Dishonored 2
Dishonored 2 – Emily Kaldwin Actor Interview
Dishonored 2
A precocious young girl when you first meet her, Emily Kaldwin is a benevolent Empress and highly skilled fighter when you see her again in Dishonored 2.
She’s intelligent, bold, confident and complex – the kind of character that demands a powerful performance from the actress chosen to take on the role.
“Part of the way Emily comes to life is through Erica Luttrell’s performance,” says Creative Director Harvey Smith. “Erica just perfectly captures the adult version of Emily. She does a great job of splitting the difference between someone who’s used to being an authority figure but who’s had her feet kicked out from under her and is on the run.”
Luttrell – whom you might recognize from her work on Fallout 4, Stephen Universe and Diablo III, among many other projects – is no newcomer to games, though this was a very new kind of role. It’s not often you get to be both an empress and an assassin. We spoke to Luttrell about Emily Kaldwin and how she worked with the team at Arkane Lyon to bring her to life.
Who is Emily Kaldwin?
Emily is a remarkable young woman who has been through an awful lot. As a result of her past, she has trained herself – mind and body – in order to achieve her ends. Rather than let herself be destroyed by traumatic events, she made herself strong. Emily is incredibly tough and centered. She knows who she is and what she wants.
The development team at Arkane talk about Emily’s three pillars: Empress, Dunwall and Assassin. How did you capture each pillar in your performance?
There is so much depth to Emily’s character, and every little detail the team offered about her character gave me the chance to dig in deeper. I love the Empress element of her. It was such a joy to capture. There’s something amazingly meditative and strengthening about it. You just kind of sink deep into yourself and embrace that power.
The Dunwall and Assassin aspects to her are both very different from the Empress element, but all three of her pillars are born from their own kind of strength, I think. The grit of Dunwall and her upbringing and the kidnapping, and all of this background information I was given… it added an inherent darkness to the way I played her. Dunwall itself has this kind of grim undercurrent, and I think it takes a certain type of person to maintain control of that kind of place.
In a way, I think the Assassin and Empress pillars are the closest. There’s a confidence to both of them, but there’s definitely an anger in her. She’s always in control of it, so her anger never tips over the edge. She’s not unhinged. Her anger is more of a quiet, simmering, poised rage. The sort of anger someone who is an empress first and an assassin second might have.
Were you able to relate to Emily at all during the recording process?
Absolutely. Aside from her being an empress and assassin, she’s a very relatable figure. She has been through so much, but still fights for what she believes is right. She fights for herself and for her people. She fights for Corvo.
I actually lost my father about two years ago, so Corvo being taken from her certainly resonated with me in a very personal way. The difficulty of that, when it’s someone you trust that much and are that close to… I was definitely able to relate to that and I think it helped me appreciate her even more.
What was it like working with the Arkane team on this character?
When I got this part, and I went to the first recording session, they showed me that first announce trailer with Emily leaping through the city and told me that was who I would be. To me, even after just that first glimpse, she was fantastic. Then I got a lot more information and realized that I was about to go on this amazing ride. There’s just so much love from the team for the game and everything that it is. That love is definitely reflected in their descriptions. It’s probably the most backstory and loving description I’ve received on any project I’ve ever worked on.
There was always someone in the room – usually Harvey Smith or Sachka Duval [Narrative Designer] – who had a real sense of the depth of the backstory. They even provided some insight into exactly why she might be saying a certain line. It went right down to her comments about the houses and environments, or her remarks upon seeing a painting. They would tell me who the artist was and why Emily would be interested in their work. I was able to add a lot of depth to my approach as a result of the knowledge I was given in the booth.
What’s your favorite thing about Emily?
Shadow Walk! It’s just so cool. But in all seriousness, there’s so much I admire about her character. I would love to be able to do everything she does. She’s essentially a superhero. I would love to be able to swordfight like she does, and her Mesmerize ability is just so gorgeous and eerie. But aside from her wonderful powers, her strength is just incredible. In the world you face so many challenges, and you have your insecurities and your difficulties. Playing a character like Emily really focuses you to your strongest point.
Any parting words for fans who are excited to step into the world of Dishonored 2?
Kick ass and take back what’s yours.
For more on Dishonored 2, take a look at these features and videos:
Dishonored 2 – Emily Kaldwin Spotlight
Dishonored 2 – Live Action Trailer
Dishonored 2 – Inside the Epic, Themed Missions
Dishonored 2 – Creating Karnaca
