The Voices of Fallout 4: Brendan Hunt [Interview]

It’s Day 3 everyone! Welcome back to The Voices of Fallout 4 showcase! We are keeping things going with another amazing interview, which actually plays itself nicely after our last interview with the man behind Vadim, the guiding force behind our favorite side quest “Confidence Man”. We had the force, now we have the subject! Yes, the man behind everyone’s favorite DJ in the Commonwealth, Mr. Travis Miles. The cat who received the much needed confidence boost from his old friend Vadim. And the man behind the voice is the great Brendan Hunt who we are fortunate enough to have on the site today.

Brendan Hunt is an amazing actor, who unsurprisingly, has had great success in the world of comedy. Hunt has had regular appearances on the hit sketch comedy show Key & Peele, as well as great roles in hilarious films like Horrible Bosses 2 and We’re The Millers. He also has an appearance on Son of Zorn, fronted by our old friend Johnny Pemberton. And he gives one hell of an interview with so much wit and charisma. He is a real force of nature, and we are stoked to have him on the site. So ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy some great words from the brilliant actor and voice over artist Brendan Hunt. Enjoy!

What made you want to get in to the world of acting? Was it an early aspiration or did it just sort of happen?

I think it comes down to seeing theatre from a young age in Chicago, and thinking how cool it would be to up there playing with all those talented people. There was a very narrow window where I saw my first-ever Second City show around the same time as I saw an incredible production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Both blew my mind, in totally different ways, and I just started gravitating towards performing.

And what keeps you going in this line of work? What motivates you to continue to perform?

I guess what keeps me going is a foolish failure to consider any other options. I just love it.

You had a great stint on one of the finest sketch comedy shows in recent years, Key & Peele. How was it working on a show like this? Is it as hilarious to work on like how it comes out on the screen?

I’ve known Jordan and Keegan for a long time, and to work with them on that brilliant show was always thrilling. Working with them is kind of like being in a surgery supporting two surgeons; they just know what they’re doing better than anyone else in the room does, and they each have tremendous capacity for both focus and precision. So it was always a joy to be there, but joyous in the sense of being part of good work, not so much that we were constantly doing bits. (There were also some bits.)

Your character Travis Miles was one of my favorites in Fallout 4, hands down.

Thanks man! Have to love the cool guy who just needs a bit of a confidence boost.

So how was your experience working on this game? What was it like to bring this character to life?

I remember being called in for the audition; like many video game projects, it was shrouded in secrecy, so I didn’t even know what I was going in for. Something in the breakdown asked for the guy to be really down on himself; for better or for worse, that’s my sweet spot, and I got the part.

It was my first voiceover job of this scale, so it was as much a learning experience as it was a fun gig. They very generously let me improvise a lot, especially in the first couple of sessions, and it was cool to see some of those moments end up in the game. Going in for so many sessions- it must have been ten or twelve- you really do start to feel like you’re inhabiting someone. I enjoyed Travis tremendously, though I must admit to enjoying Wimpy Travis more than Confident Travis.

Have you had any experience with the game itself? Have you ever stood over someone’s shoulder while they run around with your characters? Have you played it yourself?

I have been with friends who are playing it, yeah. Since it’s a new thing for me, so that was kind of a cool experience. As for playing it myself- as luck would have it, my new PS1 blew shortly before the game came out and I’ve never gotten around to replacing or repairing it. In terms of my relationship with my girlfriend, perhaps that’s for the best.

What sort of outfit comes along with doing video game voice over work? Did you put on a tattered Letterman’s jacket while you were performing?

Ha! No, I didn’t know what Travis looked like until very late in the process. So I just wore my usual outfit of taffeta bloomers, latex corset and goalie mask.

Have you ever had any aspirations to get behind the camera at all? Whether directing, acting, puppeteering, etc.?

A bit, yeah. I directed a short that’s in post-production right now, called Mornin’, which I also wrote. I wrote a play called Absolutely Filthy that did pretty well in Los Angeles, and is supposed to come to New York before too long. And I’m in the early stages of a documentary about an obscure German card game called Skat (pronounced “Skahht”). Basically just trying to stay busy with whatever I can.

What does the future hold for you? Anything coming up you would like to talk about?

I’m in an episode of Girlboss, which comes out on Netflix soon; that was a super-fun shoot. And I’m in an upcoming indie movie called A Happening of Monumental Proportions for a couple minutes, which are spent yelling at Common, who could not have been a nicer guy.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

I just got back from grocery shopping. When I left, our cat was curled up in her bed by the window. When I returned, she was still in the exact same position, the lazy slut. This pleased me.

Check out Brendan as Travis Miles in this YouTube video courtesy of Fallout 4 – All Dialogue: