The Story of Briana White: Conquering Fear as the New Voice of Aerith in Final Fantasy VII Remake
Briana White talks about coping with fears and insecurities as a new voice actress helming such an iconic role and the incredible people in the world of Final Fantasy VII Remake who helped her overcome them.
What would Aerith do?
It’s less of a question for Briana White than it is a timely reminder.
“I am inspired by her as a character to keep going when I’m so tired or just so discouraged,” Briana says about overcoming the challenges of taking on the role of Aerith Gainsborough in Final Fantasy VII Remake.
A new voice actress among a cast of industry veterans. An iconic character in a legendary game. The weight of decades of fan nostalgia. It’s a collection of debilitating expectations — perfect for brewing fears of inadequacy. Briana was not immune to this. She felt it and still does.
“My biggest fear is that everyone changes their mind about me when the game comes out,” she admits. “That the trailers were just tidbits of all the best moments of my voice acting…Then, the game will come out and they’ll say, ‘Oh, she had five good lines and they were all in the trailer. Everything else she does sucks.’ That’s my biggest fear.”
Mustering the grit to overcome her insecurity and move forward felt like an everyday endeavor. Emotional reprieves when her anxiety levels were at their highest weren’t uncommon. They were necessary escapes for a new voice actress who often felt like a tiny fish in a very, very big, complicated pond. She would sit in her parked car, look in the rearview mirror and reflect out loud, reminding herself of what’s at stake with a little tough love.
“There were days that were so hard for me and I was so nervous. I thought, ‘God, they got the wrong girl for this.’ I would have to center myself, take a few deep breaths, look myself in the mirror, and just say, ‘Maybe they did, but this is the reality that you’re living in, and this is the Aerith that people are going to get. So, you better go in and kick ass because Aerith is bigger than you, and people are counting on this to be good, so get over it. This is all much more important than your insecurity.’
“Conquering that was the most challenging part of the process for me. And I really mean that by saying conquering that was the hardest part because when you’re in the booth, you can’t let that affect your performance. If you feel it as an actor, it’s going to come out in the voice.”
Aside from her career and self-pride, she needed to pull herself together for those counting on it. From the game’s creators to the fans to Aerith herself, so many relied on her being at her best. Thankfully, she’d find help along the way, making her journey feel less intimidating and lonely. Support and guidance came from a lot of different places — some unexpected and some intimately close.
It starts with the passionate people behind the microphone. The patient ones who didn’t judge her inexperience and only looked to guide.
“There’s a whole team of people there, including the director, to make sure that you do a great job,” Briana says about the help she received in the recording booth. “I went in on the very first day and I said, ‘Hey, I have never done this before. I really, really rely on your direction and assistance in this.’ And luckily, they were all extremely experienced and competent.”
Outside of her recording sessions, a new friend she wouldn’t have made without Final Fantasy VII Remake also became a much-needed source of encouragement. Sure, the character he portrays may come across as gruff and coarse, but John Bentley, the voice of Barret Wallace in Final Fantasy VII Remake, discharges positivity like a casting Ramuh.
After meeting each other again at KupoCon Vancouver, he gave Briana the right dose of wisdom at the right time. It was advice she could trust from an experienced pro who’s been in this position many times before. Advice that would help her traverse the painstaking process of bringing Aerith to life.
Briana recalls that important conversation and the massive impact it had on her confidence. “He told me, ‘They cast you for a reason. You’re the talent. You’re the actor. They call you the talent for a reason and you need to bring your vision to life. Because at the end of the day, there are a hundred million people that could’ve been in that booth, that wanted to be in that booth, but they aren’t — you are. There’s a reason for that. So, trust in that.’”
She credits John’s words for helping her quell the self-doubt repressing her creative voice. He inspired her to take control when she had to and to begin contributing meaningfully to Aerith’s growth.
“That advice blew my mind because I did go in as a total rookie, and I felt like a total rookie every moment of every day. Voice acting is so hard. It is so specific. And especially on a project like this, when they have so much love and passion for the project, and they want to get it so right, and there’s a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in, I definitely felt overwhelmed every second.
“I had told the director to just let me be a puppet, but that was not the right approach. As time went on, I was able to speak my mind a little bit more and say, ‘Hey, my instincts say let’s just try it this way.’”
The support she received didn’t end there. Just as John Bentley arrived unexpectedly to help her overcome crippling cases of impostor syndrome, the Final Fantasy community surprised Briana in the best of ways to help her feel comfortable in her own skin.
As a content creator, she’s no stranger to the world of comment trolls and online toxicity. As an unknown voice actress taking on a high-profile character in a game of this magnitude, she expected a loud, crushing swell of disproval.
“I was really prepared for a lot of hate when I first booked it. From the very first trailer that dropped to the second trailer to the press conference when our names were announced to the announcement tweet video that I made, I was preparing for a wave of negativity. And I still am.” Briana’s tone changes and is now beaming with awe. “I have got nothing more than a flutter of a breeze of negativity. I’m amazed…I’m not only so lucky to be a part of this project as this character, but people have been so nice about it. People have been so welcoming to me.”
Wonderful fan support has been no different in person. Whether appearing at KupoCon or PAX East, the community has embraced her with open arms and accepted her as one of their own. For every ounce of admiration she gets for Final Fantasy VII Remake or her gaming content as TheStrangeRebel, she tries her best to return it many times over.
“When people have come up to me and say, ‘Oh my gosh, Strange Rebel! I’m so excited to meet you! I watch your videos!’…I want to know everything about them. I just think it’s so cool that they will spend their time with me. And that my content can make them happy in some way. And so, I, in that moment, become their biggest fan.”
Still, she’s careful to not let the spotlight get too close. Even with throngs of people waiting in line for hours to meet the Final Fantasy VII Remake voice cast, she projects all reverence and excited energy elsewhere. As astounding as it is for Briana to see so many eager fans, she can’t be convinced that their attention is hers. While she plays an important role in this grand production, she sees herself as just like everyone else. She’s there to be thrilled and to celebrate all things Final Fantasy VII Remake — no more and no less.
She makes this clear while ruminating about the exuberant convention crowds she’s had the pleasure of meeting. “The fanaticism is not for me. The passion is not for me. I just serve it. I serve the character. It’s very exciting because they’re there to be excited about the content, but that’s also why I’m there…When I go to conventions like KupoCon, I want to meet people because I want to fan out about the project just as much as they do.”
That’s all she wants. To keep fanning out for as long as she can. This game, this world — she’s now deeply ingrained in both. And as for her and Aerith, that’s a bond that can’t be broken.
“In my excitement for this project, I went out and got a tattoo of Aerith’s flower — a lily. I actually think of that as she’s a part of me now.”
While Briana has found support and guidance from recording professionals, fellow cast members and welcoming fans, none are closer to her heart than the sassy-but-joyful flower seller from Midgar. While her tattoo is an important symbol of their bond, that connection isn’t just skin deep. In Aerith, Briana has found inspiration to always see light at the end of the tunnel.
“I think that one of Aerith’s core characteristics is that she has hope and has hope in her fellow people that she shares the earth with. She has a trust that everything’s going to be okay if you just keep going. And I really share that personality trait…That’s one way that, despite recording for this project being so challenging, Aerith inspired me.”
At her lowest of lows, everything always comes back to that first question: What would Aerith do? The answer always being exactly what she needs to hear.
“I can sort of imagine if you tried to argue with her,” Briana says as she visualizes complaining to Aerith about her fears and insecurities. “Aerith would almost get a little mad and say ‘C’mon now…What do you think you’re doing? You’re a bright star in this universe, so stop talking nonsense and just do your best.’”
Having Aerith by her side will be more important now than it’s ever been because, according to Briana, the game being out is far from the end to this crazy and emotional Chocobo ride. Everything she’s done from the research to recording to surviving months of exhaustion and emotional turmoil has only prepared her for what’s next. As a content creator, she sees lots of content ahead. And as a new voice actress eager for the next big thing in her career, she’s ready for anything.
“The game coming out doesn’t feel like an ending of the process for me. It feels like a new beginning,” she says. “I think everything up until this point has just been a warmup for all of the content that’s about to get dumped on people and the passion for the game…I’m going to definitely want to, for love of the series, for love of the game, for love of the character, engage with every single moment that I can… So, I don’t see an end to this journey.”
Just as Aerith does, Briana keeps moving forward. And, just as Aerith, a team of good, compassionate people helped her do so. Thanks to them, there’s nothing that can stop her.
Well, that’s mostly true.
“All I have to do is not get fired,” she lets slip with a laugh.
You can follow Briana White on Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out her gaming content as TheStrangeRebel on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. And don’t miss her playthrough of Final Fantasy VII Remake being streamed live on Twitch.
