Richard Charles Lintern remembers vividly his first encounter with the enigmatic game director, Hidetaka Miyazaki. Despite never having heard of Miyazaki until the day he recorded his role for Elden Ring, the director left an indelible mark on him.
“I walked into the recording studio, and there were at least 12 or 15 people in the room,” Lintern recalls. “Mr. Miyazaki was there. We shook hands, but he didn’t communicate with me in English. Instead, Adam Chapman, the voice director from Fire Poets, took the lead. Adam was crucial in making me feel comfortable in such an intimidating environment. It was clear that Miyazaki was a revered figure, even though I didn’t know his status or the significance of the game at the time.”
Lintern was there to bring life to Igon, a character introduced in the Elden Ring DLC, “Shadow of the Erdtree.” Igon’s impassioned monologue during the fight against Bayle the Dragon has since become a fan favorite.
“CURSE YOU, BAYLE!” the monologue begins. “I hereby vow! You will rue this day! Behold, a true drake warrior! And I, Igon! Your fears made flesh! Solid of scale you might be, foul dragon, but I will riddle with holes your rotten hide! With a hail of harpoons! With every last drop of my being!”
Though the Elden Ring community has turned this scene into countless memes, Lintern was largely unaware of the fans’ adoration until our recent conversation. He had never seen the final cut of his monologue, didn’t know what Igon looked like, and had no clue about Igon’s vendetta against Bayle. His experience performing in Shadow of the Erdtree remains one of the most intense and unique roles of his career.
From Stage to Sound Booth
Richard Charles Lintern boasts a robust resume across film, TV, and theatre, with notable work at the English National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and as Thomas Chamberlain in the BBC series Silent Witness. Despite his extensive experience, Elden Ring marked his first foray into video game voice acting.
“I had never considered voice work in the gaming world,” Lintern admits. “Once that door opened, it was a revelation. The global reach and the emotional connection that video games have with people are astonishing. I’ve realized the immense impact these stories have worldwide, which is fascinating.”
Although not a stranger to video games—having played various titles with his three sons—Lintern hadn’t delved into games where players immerse themselves in fantasy universes until Elden Ring. He was perplexed as to why he was chosen, feeling that his sample clips were a far cry from the work he did as Igon.
“Even though I’m an actor expected to adapt to characters, this adaptation felt monumental,” he says. “From zero to 5,000. Igon was a long way from my usual roles—either dead, dying, or recovering.”
When Lintern received his lines, they were largely incomprehensible. He knew his character was in pain and furious with Bayle, but little else.
“With voice work, characterization is often done on the day in the studio,” he explains. “There’s not much you can do beforehand except show up sober and in good health. And then you get on with it.”
The Epic Recording Session
Lintern anticipated a short recording session, given Igon’s limited lines. Instead, he spent five to six hours in the booth, with a follow-up session a week later. The experience was grueling.
“I would perform a line, followed by extensive discussions between Miyazaki and others,” he recalls. “Adam would relay their directions to me. The process was exhausting—vocally, physically, and emotionally.”
Every note Lintern received urged him to amplify his performance. “Do you have more? Can you explode?” were common refrains.
“I remember thinking, ‘I’ve never been this exhausted after a session,’” he says. “The attention to detail was unparalleled, comparable to Shakespearean roles I’ve played. It was taken extremely seriously.”
Discovering Igon
During our interview, Lintern asked for details about his character. I explained Igon’s intense agony and his vendetta against Bayle, a massive dragon despised even by other dragons. Igon’s monologue channels Captain Ahab’s obsession with Moby Dick, brimming with “From hell’s heart I stab at thee” energy.
Lintern appreciated the comparison. “A quest of the soul, of morality, strength, pain, terror, and doom,” he muses. “An enemy so immense that bravery must prevail.”
I showed him images of Igon and Bayle, and shared some of the community’s memes. One favorite read: “Man literally too angry to die.”
Lintern chuckled. “That’s genius.”
Despite not actively searching for his name online, Lintern knows his role was well-received through his agent and his son’s feedback. He’s open to more video game roles, even if they’re as intense as Igon’s.
“I remember thinking, ‘That was quite an intense experience,’” Lintern concludes. “Mr. Miyazaki was mysterious, but the experience was enjoyable and creative. I didn’t fully understand what I was doing, but I had fun doing it.”
