Otaku Dome recently had the opportunity to chat with actress Danielle Bisutti best known for roles on True Jackson VP, Insidious Chapter Two, and now Sony’s God of War reboot as Norse Goddess Freya:
1. When you signed on for God of War, it became the very first video game project you were attached to as well as your first voice role. How does voice acting compare to live-action, how different are the two? How similar are they?
We shot 90% of Freya’s scenes in full on Performance Capture – voice, body and soul on the Santa Monica Sony Studios sound stages. (alliteration much?!) With our creative director Cory Barlog’s ingenious vision of capturing all of the scenes in ONE-SHOT with a no-cut camera operated by our amazing D.P. Dori Arazi, it felt like performing theatre-in-the-round. The only real adjustment was wearing the Mo-Cap helmet with a camera fastened on the end of it. Once I got over the fact that this miniature camera was staring at me directly in my face, I was able to truly lose myself in the intimacy and embodiment of these well-crafted scenes. It’s my understanding that presently several video game scenes are being shot like a feature film using green screen – except the sound stages at Santa Monica Studios are completely white – like Mike TeeVee’s room in Willy Wonka. I kept waiting for the Oompa Loompas to come out. Those little F****** always terrified me.
I adore voice acting as well! There’s something so magically captivating about being in the dark sound booth with just your voice and imagination breathing life into the character. I do some very special top secret V.O. work for Disney Animation. I’ve been working with Disney for the past 5 years as well, about the same amount of time I’ve been with Sony for PS4 God of War. My mother Diana is a beautiful singer and she used to do all the voices from the Disney films I watched as a young girl, so I think somehow her talent was sprinkled onto me because I have this uncanny ability to mimic voices like a Mockingbird.
2. How did Sony approach you for the role in one of their biggest IP?
The role of Freya came to me in an audition through my managers at the time (to whom I am forever grateful). The only intel given was that it was an “Interactive Motion Capture” project for Sony called “Internal 8”. Sounds interesting, right? I resonated with the material DEEPLY upon reading this emotionally complex and beautifully constructed monologue where Freya laments the sacrifices she made for her people, The Vanir Gods, by marrying Odin of the Aesir Gods to bring about peace amongst the realms, only to have her duplicitous husband ban her a prisoner of Midgard, take away her Valkyrie wings, convince their son Baldur to stay with him and finally being rejected by her people for what they perceived to be a betrayal of all they stood for. It felt much like Jon Snow going up against his Night’s Watch to convince them that befriending The Wildlings was the only way to ensure their safety against a greater danger. And we all know how that turned out. In preparation for the audition, I kept thinking “What would Khaleesi do?” And ” How would Daenerys Targaryen or Lady Stark deliver this speech to her people?” If I’m being honest I thought this was my Game of Thrones moment! So I grounded DEEP into the center of the earth, pulling up the strength of heart required to expose my vulnerability but firmly rooted in my conviction that I did what I believed to be the best thing for the good of all.
Were you surprised?
I was indeed surprised when I showed up at the table read at Santa Monica Sony Studios where mounted on the wall was this mammoth-sized painting of Kratos. I was like, “Oh hey, I’ve heard of that video game… God of War. I’m guessing Sony produces that game?” And Cory was like, “Um yeah. And you’re about to be in that game.” Cut to my face: “WHAT?!?! ”
3. How did you prepare for your portrayal of Freya?
Well as I mentioned, for the audition I channeled my best Khaleesi and Lady Stark. Then once I understood the vast and complex world of Norse Mythology I was about to submerge myself into, I quickly began my research cross-referencing many online sources including The Poetic Edda. The Mythology of the Norse Pantheon is as DENSE and non-linear as they come. Freya is also called Frigg in some stories and in others, they are two separate wives of Odin. Upon my research, I felt so honored to be chosen to portray Freya, The Goddess of Beauty, Love, Fertility, Sex, Gold, Seidr Magic, War and Death, former Queen of the Valkyries and Leader of the Vanir Gods. I be like “Damn, that Queen’s been busy!” Good Lord, I thought how can I possibly embody all of these qualities?! Then as I meditated on her, I realized that my entire 41 years on this planet has led me to this moment, to bring this role to life, and all I need do is trust that I possess all I need to bring truth to every moment inside her world. Always best to start with what you’ve got.
4. Can you describe how Freya relates to you as a person?
I relate to Freya’s propensity to give far too much of herself for those she loves. To be a healer, an empath, a lover, a warrior is a blessing and a curse. It can be received gratefully and wholeheartedly, but by the same hand taken advantage of and rejected with what feels like a betrayal. I have had to learn the hard way (and am still learning) how to balance my desire to flood someone with love and support stemming from the honest truth of what I have to give. It really comes down to living a more authentic life. Overcompensating anything is most likely not rooted from a healthy place, right? So when I over give, overwork, over think, overplay and so on it’s good time to ask myself: “How am I abandoning myself right now? What am I looking for? What am I running from? How can I fill this empty space myself opposed to looking for the approval from others?
At least these are some questions that have been helping me. And if they don’t help there’s always wine. I am not a mother YET, but I am an Aunty of 10 and Godmother of 2 and I would do anything for those kids. If we are not setting an example and pouring our love into the future generation then what are we spending our time doing? For me, family and friends are EVERYTHING. Healing the negative false stigma attached to “putting myself first” as being “selfish” has been a journey but I find myself adapting much more quickly and in earnest the older I become. And it’s a really good thing.
5. As players of God of War saw playing the game, Freya will be a big part of future sequels. Knowing your now regular involvement with God of War has this enticed you into doing more voice roles?
I would be thrilled to do more Motion Capture and Voice Roles for any other projects with a narrative as personal, intimate and groundbreaking as Cory Barlog, Matt Sophos, and Richard Gaubert created for God of War PS4. Cory took a major risk in reimagining the franchise, a franchise he had a guiding hand in for many years, and he had to battle a lot of adversity in order to shape-shift people’s one-dimensional experience of Kratos from the previous games. By giving Kratos a son, his entire world completely imploded in such a way that he now has to start questioning his choices, take responsibility for his past actions and search inside of himself for a better way to live for the sake of his son. I mean this kind of introspective transformative narrative is revolutionary in the world of video games especially in one where for several generations the main character was depicted as a one-dimensional, unrelenting God of War with only vengeance, violence and selfish gain on his mind. (and perhaps a bit of misogyny along the way as well) Cory and the entire team at Sony Santa Monica Studios broke the glass ceiling when they said YES to offering Kratos a defining moment of redemption in this new story and I cannot wait to see how the relationship between Freya and Kratos unfolds in future games and beyond…
6. Freya went from the motherly figure to cursing Kratos’s name. What are your thoughts on potentially playing a villain in the next installment?
My intuition is that Freya will find redemption in the future narratives for God of War. She has sacrificed so much for the good of others (Baldur, Odin, The Vanir and The Aesir, Kratos, Atreus), such is her feminine, motherly nature. When you’ve reached rock bottom the only place you can go is through and up. I think it’s about time she reclaimed her own sense of power and protection, putting herself first for a change. Let’s grant the Norse Goddess of Love, Beauty, Fertility, Sex, Gold, Seidr Magic, War and Death her Valkyrie wings back and right some the wrongs that have rained down upon her. In fact, I wanna see the two giant cats who pull her chariot make an appearance as well- she’s a Queen Goddess after all! The looming question is: How will Freya redeem herself simultaneously from a place of love and war? Can the polarity of these two actions coexist? Can two “wrongs” make a “right”? Now that these Gods have grappled with the very humbling human concept of questioning their morality, experiencing consequence and regret, I wonder what choices Cory, Matt and Richard will see fit for Freya’s future…? I’m excited to explore and play these choices out.
7. What was it like working with director Cory Barlog?
In short: an absolute dream come true. The longer version: Cory is an epic leader of monumental proportions. His meta-mind is a vast ocean of knowledge, his fatherlike demeanor is kind, open-hearted, grounded, his dedication steadfast, his delivery uber focused and nurturing. He has a gentle yet very direct way about him that’s so refreshing to experience as an actor. I (we, the cast) always felt safe on set to be led in the right direction, to explore, to be validated in our choices and to be guided in a way that felt like a true collaboration on equal footing at all times, even though his understanding of the story, Norse Mythology and the mammoth-sized pantheon of God of War was far greater than my mind could comprehend at the time (or ever).
As you know, Cory has been with the God of War franchise from nearly the genesis and has by leaps and bounds deepened the value of Kratos’s journey in this most groundbreaking PS4 rendition with the addition of Atreus, Freya and Baldur- the cautionary tale of parenting and how that choice changes the course of one’s life dramatically. Cory was much like a shepherd guiding his sheep, at times he’d steer the rod firmly changing course of direction, other times he’d offer a more gentle guiding hand adding nuance and insight and then there were times he’d just allow us to roam wild and free in the well-laid-out fertile fields we were all cultivating with our collective creativity.
Cory offered his direction with firm resolve because he knew exactly what he wanted but he’s wasn’t so immovable to not allow space for the unchartered magic that happens in the moment when you don’t have every little thing planned. Those happy “mistakes” that become the unforeseen gifts! He planted his kernels of wisdom so effortlessly and lovingly you’d never feel like you were off the right track which helps bolster the confidence an actor needs to take big risks. And when it came to the telling of this tale, we all took BIG RISKS. Everyone at Sony Santa Monica Studios did. Plus Cory’s just a super cool nerd, with a wicked whip-smart sense of humor and fantastical beard so you kinda just want to be his friend. And that’s what it felt like every time coming back to the Sony Santa Monica Stages during those four years, returning to a room full of friends you could geek out with and get paid to do so.
When our core cast recently interviewed by Polygon at the Tribeca Film Festival we had to choose ONE word to describe what it was like working with Cory as a director. I failed for my lack of ability to sum it up into one word (as you can see by these long-winded answers). Chris Judge’s word for Cory was “nurturing” which sums it up perfectly and Jeremy continued “rhapsodizing” about our collective love for Cory making note of his “polymorphous, God-sized multi-chambered heart” and calm demeanor. So calm that in the face of many challenges happening behind the scenes to make this retelling of Kratos’s story even possible, we as a cast had NO idea that was even happening. We were also extremely lucky to have our talented writers Matt Sophos and Richard Gaubert on set with us at all times to guide the way, adjusting the dialogue when it needed to sound more natural and authentic to the way the characters were unfurling or how to pronounce the Norse words properly, and educating us on all things complicatedly Norse.
I always felt so safe and supported. Everyone was there for the good of the game and knew something innovative and groundbreaking was taking place in the God of War universe. Perhaps one of my favorite notes of Cory’s early on in the rehearsal discovery process was when he suggested that I put some “Han Solo” into the essence of Freya. This suggestion prompted a fantastic dream with Han later that night of which the details need not be shared, but the aftermath of this note affected everything you experience of Freya in the game.
8. Were you a gamer growing up? If so what were some of your favorite titles?
I was addicted to Ms. Pacman, Frogger, Donkey Kong, Tetris, Goonies, Zelda and Super Mario Brothers. Sadly, that’s where my gaming prowess ended. I would have no idea how to operate a PS4 game controller but I might intrigue you with how I handle a joystick.
9. A little off topic, but you were also in Curse of Chucky. What was it like working with Don Mancini?
Yes, I had the honor of playing Barb – Fiona Dourif’s sister- in Curse of Chucky! Working with Don Mancini was an incredibly sublime experience! He’s such a talented writer, director, and a creative genius – a true master of horror and terror. When I received the sides for Curse, the complex dysfunctional family dynamics that were woven into the scenes made me forget altogether that I was in a movie about a 2-foot redheaded murderous doll. But when that little A-hole stuck a butcher knife square into my eyeball, I quickly remembered who the star of that film was, and it wasn’t me. We shot Curse up in Winnipeg, Canada and had the BEST time together. In fact, Don, Fiona and I remain very close friends and have dinner parties at Don’s house often, with the inclusion of Chucky and Tiffany, of course.
10. Have any future projects you’d like to promote here?
Yes, I do! I am recurring on a new Fantasy Adventure Comedy called Dwight in Shining Armor written exclusively for BUYtv by husband and wife duo, Leanne H. Adams and Brian J. Adams and will premiere in January 2019 (online streaming platform to be announced soon.) When I watched the pilot episode I found myself cracking up at the ridiculous hijinks of two worlds colliding when a 21st-century teenager “Dwight” haphazardly awakens a realm that’s been asleep since 10th Century Medieval times. The circumstances are super ridiculous but played totally grounded and serious which is my favorite kind of humor. It’s a Monty Python meets Game of Thrones meets Freaks and Geeks meets Once Upon a Time kind of thing.
The show stars the insanely talented: Sloane Siegle as “Dwight”, Caitlin Carmichael as “Gretta” a warrior Princess and Joel McCrary as “Baldric” the Court Magician. I am not allowed to mention anything about my character just yet as they are announcing me closer to the premiere date, but rest assured she will add some serious spice and magic into the fold. I believe that the God of War audience will adore this new show and have a fun time watching the opposing worlds clash like the Titans.
