasoned Shakespeare performer. Which play is your favorite, and what drew you to his work?
That is hard! I feel like A Midsummer Night’s Dream always pops up in my life one way or another. I love play within a play, I love the lovers, and Neil Gaiman’s sort of take on the fairy kingdom. Even when I was little, even if I did not always understand all the words, the characters, themes, and stories all felt so universal and personal. Gender-, race-, ability-, or disability-wise—it does not matter who you are. Those words are universal, and they still stand the test of time. It is so beautiful, and I think there is something very universal about it. 

When you were a kid, you appeared on the “Yankee Doodle Dandy” episode of Full House. I grew up watching the show, so I recall that episode very well. What do you remember the most about it?
What I remember most is playing with the other kids. At the time I was on it, I think I was probably the youngest. To me, it was a lot of play time with other kids my age who also enjoyed being outgoing performers. It was a lot of fun.

As a genderfluid person who has a proud presence in the queer community, how has being your authentic self benefitted your career, and do you believe the industry is beginning to recognize the value of authenticity and inclusion?
Oh, absolutely! Even in the short time that I have been a regular performer, I have seen great strides in representation in casting, ethnically and gender-wise. We still have a long way to go, though, in terms of the ways talent is sought out. I am very fortunate that I have been coming up in a time in which people have valued authentic voices. When I was starting out, I remember being given the advice to keep my personal life private. That being open about who I was would exclude me from roles, but that has been the absolute opposite for me. I am very grateful for that.  

What more do you hope to do with your platform to continue changing the world through stories and the communities that form around them?
I think that there is something incredibly universal and empathy building about storytelling. Sometimes, our passion for characters and stories will bridge a gap that simple data can’t. I hope that by continuing to tell these stories and by being very publicly and openly who I am, it gives others permission to do the same. 

Stay up-to-date with Ishii by following her on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch.

Photos courtesy of Erika Ishii