Liam O'Brien

Liam Christopher O'Brien (born May 28, 1976) is an American voice actor, writer, and director. He is a regular cast member of the Dungeons & Dragons actual play series Critical Role, playing Vax'ildan ("Vax"), Caleb Widogast, Orym, and Halandil Fang. He has been involved in many video games, cartoons, and English-language adaptations of Japanese anime. His major anime roles include Gaara in Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, and Boruto, Vincent Law in Ergo Proxy, Captain Jushiro Ukitake in Bleach, Lloyd in Code Geass, Kenzo Tenma in Monster, Akihiko Sanada in Persona 3, and Nephrite in the Viz Media dub of Sailor Moon.

In cartoons, O'Brien has voiced characters in shows such as Star Wars Rebels, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Avengers Assemble, Wolverine and the X-Men, and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.. In video games, he voiced Gollum in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, Caius Ballad in Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, War in Darksiders, Allen Lee in Fallout 4, Asura in Asura's Wrath, Ieyasu Tokugawa in Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes, Illidan Stormrage in World of Warcraft and Heroes of the Storm, Yasuo in League of Legends, Grimoire Weiss in Nier, the Warden in For Honor, Dimitri Allen and Clark Triton in the Professor Layton series and Barker in Titanfall 2.

He is an automated dialog replacement writer for anime and has provided voice direction for over 300 episodes of anime such as Naruto. He has also voice directed for video games such as The Last of Us, Evolve, Resident Evil 5, and Resident Evil 6.

Early life Liam Christopher O'Brien was born in Weehawken, New Jersey, He is of Irish ancestry. His mother, Lois Wiltse O'Brien, worked as an educator as well as a quality assurance trainer and consultant. He has a sister named Cara. and he was "raised by a Christian mother and attended 15 years of Christian schooling", but would later describe himself as agnostic. He began acting in high school at St. Peter's Preparatory School, resolving to "just be a starving artist" as he knew the chances of success in the field were low. O'Brien moved to New York City to attend the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. He met Crispin Freeman while working on a production of Shakespeare's R&J in Cincinnati, Ohio, which helped him get voice-over work back in New York. Critical Role was both the Webby Winner and the People's Voice Winner in the "Games (Video Series & Channels)" category at the 2019 Webby Awards; the show was also both a Finalist and the Audience Honor Winner at the 2019 Shorty Awards. After becoming hugely successful, the Critical Role cast left the Geek & Sundry network in early 2019 and set up their own production company, Critical Role Productions. Soon after, they aimed to raise $750,000 on Kickstarter to create an animated series of their first campaign, but ended up raising over $11 million. In November 2019, Amazon Prime Video announced that they had acquired the streaming rights to this animated series, now titled The Legend of Vox Machina, and O'Brien reprised his role as Vax'ildan. In June 2021, O'Brien was added to the cast of Exandria Unlimited, a spinoff of Critical Role. O'Brien was the author of Critical Role: Der Katzenprinz & Other Zemnian Tales, with illustration by Charlie Borovsky; the in-universe fairy-tale collection was released on April 8, 2025.

Personal life O'Brien married voice actress Amy Kincaid in 2002. The couple have two children: a daughter and a son. They live in Los Angeles.

He suffers from hyperacusis, a hearing disorder that makes him unusually sensitive to everyday noises.

Filmography Anime + List of voice performances in anime Year Title Role Notes Source Boogiepop Phantom Yoji Suganuma, others Gokudo Tei His and Her Circumstances Hideki Asaba, Fukada Kohei Revolutionary Girl Utena Mamiya Chida Figure 17 Toru Wolf's Rain Soldier DNA² Junta Momonari CA K.O. Beast Bud Mint Yukikaze Various characters Texhnolyze Haruhiko Toyama .hack//Legend of the Twilight Tom Gad Guard Truck Driver R.O.D. Various characters Also as William Markham Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Paranoia Agent Mitsuhiro Maniwa, Man on Phone 2 Comic Party Taishi Kuhonbutsu Gungrave Executive A, Researcher, Sam Marmalade Boy Akira Mizutani, Alex Girls Bravo Kazuharu Fukuyama Rumiko Takahashi Anthology Ryuichi, Mover, Odagiri, Zashiki Warashi, Gorgeous CA Mermaid Forest Yuta Samurai Champloo Young Yamane, Eel Shop Owner, others Daphne in the Brilliant Blue Various characters Koi Kaze Kei Odagiri, Man, Friend A Duel Masters: Season 2 Shobu Kirifuda Tenjho Tenge Shin Natsume The Melody of Oblivion Horu, Person of the Cape Mermaid Forest Yuta, others DearS Various characters Ghost Talker's Daydream Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG Gino, others Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo Andrea Cavalcanti Saiyuki Reload Various characters Scrapped Princess Furet Leave it to Piyoko! Thin Blob OVA Boys Be... Makoto Kurumizawa Voice director and script writer Kannazuki no Miko Tsubasa CA Saiyuki Reload Gunlock Rin's Captor, Subordinate Gun Sword Ray Lundgren, Wild Bunch C Kamichu! Shika, Inu Osho, Konoha Kamaitachi, others The Prince of Tennis Nanjiro Echizen, Arai Fate/stay night Archer Ergo Proxy Vincent Law Paradise Kiss Seiji Kisaragi –07 Haré+Guu Dr. Clive 2012–22Tiger & BunnyLunatic / Yuri Petrov 2013–14Magi: The Labyrinth of MagicJamil, Markkio and Issac –15 Digimon Fusion Deckergreymon, Neptunmon, Mercurymon, others Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Gihren Zabi Sailor Moon Crystal Nephrite Sengoku Basara: End of Judgement Ieyasu Tokugawa –19 Baki Atsushi Suedou, Valentin Sokolov Netflix Ultraman Dan Moroboshi –23 Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Gaara Marvel Future Avengers Red Skull, Doctor Strange Transformers: Robots in Disguise Underbite, Kickback, others Pickle and Peanut Head Mannequin Episode: "Bats/Movie Camp Out" Amphibia Additional voices 3 episodes Carmen Sandiego Professor Gunnar Maelstrom, Vlad, Boris, ACME Agent. DC Super Hero Girls General Zod 3 episodes 2023–2024Star Wars: Young Jedi AdventuresEstala Maru, Onderrs, Galjaero Pirate3 episodes Luna DevoransIn production; funded by a Kickstarter campaign

Film + List of voice performances in direct-to-video and television films Year Title Role Crew role, notes Source Aquarian Age the Movie Lancelot Army Commander CA Patlabor: The Movie Det. Kataoka Bandai Visual dub Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Red XIII Afro Samurai: Resurrection Shichigoro The Last: Naruto the Movie Gaara, Kotetsu Hagane 2023Lego Marvel Avengers: Code RedRed Skull, Hydra GoonsDisney+ special 2025Lego Marvel Avengers; Strange TailsDoctor Strange, Red SkullDisney + special Obscure Kenny Matthews Tales of the Abyss Dist the Rose Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria Lezard Valeth Final Fantasy IV Kain Highwind 3D remake Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight Wrath, Trash Mob B Red Faction: Guerrilla Daniel Mason The Saboteur Additional voices Lost Planet 2 Final Fantasy XIII Cocoon Inhabitants Darksiders War Fallout: New Vegas Various characters Fable III Walla Voice Actors NieR Grimoire Weiss, additional voices Uncredited in Gestalt's endgame credits; also in Replicant ver.1.22474487139... Supreme Commander 2 Jaran Kael Aeon Illuminate character Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days Mercenary Mafia II Brian O'Neill Darksiders II War BioShock Infinite Additional voices Fuse Guards inFamous: Second Son Male Pedestrian #4 The Evil Within Valerio Jimenez, Male Villager, Obese Zombie Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Black Hand, Deathstroke, Dr. Fate, Etrigan The Demon, Mr. Freeze, Red Tornado, Reverse-Flash, The Question Credited under "Voice Talent" Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark Autobot Flyer, Decepticon Soldier 02 Transformers: Devastation Motormaster, Seeker #3 -17 Lego Dimensions Credited under "Voice Talent" The Witness N/A Voice director Lego Marvel's Avengers Red Skull World of Warcraft: Legion Illidan Stormrage Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Doctor Strange Sonic ForcesInfinite Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Kain Highwind Fallout 76 Knight Tex Rogers, Doctor Kessle, Ranger Simon Marvel Powers United VR Doctor Strange DOOM³: BFG EditionVoice performersRemaster 2020 Gears Tactics Richard Prescott The Last of Us Part II The Infected, Firefly on the radio, additional voices Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning Assyr 2022 Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons Archemorus Return to Monkey Island Quarantined Pirate 2023 Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure Mabon 2024Alone in the DarkHerr SternMarvel Rivals Doctor Strange DispatchLightningstruck 2026Trails in the Sky 2nd ChapterWeissman the Faceless Castlevania: Belmont's CurseIsaac Web series2015–present Critical Role Vax'ildan "Vax" Vessar (campaign 1) Cast member; creator-owned actual play web series Caleb Widogast(campaign 2) Orym of the Air Ashari (campaign 3)Halandil Fang(campaign 4)2017Sagas of Sundry: MadnessEmmett MarkhamMain role. An anthology limited series. – All Work No Play HimselfA web series where O'Brien and Sam Riegel catch up over a drink and try a new activity each episode. The show was developed from their original AWNP podcast (2012–2017). AWNP: Unplugged HimselfA spinoff web series during the COVID-19 pandemic where Riegel and O'Brien caught-up via video chat. Exandria Unlimited Orym of the Air Ashari Main role; 8 episodes. An anthology spinoff series of Critical Role. 2023–2024Candela Obscura: The Circle of Tide & BoneCosmo GrimmMain role; 3 episodes. An anthology limited series. 2024Candela Obscura: The Circle of the Crimson MirrorGame MasterMain role; 3 episodes. An anthology limited series. MoonwardWalden OrlockMain role; a spinoff limited series of Midst. 2025Exandria Unlimited: DivergenceErro MordaurumMain role; 4 episodes Age of UmbraSkreevActual play limited series using the Daggerheart system

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