Over the past few years, Square Enix has demonstrated an exceptional talent for casting, discovering outstanding actors who brought new characters to life with remarkable depth. One such actor is Ben Starr, whose performance made Final Fantasy XVI protagonist Clive even more memorable. The same can be said about the Final Fantasy VII Remake cast, who redefined beloved characters with fresh and compelling performances.
Among the talented cast of Final Fantasy VII Remake, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Briana White’s portrayal of Aerith Gainsborough stands out as truly exceptional. Bringing the young flower seller from Midgar’s Sector 5 to life was a challenge even for a seasoned performer, let alone a relative newcomer, but Briana delivered two unforgettable performances that earned her a Golden Joystick Award for Best Supporting Performer and a nomination for Best Performance at The Game Awards.
As a lifelong fan of Final Fantasy VII since its original release in 1997, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with Briana about her journey as Aerith, the Remake project, her streaming career, and much more. You can find our chat below. Enjoy!
Congratulations on your nomination for Best Supporting Actor for this year’s Golden Joystick Awards and Best Performance for The Game Awards! A victory would have been completely deserved because you masterfully brought Aerith to life and made her an even more compelling character. How does it feel to receive such glowing recognition for your first video game voice-acting job?
Thank you so much. It’s completely surreal. When I got the audition, I thought I would never book it. When I booked the audition, I thought I would get recast during recording. Now, after three games, seeing my work get recognized in this way is incredibly special. I’m so grateful for this journey and it has totally changed my life.
Aerith is among the most popular Final Fantasy characters ever released. Why do you think she resonates with so many people and continues to be loved even decades after the original game’s release?
As a character, Aerith left a lasting impact on people with the original Final Fantasy VII because of her surprise death early on in the game. I think her story reminded gamers around the world that life is short and fragile, so don’t take it for granted. For many people, Aerith’s death helps process what it means to lose someone you love, which is a universal experience. I think that’s why her impact is still felt to this day. With Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth, we get the opportunity to fall in love with Aerith all over again, entrenched in the memories of the past and always colored by an ephemeral fear that we might lose her again. It’s a very complex and beautiful experience.
After being cast to play Aerith in Final Fantasy VII Remake, did you feel the pressure of the expectations fans may have had for playing such a beloved character?
Of course, I felt that pressure right from the beginning. When I got the email that I booked the role, I realized that this is a character that people have posters of hanging in their rooms! That is a lot of love and passion to try to match. I felt even more pressure once we really got into the recording process, as it was incredibly technically challenging. There were many times I wondered if I was the right person for the role.
Aerith’s role in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is more central in the story than in Final Fantasy VII Remake, and as her importance in the story increased, she became more complex. How did you prepare for the challenge of bringing an even more nuanced version of the character to life? Has your experience in Remake taught you anything that helped you take on this challenge?
Through Final Fantasy VII Remake, I was really overwhelmed with the technical challenges of voice acting for the first time. Keeping my dialogue clean of the tiniest of mouth noises, choosing my character’s diction, learning how to make effort sounds, discovering how to project without blowing out my voice, keeping my breath grounded, and, all the while, maintaining motivation and emotion for the character. For Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion, I had the unique challenge of taking on a younger, softer version of Aerith while using the same exact script from the original game. For Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I had all that experience under my belt, so I could really just act. I let Aerith’s character shine through like she deserves, focusing entirely on telling her story. I feel incredibly grateful to have had the experience of the prior two games to get to know her and, really, even myself.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the culmination of Aerith’s role in the story. Did knowing how her story concludes influence your performance in any way?
When recording for the ending of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, it was a challenge to let go of any
preconceived notions based on the original game. Knowing that Aerith dies in the original Final Fantasy VII wouldn’t help me in the booth. So I really had to let that all go and focus on each line, each moment of telling Aerith’s story. Of course, when recording the end of any game, the emotion is heavy, and the impact of these scenes is felt by us as we are crafting them. It was a very powerful moment in the creative process.
With Aerith being such a well-loved character, how do you balance staying true to expectations while bringing your own interpretation to the role?
A lot of that is decided collaboratively as a team. As a localization, we rely on what we receive from the Japanese team a lot. The writers translate the script, I listen to the legendary Maaya Sakamoto for every sound Aerith makes, and then I give my best versions of what I think that should sound like in English. From there, the director chooses which takes he thinks will fit best or guides additional takes if necessary. So, in order to honor both Maaya’s version and Aerith’s legacy through time and my own heart, it really takes a village.
You are now playing through Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on Twitch and YouTube. Is this the first time you are experiencing the full game? And if so, what’s been leaving a strong impression on you?
Yes, my stream on Twitch is my first time playing through the game! There are some things I
remember recording and some things I don’t, and on top of that, I never get access to any part of the script that doesn’t have Aerith involved. I also don’t see the finished product all put together. So to play the game for the first time is really special and to share that with my community is even more special.
Are you dreading the moment you will see *that* sequence at the end of the game? I know I did, despite having known about it since I played through the original for the first time back in 1997.
The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth team have done such a great job of making the Remake series still feel fresh and new and unknown, so mostly, I’m just happy to be along for the ride! It is surreal for me because I helped make the game, but while playing it, I still get to be just a fan for some parts and enjoy it.
Fans have been discussing since the release of the original who Cloud is really in love with. Knowing these characters as intimately as very few others, what do you think? Who’s Cloud’s real sweetheart?
I think one of the strengths of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the connection between all of the characters. When it comes to world-saving stakes, all of the main party put their lives on the line for each other. There is no truer love than that. As for romantic love, it completely depends on the player and the scenes they unveil as they play with their preferred companions. That’s the fun of it.
In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, more than in the original, it definitely feels like Aerith still has a thing for Zack, even after his death. What do you think are her real feelings towards Cloud?
I don’t think anyone could play Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion and come away with any doubt that Aerith and Zack care for each other. From Aerith’s perspective, Zack disappeared and hasn’t contacted anyone in years. Aerith makes it very clear in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth that she cares for Cloud as well for who he is.
Is there a story moment from the original you are really looking forward to seeing in Part 3?
As I haven’t played through the original, I look forward to discovering the silly moments that make Final Fantasy so fun. In addition, after all these years, I’m really looking forward to the final confrontation with Sephiroth.
If you weren’t playing Aerith, is there any character in Final Fantasy VII you would have liked to bring to life?
I would have been thrilled to play any character in the game, even an NPC shouting at Cloud to come buy an ether. But if I had to pick someone from the main cast, Tifa is such an amazing character that I would have loved to take that on as an actor- not that I could ever compare to Britt’s incredible work. On the other hand, I bet voicing Scarlet is an absolute blast.
If you could use one word to describe your experience being Aerith in Final Fantasy VII, which would it be and why?
Dream. Because voicing her has been an absolute dream come true. It feels like a fairy tale, like I’ve been bippity-boppity-booped into the life I dreamed of when I was young. And I can only hope that it inspires others to pursue their dreams as well. There is no losing when you follow what you love.
You have been running your Strange Rebel Gaming Twitch and YouTube channel way before you played Aerith for the first time in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Did the popularity of your playing the role impact your streaming career?
Oh, absolutely, it did. I was streaming to 90 people before my casting as Aerith was announced. That’s still a very solid number as a variety streamer and I am incredibly proud of what I built with Strange Rebel Gaming before Final Fantasy joined my resume. When Final Fantasy VII Remake was released during the COVID-19 global lockdown, I was very suddenly streaming to 8000 people. That was a bit overwhelming for both me and my moderators.
Now it has settled, and I am streaming to about 1000 people, which I feel very lucky to say. My community of Strange Rebels are some of the kindest, smartest, funniest, and most generous people out there. They restore my faith in humanity a bit. Over the past few years, the Strange Rebel Community has raised over $53,000 for charities like World Central Kitchen, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and Gamers Outreach. I am most proud of that.
What’s next for you after Final Fantasy VII Rebirth? Any future projects you can talk about?
Nope! I am auditioning and waiting and auditioning and waiting. Such is the industry. But in the
meantime, I continue to stream and make content that I hope brightens people’s days, even just a little bit. That makes everything worth it.
Thank you for your time.
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