Hellena Taylor, Bayonetta’s original voice actress has taken to Twitter to explain why she isn’t featured in Nintendo and Platinum Games, Bayonetta 3, which is due out at the end of the month. Taylor says that she was approached to reprise her role as Bayonetta in Bayonetta 3 and was offered a maximum payout of £4,000, which for a voice actor for a big game from a huge publisher is admittedly extremely low. She has invited people to boycott the game if they want and says to give the $60 to a charity of choice. Here’s what she says (transcript by Reddit member, MrLariato)
“Bayonetta franchise made aprox $450M. That’s not including merch. As an actor, I have trained for seven and a half years. Three years in the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and four and a half years in Los Angeles”
“What did Platinum think this was worth? They offered to pay me the final offer to do the whole game as a buyout for 4000 US dollars. This is an insult to me and everything I’ve given to this game and to the fans”
“I’m asking the fans to boycott this game and instead use the money you were going to spend on this game donating it to charity”
“I was just asking for a decent and dignify living-wage. What they did was legal, but it was immoral”
“Boycotting is a personal choice, and if you don’t, that’s fine.”
“I decided to stand up for all the people who don’t get paid enough for their talents”
“This affected me and made me think I was going to be on the streets, which affected me mentally”
“Bayonetta always stands up for those with less power and for what is right. And with this, you stand with her. Thank you”
“I auditioned for the role and passed with flying colours. They then sent me an insulting offer so I thought and did write to Hideki Kamiya, and I went and ask him for what I’m worth. A friend wrote in Japanese to him and I got a reply where he said he values me greatly, my contributions to the game and that the fans really want me to voice it over. Then I received a better offer: $4000.”
“Platinum said that I was very busy, that I had a tough schedule… I actually had nothing but time. I wish the new actress all the best luck in the World, but she’s not the voice of Bayonetta. I created that voice. She has no right to sign merchandise as Bayonetta, anymore than I have the right to sign as Eva Green even though I was her parrot in the video game The Golden Compass.”
She ends by thanking the fans for their support.
Thanks to everyone for sending this in!