Feodor Chin Talks Gaming, Television & Theatre – Interview Series

Feodor Chin, the award-winning voice actor who spearheaded the roles of Lord Adachi in Ghost of Tsushima, Zenyatta in Overwatch, and Lee Sin in League of Legends (amongst countless of other roles across a wide range of outlets), is working on a slew of fresh projects for a network of both gaming and animation companies.

With the SOVAS award and several notable Audiofile Magazine Golden Earphones Awards for audiobook narration under Feodor’s belt, the jack-of-all-trades has, up until this point, proven himself as one of the most prestigious voiceover actors in the industry. And from the sounds of it, this career is only beginning to blossom into something even more incredible.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Feodor to discuss his work in the gaming, television, and other media fields. Curious to learn more about the artist’s upcoming projects, I jumped straight into the deep end with the questions that were on everyone’s collective mind.

Thank you for speaking with us, Feodor — we’re excited to hear more about your journey as an actor and, more importantly, how you plan to continue bridging the gaps between animation, film, narration, and gaming.

Of course, there’s a great deal that we would like to touch base on here. But, for our reader’s sake, let’s start from the beginning. How did it all start for you? Better yet, what fueled your desire to become an actor?

I think it was Ms. Fuller’s English class sophomore year at Lowell High in San Francisco and we were reading Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” Ms. Fuller showed us a made for television version of the play starring Dustin Hoffman as Willy Loman and I was just like “I wanna do THAT.” He really transformed himself in that performance and I was so impressed. I’ve always loved storytelling and the idea of being able to use your body, your face, your voice, your whole being to tell a story is tremendously appealing to me.

Your portfolio pretty much speaks for itself, with credits that link to a multitude of projects across an entire spectrum of mediums. With that in mind, we have to ask, what are the highs and lows of working in each respective sector—video games, animation, audiobooks, television, and film?

I love working on video games because unlike film and television where the audience is passive, in video games the player is an active participant. And because of that, as an actor your performance has to be “dialed up” just a bit more in order to fully engage and direct the player. I don’t necessarily mean volume or energy wise but certainly intention, stakes, and commitment. The flip side is of course after a session of efforts and call outs your voice can get pretty wrecked!

Animation is always a joy. And occasionally you get to do a group session and actually get to work with your fellow castmates which is a rare treat in the voiceover world as most sessions are solitary. I had the honor and pleasure of joining the cast of Futurama for their new seasons on Hulu and got to do a few episodes in studio with the rest of the cast including Billy West, John DiMaggio, and Lauren Tom. Was such a blast getting to play with them in person. For me the only downside of animation is I don’t get to do it as often as I’d like!

People tell me all the time they’d love to get into audiobooks and while I certainly respect their enthusiasm it’s important to know that audiobook narration is truly the marathon of voice work. I’ve been doing audiobooks for almost twenty years now and have to say that while it can be incredibly rewarding it is A LOT of work. Genuinely physically demanding. Not only for your vocal cords but also your butt if you don’t have a real comfortable chair. But if you genuinely love reading and know what you’re getting into, the freedom and flexibility that audiobook narration provides might make it a good fit for you.

It’s been said that television is the writer’s medium and I think that’s true. Television moves fast and as an actor you have to be prepared for script changes and potentially even cuts. Even after you’ve shot something you really can’t be sure you’ve made the final cut until it airs. But ultimately there’s nothing better than being able to say, “Look, Ma! I’m on TV!”

I’ve been fortunate enough to work on some really terrific films, most recently the feature length comedy “Scrambled” which premiered at SXSW, had a great theatrical run, and is currently available for streaming. I’d say the common element for most good film experiences is a good director. Give me a director with a strong vision and a collaborative spirit and I’ll follow them anywhere.

Lest we forget that you’re also an active member of the theatre, too, with a nomination for the leading role as Gee in The Far Country at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre under your belt. Could you tell us a bit more about this side of your career?

Proud to say that not only was I nominated but I also won the award for Principal Performance – Drama at this year’s San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards Gala. It’s always an honor for your work to be recognized but particularly for this show, the wonderful play “The Far Country” by the amazing Lloyd Suh, which is about the strength, determination, resilience, and ingenuity of immigrants and especially in this time when immigrants are under attack and being scapegoated it was really special to get to tell this story and be celebrated for it.

Like a lot of actors, I started my career in the theater and still am very much in love with live performance. I don’t get to do theater as often as I’d like but when the right opportunity presents itself, I’m always happy to tread the boards again. And in this time when AI is threatening almost every industry I do believe the theater and live performance is one arena which may be relatively safe. I think people will always crave the immediacy and genuine connection that can be found in attending a live performance.

And theater can also lead to other opportunities. For example a few years back I had the good fortune to perform in the premiere of a truly outstanding play called “Rules of Seconds” by the tremendously talented John Pollono here in Los Angeles. They’re in the process of turning the play into a feature film now and I’d certainly love the chance to reprise the role I originated. Fingers crossed!

Apologies in advance for this seemingly trivial question, but we have to ask, what has been your favorite role to play since your initial breakthrough performance?

I’ve gotten to play some pretty great parts in my career. Xu Wenwu opposite Cate Blanchett in Marvel’s “What If…?” and the title character in the terrific anime “Uncle from Another World” on Netflix are real standouts and obviously Zenyatta and Lee Sin in Overwatch and League of Legends have brought me a lot of joy over the years. But I’d have to say getting to return home to the San Francisco Bay Area last year and getting to perform in “The Far Country” and tell the story of Chinese American immigrants, truly the history of my own family, in front of my own family and friends was a magical experience I won’t soon forget.

We’re curious to hear where your journey will be taking you next. We won’t ask for any spoilers, but if you could give us an idea of the projects that you are currently working on, that would be great!

The things I can tell you about include a really wild anime called “The Fable” available now on Hulu. And coming soon to Netflix, you should be able to see and hear me in the fourth season of “Love, Death & Robots.” Can’t tell you too much about that one other than I had a blast acting in that as it was full motion capture. So much fun. As for anything else, I will say there is something very big potentially dropping this summer but NDAs and my fear of getting fired and or sued prevent me from saying more!

You’ve collaborated with a lot of prestigious studios over the years. Do you have any plans to rekindle any of those flames for a new project in the future, or is it too early to tell?

I have been working again with one of my favorite game developers and while I can’t say which one I can say we’ve been having the most amazing time with a fully stacked cast of absolute all stars creating a title that I think you are gonna LOVE. Hopefully I’ll be able to share more about it soon.

Would you be willing to share any useful pointers with those who might be interested in developing their own careers in voice acting or on stage?

Two things: 1. Be prepared. Get training, take classes, work on student projects, get experience any way you can. You wanna be ready when that opportunity presents itself. 2. Be open. Maybe your dream is to be on Broadway. Or maybe it’s to star in an anime. Absolutely go after your dreams but still be open to other possibilities because if you really want a career in performance it’s helpful to be open and flexible because you can still find success in a number of different areas. Some you may not even have considered. When I started out I never imagined I’d be working on video games or narrating audiobooks but because I was open to these possibilities I was able to do some genuinely rewarding and challenging work.

Would you mind telling us how we might be able to stay up to date with your latest and upcoming projects? If it’s applicable, please could you share any useful social links or reading materials that might aid our understanding of your work?

Please visit feodorchin.com for all the latest news and info or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads @feochin or on Bluesky @feochin.bsky.social.

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Feodor. Before we head out, would you like to add any last-minute touches to this story? Is there anything you would like to add for our readers?

It’s such an honor getting to perform in games that bring so many people so much joy and connection and I’m just so grateful for that. So thanks again to all the fans and all the gamers. You’re always in my heart!

You can find even more information on Feodor Chin’s work in the gaming and media industry by following the official X handle here.