Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is finally here and it’s unlike many of the other games in the series. Not only is it leveraging the power of the PlayStation 5 in many unique ways, but it’s also introducing pivotal new characters that may be here to stay. The most noteworthy new addition via Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is Rivet, a female lombax that ends up with Clank after he gets split apart from Ratchet.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is already being praised for its fun gameplay, but also because Rivet is a standout character who makes a name for herself in the long-running franchise. Whether or not she returns remains to be seen, but many fans and even Rivet herself, played by Jennifer Hale, is calling for a sequel starring the new hero.
To celebrate the launch of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Screen Rant sat down with two of the game’s stars, Jennifer Hale (Rivet) and Courtenay Taylor (Ms. Zurkon), for an in-depth chat about the production of the game, the voice acting industry, and the amount of love they both have for the game and their characters. The interview is free of all spoilers and is more of a general discussion, so there’s no need to fear about having any moments in the game ruined.
This game was announced right after we all went into lockdown, but I imagine you guys were pretty knee deep into development. Did you do any work during the pandemic, and what was shifting into that like?
Jennifer Hale: I did. I started working on this game well before the pandemic, and then when the pandemic hit, I was in a different country, actually – but close by. I just scrambled to build a studio that was broadcast quality, and I had a lot of support and help on that.
From there, we had a few technical challenges. I started with my favorite mic here, and it wasn’t a match for what we had. So, they actually sent me the little mic that we record with, that sits on our head like this. It was just the hill that everybody’s had to climb, right? Learning and managing technology, and balancing what everybody needs. It was different setup.
But there was so much to contend with on so many levels, not just recording. The thing about this experience that stands out for me is just joy. There was always so much joy, and everybody was always in a great headspace. It was extraordinary.
Courtenay Taylor: I started right – literally, I think my first session was a week after the pandemic lockdown exactly. I think I might have squeaked in there and done one [session]. I don’t think the studios were closed down; I think it was right in mid-March.
I think I did one, and then it was recording from home. And I’m not super technically inclined, so that was huge. Luckily – and I know some people were far worse off – I had a booth, and I had some cursory knowledge. And luckily, my boyfriend’s a musician, so he does know a lot about engineering and editing and stuff like that. But there were some very sweaty mornings stuck in my booth, begging him to just sit there for four hours to make sure nothing went wrong. He’s a very patient and kind man, because he had to hear me talking a lot.
Were there any plans for performance capture? Because I was playing the game, and I was like, “These are tiny little critters, and they’re very animated.” Do they capture your motion with that?
Courtenay Taylor: I didn’t do anything like that. The only thing I had was the little drop mic that makes you look like you have a little finger sticking out of your forehead, and a baseball cap. Had Ms. Zurkon been available as a mocap gig, I would have loved to done that.
Jennifer Hale: No, no performance capture. I think I can safely speak for both of us when I say we both love p-cap. It’s so much fun. But that was not a part of this particular game.
You guys have been in a lot of different stuff, but a lot of it is more adult-oriented while Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is obviously for all ages. Is it nice to have a game that is a bit more family-friendly, where you can show everyone and not have to be worried about certain parts?
Jennifer Hale: I don’t go back and look at my work very often, and I don’t talk about my work very often in the rest of my life. But this game, I kept saying to my kid – I think he was nine when I started, or just toward the end of nine, and now he’s just turned 11. And I kept saying, “Oh my God. There’s this thing, and I can’t tell you what it is. But it’s finally something that you can play, and it’s so cool.”
And then I saw the visuals, and I was like, “Oh my God!” He’s like, “Mooooom.”
Courtenay Taylor: I definitely have a hefty amount of adult content – that sounds bad. Mature content – that also sounds bad – to my name, and I’m always thrilled. It seems like something has shifted for me in the last couple of years, which just has made me really happy, that I’m getting [all-ages work]. Either it’s a shift in me, or maybe from working on OK K.O.! and things on Cartoon Network, that I’m starting to be part of this type of material – and I absolutely love it.
I think before, I had nephews that were young, and they were always like, “When are you going to do an E for everyone game?” And then I did Skylanders, but they were too old at that point. And they’re like, “We don’t care. We like Call of Duty!” And I was like, “Okay, now I’m doing this!” And they’re like, “Yeah, we don’t really play video games anymore.” I’m like, “Okay, forget it. I can’t impress you guys.”
But this, I do feel especially – not that the other stuff doesn’t have joy in it, because it certainly does. It just allows me to access a different part of my heart, and it’s really refreshing. I was saying – I think I actually put it on Twitter – Ms. Zurkon has been waiting to get out of me for a really long time. I spent a lot of time in the South when I was younger, so I’m just thrilled to be playing an adult character that blends in; that is kid-friendly but that adults seem to be getting a kick out of too.
There’s been a lot of comparisons to Pixar movies, and I think they appeal to everyone because they have that heart and purity; they can appeal to everyone’s maturity and emotional levels. And I think that’s something this game does on a narrative level, too, which is a crucial distinction between a kids’ game and a game for everyone to enjoy.
Courtenay Taylor: Yeah, when you hook into that emotion – and I feel like, as Jen was saying, joy is this overwhelming descriptor of this game – that man, we need it. We have had a bumpy ride the last handful of years, and also just the last year. I think just media-wise, shows like Ted Lasso doing so well is because we need that.
We have been through – and we’re still not out of it. But we have been through an extraordinary time, and I’m so glad that people are reaching for joy.
What was it like for you, Courtenay, playing a character that had previously been played by someone else? Did you find a way to make it your own, or did you try to stay with what they had created before?
Courtenay Taylor: It’s funny, I never even looked up the artist formerly known as Mrs. Zircon. They gave me the lowdown on it, but I just never [did]. I think from the moment I got the audition, I was so into it. It’s rare that I will put out three takes for an audition; I usually do one or two, if I have a really strong take. And I was just like, “How about this? How about that?”
It didn’t really factor in for me to even be concerned about that. I just loved her and was ready to have her be mine in this dimension.
Jennifer Hale: And she’s delicious!
Jennifer, Insomniac Games tweeted about the audition process for Rivet. I was just wondering what that was like from your end.
Jennifer Hale: It was like so many other auditions that come across my computer. There are some, though, where the writing just jumps out at you and grabs you by the heart and goes, “Come on!” Then this was 100,000,000,000% one of those. I hope – mostly, 99% – I learnt a while back not to sit with, “Okay, what am I supposed to do with this?” I sit with, “Okay, what’s my heart’s version of this?” Sometimes I have to wiggle my way into it. And this one, it just went, “Let’s go!” And I was like, “Okay!”
And I just only recently found out that when they listen to auditions, they do a blind audition where they have no idea who anyone is. They just listen and go, “Okay, these are my favorites. I don’t know who they are, but they’re my favorites.” And also, I have to say it’s ultra cool. When I started, I was really fortunate, and I kept booking animated series and leads. I knew, though; I know how the business goes, and I knew there’d be a little bit of a cooling off while the next person had their turn, and the next person had their turn.
And so I quite deliberately turned myself into a utility player, so they could bring me in and I can give you five different, six different, and in one case 15 different voices in a session if you need them. With the success of previous games recently, I got into kind of a familiar zone for everybody. It was a lot of this kind of thing, [serious and solemn]. It was this piece of me and my soul, and I love it so much. And I also have a billion other aspects, so to be able to show up and be this piece of me, [bright and happy], that feels like this and still lives like this and is alive and well in here… For that to land and to work is just – there aren’t even words for how incredible it feels.
You’re in so many games and TV shows I grew up with. I am a huge fan of the 90s Spider-Man TV series; it’s one of my favorites. I was like, “Oh my gosh, she played Black Cat!” You’re so good.
Courtenay Taylor: I think it’s important too – just to underscore here – that sometimes the on-camera sensibility pokes its head into our voice acting realm. And it’s happening more and more, where it really is that idea that you have to play something that’s pretty close to you. And we who have come up in the voice acting community are like, “No! I’ve got a million things I can show you, and it has nothing to do with my outsides. This is all about my heart and my brain and my spirit.”
And so I love that this game really allows the actors to access different parts of themselves and be stuff that they are [not] on the surface. David Kaye and James Arnold Taylor…
Jennifer Hale: Armin Shimerman, Robin Atkin Downes. All of them.
Courtenay Taylor: I feel like Richard Horvitz might just be Zurkon Jr.. But to let people really play – that’s the great thing about voice acting. It really doesn’t have to do with your outsides; it is merit-based. The idea of doing blind auditions? God, please let that become the standard. Because it is the magic of what we do. It is the polar opposite of so much of the on-camera world. And I just firmly support all of this.
Jennifer Hale: Courtenay touched on something so critical there. She and I are part of a group called What The Vox, and one of the big pieces of our purpose is this collective of a few women who are here to raise the profile and wave the flag of the amazingness of the voice acting community, and to lift each other up and to lift our fellow voice actors up.
I have to say, people sometimes ask, “Do you act as well?” I usually pause and usually educate them briefly to say, “Oh, this group of people in the voice acting world are some of the best actors on the planet.” Literally, it’s the most extraordinary group of talent have ever seen.
Courtenay Taylor: And there really is no, [reward]. You don’t get recognized in the Super League. There’s no ego involved in it, because people don’t see our faces. It really is about the love of the craft and about having so much fun. And there’s not a lot of enticement; we don’t make the same amount of money that on-camera actors do. We don’t get a lot of the same perks and stuff.
And I’m certainly not complaining, because this is my number one job of anything that I would ever do. But just to kind of underscore the idea that this is 1000% for the love of what we’re doing. And I think that’s maybe something to comment on a little bit – I wish that people got a little bit more freedom to explore on-camera.
Jennifer Hale: Anytime somebody makes a movie or a project out of one of our VO properties, I just shake my head and I say, “You’re missing out.” You got a pool of talent there with an established fan base who knows these characters inside and out, and there’s some of the most extraordinary, easy to work with, delightful people on the planet. And it’s one of the exciting untapped resources, if you ask me.
Don’t tell anyone. It’s our secret, apparently.
You always hear about chameleons in the movies and how you just can’t recognize them, but I still see their faces when they’re onscreen. But chameleons with voices are completely different. I don’t know who’s who until I read the credits, and I think that’s what true magic is. That’s a real character being developed right there.
Jennifer Hale: It’s extraordinary. I saw an example of that recently. I had not watched Downton Abbey, because I don’t have a lot of TV time – I have watched it now; I went back. It was after I watched the film, and I’m a turd because I don’t remember the actor’s name. He’s extraordinary, the actor who plays Higgins in Ted Lasso, [Jeremy Swift]. He is also in Downton Abbey. , and not only is any both properties, but he completely transformed his voice as well. And I was like, “Oh, look at you, superior skill set!”
Shoutout to Jeremy Swift, and the entire cast of Ted Lasso. Oh, yeah, they’re all great. Dani Rojas is my spirit animal. I have a special place in my heart for grumpy Roy Kent; I really love him so much. And God, the relationship between those two women… It’s extraordinary. Anyway, don’t get us started.
That can lead me into an interesting question. Are there any particular things or any iconic franchises you would like to see yourselves in, besides maybe Ted Lasso?
Jennifer Hale: Battlestar Galactica, if they ever do it again. One of my favorite things to do is to kick down doors – literal and metaphorical. A literal door every now and then, too. If you know me well enough, you’ve seen it.
I would like to see a few things, and Courtenay touched on it a minute ago. I’m excited for the time that is coming when voice actors begin to get the commercial rewards that on-camera actors get as well. One of my first games I ever did, I think I earned $1200. I was one of the female leads, and the game made $276 million. If it was an on-camera role, that would have significantly changed my subsequent projects – very much so.
For me, I have plenty. I’m just excited to see that kind of equity enter the conversation. And equality is different from equity, but that level of equity, I’m excited to see our opportunities expand as people recognize what we have to offer. I’m seeing exciting things happen with people like Erika Ishii and Anjali Bhimani and Carolina Ravassa. Court, you’re on the on-camera side, and I’ve ventured in there as well. I’m just excited for people to recognize the beautiful gift that the voice acting community gives to pop culture.
Yeah, that’s an interesting thing. When I was preparing for this interview, there was an animated movie coming out, and an actress got cast in the role of a very iconic character. She’s not a voice actress, and you could distinctly tell the difference. It was very obvious, and everyone was calling it out. There are so many great voice actresses that could inhabit this character – and no offense to this actress, she’s just doing her job – but why aren’t the people in charge casting these roles as they should?
Jennifer Hale: You’ve touched on one of my favorite things, actually, which is the power of the people. Courtenay and JP Karliak are intensely involved in one aspect of the power of the people, with Nerds Vote. I’ve just started my own Patreon called The Haven to empower people.
And the answer to that is: when we as people rise up and make it so. The current corporate structure, whether it’s decision-making about the casting of your favorite projects, whether it’s how people are paid, whatever the subject is – it works for them. They’re all getting tremendous bonuses; they’re living a life that’s the way they’ve designed it. They’re not incentivized to change it. We are. And it doesn’t have to be rude; it doesn’t have to be pissy. It can be very clear, and very determined, and very direct.
And I think when people recognize that you have power… I always use this kind of terrible analogy – and it’s different continents, please don’t science me here, because it’s a horrible idea – but a piranha can’t take down an elephant. It never should, anyway. But you get a school of them together? It’s five minutes. We are the piranhas, and we just have to appoint ourselves to specific tasks. And it doesn’t have to be overwhelming in your day-to-day life. You simply vote with your dollars, you send those emails, you make those requests. You have the power.
They’ve infantilized us for years; they’ve turned us in a little babies, going,” Well, if you think so, can we…?” No, you step up and go, “I would like that, please.”
Courtenay Taylor: Also, as consumers, we have to realize that – consumers and fans, and we try and put this in nerdsvote.com, which is my and JP Karliak’s, voter registration website. It’s a little bit all the tim: just show up and vote in every election.
But also – and this applies to everything – with social media, you have a direct line to the people who make decisions. Not only can you use it for talking to actors, and picking the brains of people who do what you want to do. People will say, “How come you’re not in this?” or “How come you’re not in that.” And I’m like, “I am the last person that can ask to be in something.” You guys, if you like a performance, or you like a product, or you like an actor – you have the power and you have the means, because social media allows you to chime in.
We all know how people misuse social media, but I think it’s a great way to contact the people that represent you in Congress. It’s also a great way to tell people that you love what they’re doing. If a game or a book or a movie touches you, you can reach out to those people. I’m of the age where, when I decided to be an actor, Twitter did not exist and stuff. And I remember wanting to reach out to actors who had really made an [impact on me].
I saw Rufus Sewell in a play in the West End, and I was so entranced. He did a Tom Stoppard play called Arcadia, and I was so entranced with his performance that I wanted to write him a fan letter. One of my friends was like, “That’s lame. Don’t do it.” So I didn’t do it. But it came up this morning in my morning session. One of my directors is friends with him, and I said, “He’s one of the reasons that I’m here, because I saw his performance and it stayed with me.” You can actually reach out and tell somebody that, it’s amazing. You can change somebody’s life, and you can change your own life. You can change what kind of media you see, and you can change the laws and the people who make decisions on Capitol Hill. You just need to make it part of your daily routine to speak your truth.
Jennifer Hale: It’s so true. There’s a project that I’ve done for 20 years, on and off. It’s part of a larger project, that’s all I can say. It’s a set of characters who people have begged for years to get their own show. I’ve only found out recently that they are considering making a show for these characters. But whoever the creator is putting this project together won’t allow me and the other two women who originated these roles – they won’t allow us to audition. They want to redo it with their stamp.
And I can’t even say what it is, but it’s something really near and dear to my heart and within a really happy, committed fan base. That’s a case where it’s completely up to the fans to say something and stop this, if somebody can figure out what’s going on. I’m not allowed; because of NDAs, I’m not even allowed to speak up on my own behalf without alienating an entire giant organization. So you guys are actually very, very important.
Courtenay Taylor: You’re an extremely integral part of the process. And also, just to circle back to your question. I am a huge fan of punk rock, and so I want to punk rockify every princess role ever. If I was going to do a franchise, I would want to actually do my own franchise and have it be reflective of who I was as a kid: with a big heart, but also a tough exterior.
I see more and more things coming up that are more inclusive, and I’m thrilled because it’s Pride Month. I’m an ally, and I want to promote people being able to see themselves on screen, in the games and in books. I think we’re heading that direction, but it can always be faster and better. I really just want to see an array of women and girls, and my dream is just to be this punk rock Disney Princess who skateboards and listens to loud music and rescues animals and is a loyal friend. But isn’t afraid to sock somebody if they’re being awful.
How did your experience with Insomniac compare to working with other developers? They need more recognition, like Naughty Dog and Rockstar. Insomniac is producing constantly awesome games, and so quickly and efficiently.
Courtenay Taylor: Overwhelmingly, I think that on the properties that I’ve worked on for Insomniac, the amount of collaboration and the invitation for actors to put their own stamp on things – to keep in funny asides or input of, “If it’s an accent, it might be this,” or jokes that you make, and they’re like, “Oh, I love that. Let’s just keep that in there.” The flexibility, the creativity, and the love across the board.
I did a project called Strangelets just prior to this, and it’s just so much behind. I was directed by Patrick Michalak, and I think he is a prime example of someone who will direct you [with] what’s in front of you. And also the team that was on the line when we were doing this, but what’s in front of them is what they’re into seeing and directing. Not bringing something in and being like, “No, no, no. It has to be like this.” They’re like, “Hey, this actually is a match and wood together, and it’s going to make this fire. We just don’t know what it’s gonna look like, but it’s gonna be great.”
Jennifer Hale: This was one of my favorite experiences I’ve ever had. Just the vibe of the whole thing was extraordinary. Patrick was part of the team I worked with; Kris Zimmerman Salter was our director. And she’s responsible for, in my opinion, so much of the tone of modern pop culture – because she’s been the voice director for some seriously iconic games. She’s a goddess, and I adore her. She’s intimidating and brilliant and wonderful and generous.
And the team. I mean, just everybody on the Insomniac team is just – I can’t even express how amazing it was to work with them, and just what a great time I had. Every session was a delightful time, no matter what technical or question or procedural issues were in our path. It was just always a really incredibly enjoyable experience.
I’ve heard consistently from Insomniac actors that it is like that.
Jennifer Hale: And I’ve heard from the team as well that they didn’t crunch; they didn’t kill their people. They did this humanely the whole time. I’m sure they were crunch minutes, but they deliberately did not kill their people.
Courtenay Taylor: It’s just so good, because they live another day to make more games. That’s the beauty of it.
Do you want to see Rivet come back, and do maybe even a sequel? A standalone Rivet game?
Jennifer Hale: What do you think about that? [Rivet voice] “Yes, please! All day long. Any universe, all the time!”
Have you played it with your son yet?
Jennifer Hale: Not yet. I can’t find a PS5.
Courtenay Taylor: Nobody can.
Jennifer Hale: Actually, my nephew got one. So I just have to get a copy of the game and take it over there, and we are all in. He’s never played a game that I’ve done, and he didn’t even know what I did till he was seven. I never talked about it. I talked about things I did on the side that were interesting and whatever. But he literally found out at dinner one night. I’m sure he had an idea, but I was expressly telling him what it was.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is out now exclusively on PlayStation 5.
