Anya Chalotra Brings Haroona to Life: Inside the Making of Unknown 9: Awakening’s Protagonist

We had the opportunity to interview Anya Chalotra, the talented actress bringing life to Haroona, the protagonist of the upcoming video game Unknown 9: Awakening. Known for her role as Yennefer in The Witcher series, Chalotra shared her experiences and insights about her first foray into the world of video game voice acting and motion capture. The interview offered a fascinating glimpse into the process of creating a video game character and the artistic approach Chalotra brought to the role as she discussed the unique challenges and joys of embodying Haroona.

A New Frontier in Acting

Chalotra described her experience in the motion capture studio as both exhilarating and challenging. “I just had so much fun doing this job and playing this character,” she explained, likening the experience to feeling like a child at play. The actress found freedom in the unconventional setup, wearing a mocap suit covered in dots and a head-mounted camera.

“I got to play. And there was no ego in the space. It would be silly to bring any of it,” Chalotra remarked, highlighting the unique environment of video game production. This setup allowed her to tap into a childlike sense of imagination, which she found liberating for exploring the full range of Haroona’s emotional journey.

The novelty of the experience was not lost on Chalotra. “The whole thing was a very unique experience. I never done anything like that before,” she admitted. “Part of me getting into character is putting on a costume and shoes and maybe a wig and makeup but this was none of that. The only makeup I had was dots on my face and an all-in-one and a camera on my head, it was very bizarre to try and express emotion beyond what I looked like or what I felt like.”

Haroona: A Complex Protagonist

When discussing Haroona’s character, Chalotra highlighted the character’s depth and motivations. Haroona’s primary goal is to avenge her mentor, who was killed by a character named Vincent. Chalotra emphasized Haroona’s resilience, curiosity, and determination as key traits that resonated with her personally.

“Her goal is to avenge her mentor who was sought out by Vincent and killed. And so her goal is to find out why,” Chalotra explained. “I think there’s just so many elements of Haroona’s character, like her resilience, it’s like there’s a kind of split in her. There’s a divide that I can resonate with, and there’s a real curiosity, a need to prove herself, and then a need to when she knows how capable she is to offer her findings and her truth.”

She also noted the significance of playing an Indian character, a first in her career. “Also the fact she’s Indian and I’ve never had the chance to lend that solid side of myself to a character before,” Chalotra shared, underlining the importance of representation in gaming.

Haroona’s journey from a child to a woman with supernatural abilities particularly intrigued Anya Chalotra. “You can have all the supernatural power in the world, but if you don’t know how to handle it and if you don’t know what it’s capable of, then it’s almost useless to you and to the world,” she remarked, hinting at the character’s growth throughout the game. “She’s connected to what’s inside and what’s needed outside of her and being able to use it for the better.”

The Challenges of Video Game Acting

Anya Chalotra found that her background in theater helped her adapt to the unique demands of video game acting. The lack of physical props and costumes required her to rely heavily on imagination and presence. “It wasn’t about getting it right, it was about exploring,” she explained, describing the freedom she felt in the mocap studio.

“Theatre definitely helped a lot. I was trained in theatre. So I suppose that means I was trained to not take myself too seriously and be a fool in a space. And that is what I was doing, was being a fool in a space,” Chalotra reflected. This theatrical background proved invaluable in the abstract environment of motion capture.

The actress also touched on the difficulty of sustaining such intense imaginative work over long periods. “I think my imagination, being present with that for the length of time I did on days was difficult because there really is nothing in the space,” she admitted. “Mini breaks helped, so you just go ‘Okay!’ and then reset and go again. So that was difficult to sustain for a period of time.”

Bringing Haroona to Life

When asked about her approach to developing Haroona’s character, Chalotra emphasized the importance of asking questions and working closely with the directors and other actors. “I bring my own self to it. I know that’s hard because you automatically do that when you read anything but I try and I work with what’s there, and then it’s up to the actors in the space around me and the director to allow,” she explained.

Anya Chalotra also highlighted how her physical, intuitive approach to acting served her well in bringing Haroona to life, particularly during action and stunt sequences. “I work with my body, you know I feel before I think anyway in my body so I knew that I was going to be okay, that I had myself,” Chalotra said.

“I really did learn on the job with all the movement things and imagining spaces and doing stunt work. I really, I trusted my body. And I trusted the stunt director, the director, the people around me to guide me.”

Looking Forward

As Chalotra wrapped up the interview, she expressed excitement about seeing herself translated into a video game character, calling the experience “mind-blowing.” “I can’t believe that there is a video game character out there in the world for the rest of my life that is of my likeness. Not just my likeness, it’s probably identical to me. It’s very odd,” she marveled.

She also shared her enthusiasm for potentially exploring other video game genres in the future, particularly expressing interest in horror and thriller games, and the opportunity to play villainous characters. “I really am open to it all. But I think specifically, I’m open to exploring horror, I love horror films and thrillers. And I 100% want to be the bad guy. That’s so fun, because why are they bad? Something must have happened along the way,” Chalotra revealed, hinting at future aspirations in gaming.

With Unknown 9: Awakening on the horizon and Chalotra currently filming the fourth season of The Witcher, fans have much to look forward to from this versatile actress. “I am in the middle of filming The Witcher at the moment, which is season four, so I’m a little tired, but I’m excited,” Anya Chalotra shared, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to both mediums. Her passion for the role of Haroona and her dedication to the craft of acting across various media promise an engaging and immersive experience for players when they step into Haroona’s shoes in Unknown 9: Awakening.

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