Original Bayonetta voice actor Hellena Taylor has called for fans to not play Bayonetta 3. The game is set to release on October 28.
At the start of the month, developer PlatinumGames confirmed that Taylor would not be reprising her role as the titular character of the series. They confirmed this news in an interview with GameInformer. The developer cited “overlapping circumstances” as the reason behind the end of their partnership with Taylor.
Taylor starred in Bayonetta 1 and 2 (Photo via Nintendo)
Game director Yusuke Miyata also confirmed that Jennifer Hale, known for her role in Mass Effect, would be taking over the position.
He said, “Various overlapping circumstances made it difficult for Hellena Taylor to reprise her role. We held auditions to cast the new voice of Bayonetta and offered the role to Jennifer Hale, whom we felt was a good match for the character.”
The real reason
Now, two weeks later, Taylor has taken to Twitter to share the actual reasoning behind her losing the role of Bayonetta. PlatinumGames allegedly offered Taylor just $4,000 for the entire game’s worth of voice acting.
Taylor spoke about how much money the franchise has earned and the fact that she had been made such a startlingly low offer. She had played the character in each of the first two games in the series.
She said on Twitter, “The Bayonetta franchise has made an approximate $450m, not including merchandise.
“As an actor, I trained for a total of seven and a half years. Three years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art with voice coach Barbara Berkery and four and a half years with the legendary Larry Moss in Los Angeles.
“What did they think this was worth? The final offer, to do the whole game, as a flat rate, was $4,000USD. This is an insult to me and the amount of time I took to work on my talent.”
Boycott plea
As a result of the low offer from PlatinumGames, Taylor has encouraged fans to not purchase Bayonetta 3. She has, instead, asked them to use that money to give back to charitable organizations.
“I am asking the fans to boycott this game and instead spend the money you would have spent on this game, donating to charity.”
Voice-acting payment rates can vary. As the star of the Bayonetta series, Taylor feels she deserves to be able to live on her salary.
The Bayonetta franchise has made over $450m worldwide. (Photo via Nintendo)
She added, “I didn’t want the world. I didn’t ask for too much, I was just asking for a decent, dignified, living wage. What they did was legal but it was immoral.
“I am standing up in solidarity for people all over the world who do not get paid properly for their talents.”
Taylor continued to outline her own personal circumstances. The current cost of living crisis in the United Kingdom means that every penny counts at the moment. That is no different to Taylor.
She said, “I suffered from depression and anxiety. I feared that I would be out on the streets. It worried me so much that once I was suicidal.”
Calling the fans to action
Taylor ended her message with a defiant stand against PlatinumGames. She called for fans to stand with her and show that they care about “what is right”.
She said, “I am not afraid of the non-disclosure agreement, I can’t even afford to run a car, what are they going to do? Take my clothes? Good luck to them.
“Bayonetta always stands up for those with less power and stands up for what is right, and doing this you stand with her. Thank you”.
Bayonetta 3 is the first game in the franchise to not feature Hellena Taylor.
The fact that there was a non-disclosure agreement in place perhaps suggests that PlatinumGames knew what they were doing in offering Taylor such a small amount for her role. Hellena Taylor is synonymous with Bayonetta and it is a shame that she won’t be in the third instalment of the franchise.
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