Current Events > Helena Taylor speaks out on not voicing Bayonetta in Bayo 3.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Guns_of_Verdun posted...

Ok I just watched her part 2 and 3 and I smell a rat.

Before someone gets on my back I'm not a Platinum Fanboy and won't be buying Bayonetta 3 anyway. VAs are underpaid and Japan being iffy about hiring VAs in a union says a lot.

That said, in the other videos she made she got a translator to write a letter to the CEO of Platinum Games in Japanese to complain about her low pay.

Then she compares herself to nurses having to eat from Food Banks because they are so low paid.

Then she complains about Hale (Who she disrespectfully only refers to as "New Girl" despite Hale being a much more talented and widely respected Veteran VA) and says Hale has no right to sign Bayonetta Merch since Hale isn't Bayonetta, she (Helena Taylor) is. (fucking wat?)

She comes across as super arrogant, bitter and bad at negotiating...

Makes me think that the guys making the game didn't want her around. Especially considering they will be paying Hale so much more.

She sounds like a spurned lover.

im glad she spoke out on this. Like the new VA seemed reserved for being Bayonetta. I thought it was the director for that. Helena had nearly a decade for Bayonetta. Bayonetta 3 is now like Cereza speaking in way and Bayonetta is just missing in action

Guns_of_Verdun posted...

In her second video she says she hasn't been working and is completely broke.

The latter perhaps contextually, but she's definitely didn't say the former.

She comes across as super arrogant, bitter and bad at negotiating...

I think she'd have every right to be bitter. I think she's earned a little bit of ownership of her role, so I wouldn't mistake confidence for arrogance.

And if all you have left is "she's a bad business person", then I don't know what to tell you.

Part 2,3 and 4 BTW:

https://twitter.com/hellenataylor/status/1581289973210574859
https://twitter.com/hellenataylor/status/1581290543619112960
https://twitter.com/hellenataylor/status/1581291176073707520

Another odd thing is that she complains that Platinum said they couldn't get her due to scheduling problems rather than her rejecting the role...

But... Isn't that nicer?

What companies come out and say people rejected working for them?

ArchNemo posted...

If this is actually the case, chances are she probably doesn't even have an agent to help her negotiate either. Which means she's probably just throwing out random sums she feels she's worth.

oh no

Guns_of_Verdun posted...

But... Isn't that nicer?

It certainly *sounds* nicer and more civil and more orderly.

Also you can cut out the middle tweet you linked. The embedding includes tweet and previous tweet.

CyricZ posted...

I think she'd have every right to be bitter. I think she's earned a little bit of ownership of her role, so I wouldn't mistake confidence for arrogance.

Saying Jennifer Hale (Who she arrogantly called 'New Girl') has no right to sign Bayonetta Autographs because Helena is the "real" Bayonetta is absolute arrogance

Also Comparing herself to Lazarus and saying Nintendo are going to hell is... Not just arrogance but boarderline frenzied squealing

Come on dude.

CyricZ posted...

The latter perhaps contextually, but she's definitely didn't say the former.

I think she'd have every right to be bitter. I think she's earned a little bit of ownership of her role, so I wouldn't mistake confidence for arrogance.

And if all you have left is "she's a bad business person", then I don't know what to tell you.

In part 3 she laughs at the fact that they used overlapping commitments as an excuse and says she had "nothing but time"

That, combined with the fact that she says she doesn't even have enough money to keep a car going makes it seem pretty clear.

She even admitted herself she had to reaudition and it's common because voices change over time.

Everything here is leading me to believe she couldn't effectively voice the character anymore and Platinum didn't want her, and gave a token offer she obviously wouldn't accept. Add to that the fact that she was probably overestimating her worth and it was never gonna happen.

https://twitter.com/PG_kamiya/status/1581316361657102337

PerseusRad posted...

https://twitter.com/PG_kamiya/status/1581316361657102337

What does that even mean

Jeff_AKA_Snoopy posted...

If you're gonna be forced to pay more, might as well get a bigger name

This. I am not saying a company is right for doing this but there is a reason why Chris Pratt is voicing Mario

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

bayonetta isnt that popular lol. the games sell like ass. DMC sells like 5 times more

Irony posted...

What does that even mean

Lol

I'm guessing he's calling Taylor a liar but in a way he can't be sued over.

Lot of Lawyers will be licking their lips at this.

Hence why I doubt Hale will comment.

Stallion_Prime posted...

bayonetta isnt that popular lol. the games sell like ass. DMC sells like 5 times more

And? Game sells less so pay respectable actors dirt? I think it's fair to say someone who has been a part of a decade+ old franchise deserves to be paid more than a measly 4k

I love Jennifer Hale but arghh at how bad the attempt at an English accent will probably end up being.

Edit: Just heard it and shes barely even trying an accent, not sure if thats better or worse tbh.

Sure sounds like we don't have the full story here.

spikethedevil posted...

I love Jennifer Hale but arghh at how bad the attempt at an English accent will probably end up being.

-Bastila Shan has entered the chat

PerseusRad posted...

https://twitter.com/PG_kamiya/status/1581316361657102337

Maybe she told him he'll never be recognized as fondly as Mikami and fired her

If anything she said wasn't true, then I will gladly retract my support for her as an individual.

I'll recognize that her dismissal of Jennifer Hale is callous (might want to consider the possibility that she doesn't know who Jennifer Hale is, as I alluded earlier).

Blue_Inigo posted...

And? Game sells less so pay respectable actors dirt? I think it's fair to say someone who has been a part of a decade+ old franchise deserves to be paid more than a measly 4k

oh no man. im on her side. dont get me wrong. this is pretty screwed up. im just saying bayonetta games dont really sell

Guns_of_Verdun posted...

-Bastila Shan has entered the chat

Yeah tbh her accent as Bastila could be a lot worse.

CyricZ posted...

If anything she said wasn't true, then I will gladly retract my support for her as an individual.

I'll recognize that her dismissal of Jennifer Hale is callous (might want to consider the possibility that she doesn't know who Jennifer Hale is, as I alluded earlier).

Nothing wrong with giving the individual the benefit of the doubt over a corporation, especially when we can all agree her voice was definitely a big part of the character.

But it's getting harder to believe her story, and it looks like Kamiya now has basically called her a liar.

Guns_of_Verdun posted...

Lol

I'm guessing he's calling Taylor a liar but in a way he can't be sued over.

Lot of Lawyers will be licking their lips at this.

Hence why I doubt Hale will comment.

Well I mean I'd believe her over Kamiya.

Irony posted...

Well I mean I'd believe her over Kamiya.

Idk Kamiya called Marth Koopas mom ugly so that's pretty fucking based

ArchNemo posted...

But it's getting harder to believe her story, and it looks like Kamiya now has basically called her a liar.

What's getting harder for me is respect for Kamiya and his antics.

He didn't have to say a damn thing, and probably shouldn't have.

It's funny, until it isn't.

Between this, the recent Rockstar stuff, and the whole "cast voice actors for voice roles" thing in the Mario movie... we're really starting to see a movement.

Pay voice actors appropriately. If the game is going to make a billion dollars, the voice actors are a big part of why.

OudeGeuze posted...

Idk Kamiya called Marth Koopas mom ugly so that's pretty fucking based

We already knew that. Lying after the fact serves no purpose so you might as well go with everyone else.

Gobstoppers12 posted...

Between this, the recent Rockstar stuff, and the whole "cast voice actors for voice roles" thing in the Mario movie... we're really starting to see a movement.

Pay voice actors appropriately. If the game is going to make a billion dollars, the voice actors are a big part of why.

Don't forget Mob Psycho 100.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2022-10-04/kyle-mccarley-responds-to-crunchyroll-statement-about-mob-psycho-100-simuldub-recasting/.190470

CyricZ posted...

What's getting harder for me is respect for Kamiya and his antics.

He didn't have to say a damn thing, and probably shouldn't have.

It's funny, until it isn't.

Kamiya is an asshole yeah, and he should have taken the high road. But it's still another mark in the "not the whole story" column.

I feel bad for Hellena and it's clear from her videos that she's in a tough place right now. I guess from his perspective though, she's throwing shade and controversy at his studio that he doesn't feel is warranted. Why does he want his studio to look like it tossed out a beloved voice for no reason if that isn't true?

ArchNemo posted...

Kamiya is an asshole yeah, and he should have taken the high road. But it's still another mark in the "not the whole story" column.

I feel bad for Hellena and it's clear from her videos that she's in a tough place right now. I guess from his perspective though, she's throwing shade and controversy at his studio that he doesn't feel is warranted. Why does he want his studio to look like it tossed out a beloved voice for no reason if that isn't true?

Because he made it clear Nintendo basically 100% funded 2 and 3 and therefore he has no reason to care since he's an asshole.

ArchNemo posted...

But it's still another mark in the "not the whole story" column.

Fair. Man has a right to defend himself.

Just the idea of taking a sensitive issue and doing his usual.

CyricZ posted...

Don't forget Mob Psycho 100.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2022-10-04/kyle-mccarley-responds-to-crunchyroll-
statement-about-mob-psycho-100-simuldub-recasting/.190470

And L.A Noire

Gobstoppers12 posted...

the recent Rockstar stuff,

After the stuff with San adres anybody VAing for Rockstar should know they're gonna get fucked over. C.J.'s VA is still angry to this day

A part of me really believes that modern day Platinum would be dumb enough to get rid of the original voice actress just to have a way more popular VA. Just like how Konami let David Hayter go for fucking Keifer Sutherland.

Irony posted...

Because he made it clear Nintendo basically 100% funded 2 and 3 and therefore he has no reason to care since he's an asshole.

Well, he does. It still gives a negative public perception to his studio. He should still have taken the high road based on the position between the two, but to say he has "no reason to care" is a stretch.

ArchNemo posted...

Well, he does. It still gives a negative public perception to his studio. He should still have taken the high road based on the position between the two, but to say he has "no reason to care" is a stretch.

Okay but nobody cares about that though. Bad perceptions don't do anything, look at companies like Activision and CDPR. Buttslam basically posted what most people probably feel: "I'm gonna buy the game anyways but have some fake sympathy"

Part of what I'm getting in this topic isn't even about voice acting and the rights of an actor but now it's like a weird ownership of the IP and a hatred of the studio.

I mean I get it. Bioware is not the same company it was when I loved it and it made games that I really appreciated. It sucks that it doesn't hold to the same creative flair it did back in those days. I get it.

At the end of the day can't we just judge the game and the performance on its merits when it releases? What if this is the best Bayonetta game ever made? Is it that unthinkable? What if all the choices made by Platinum this time around ended up making the best Bayonetta game they could make? Let's argue it isn't the best but is still an enjoyable time. If it was that or never having another game in the franchise which would you choose?

I don't find anything wrong with her follow-up remarks. She's obviously hurt and there's nothing stopping me from believing that she was lowballed to hell. And it also sounds like she doesn't know who Jennifer Hale is, so I don't think she was being insulting when referencing her either.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Forgot Troy Baker.

Quorthon109 posted...

I don't find anything wrong with her follow-up remarks. She's obviously hurt and there's nothing stopping me from believing that she was lowballed to hell. And it also sounds like she doesn't know who Jennifer Hale is, so I don't think she was being insulting when referencing her either.

There's no doubt she was lowballed, but the question that hasn't been answered is WHY she was lowballed.

We've already established that Jennifer Hale isn't exactly star power because nobody who doesn't specifically follow VAs is really going to know who Hale is. She would also likely cost more because she's a veteran voice actor who has no shortage of gigs vs a VA who hasn't done any significant voice acting in years by her own admission.

We know she hasn't been keeping up her voice work and that she had to reaudition. The likeliest answer from where I'm sitting is just that they didn't like her audition, that she couldn't do the voice well anymore, and they gave her a token offer knowing she wouldn't accept but can still say they tried.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Isn't his entire Twitter persona "I block everyone who tweets at me" for like a decade or am I thinking of another dev?

Error1355 posted...

Isn't his entire Twitter persona "I block everyone who tweets at me" for like a decade or am I thinking of another dev?

It was actually a meme that he turned into a real thing

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Not sure what the issue is.

You are not entitled to someone else's twitter time.

Error1355 posted...

Isn't his entire Twitter persona "I block everyone who tweets at me" for like a decade or am I thinking of another dev?

It is. He also already said he can't comment further at the moment, so there's probably some legal reason. Hellena mentions in one of her videos that she's breaking a non-disclosure agreement by saying this stuff so likely something involving that.

ArchNemo posted...

There's no doubt she was lowballed, but the question that hasn't been answered is WHY she was lowballed.

We've already established that Jennifer Hale isn't exactly star power because nobody who doesn't specifically follow VAs is really going to know who Hale is. She would also likely cost more because she's a veteran voice actor who has no shortage of gigs vs a VA who hasn't done any significant voice acting in years by her own admission.

We know she hasn't been keeping up her voice work and that she had to reaudition. The likeliest answer from where I'm sitting is just that they didn't like her audition, that she couldn't do the voice well anymore, and they gave her a token offer knowing she wouldn't accept but can still say they tried.

I think it's a little weird to suggest Jennifer Hale doesn't have star power.

Let's be fair. Bayonetta, beyond being included in Smash Bros, is a niche title within videogames even. Jennifer Hale is one of the most recognizable names in video game voice acting. Yeah she doesn't have the star appeal of a Kiefer Sutherland, in terms of the market of video games, Jennifer Hale is an icon.

ArchNemo posted...

We know she hasn't been keeping up her voice work and that she had to reaudition. The likeliest answer from where I'm sitting is just that they didn't like her audition, that she couldn't do the voice well anymore, and they gave her a token offer knowing she wouldn't accept but can still say they tried.

From both a public and personal perspective, I dont see how an insulting offer is better than saying weve decided to go in a different direction. Blaming scheduling with the hope that she wouldnt say anything seems like they know that already.

Quorthon109 posted...

From both a public and personal perspective, I dont see how an insulting offer is better than saying weve decided to go in a different direction. Blaming scheduling with the hope that she wouldnt say anything seems like they know that already.

Apparently the $4000 offer wasn't even given until she personally wrote a letter to Kamiya, so presumably by that point they'd already told her they didn't want her. I guess at that point they said okay, we'll take you for this much, knowing she wouldn't accept.

She also says she was under a non-disclosure agreement so they probably assumed that would stop her from speaking out.