Liam O'Brien
A master of vocal gravitas and emotional nuance, he gives life to tortured souls and anti-heroes in some of anime and gaming's most beloved worlds.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American voice actor·Birthday: May 28·Generation X
Biography
Liam O'Brien's voice is an instrument of captivating tension, often deployed to embody characters wrestling with profound guilt, intellect, or darkness. He broke through in the 2000s as the definitive English voice for Gaara in *Naruto*, capturing the character's isolated menace and later redemption. This set a pattern: O'Brien became a go-to for complex, psychologically wounded figures like Vincent Law in *Ergo Proxy* and the driven Dr. Tenma in *Monster*. His reach extends far beyond anime; he is a prolific video game voice actor, known for roles like the strategic Illidan Stormrage in *World of Warcraft* and War in *Darksiders*. As a founding member of Critical Role, he brought his love for narrative depth to a new medium, creating the meticulously crafted wizard Caleb Widogast, a performance that showcased his ability to weave vulnerability and power. Beyond performing, he co-founded a voiceover directing and casting company, shaping the sound of many projects from behind the glass.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Liam was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Liam Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Liam's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the massively popular live-streamed Dungeons & Dragons show Critical Role, playing key characters like Caleb Widogast.
- Served as the English voice of Gaara in the *Naruto* franchise, defining the character for a generation of Western fans.
- Voiced Illidan Stormrage in Blizzard's *World of Warcraft* franchise, a central and enduring character.
- Co-founded the voice acting directing and casting company Critical Role Productions (formerly known as SRW).
Did You Know?
He provided the voice of the narrator for the popular video game *The Last of Us*.
Before voice acting, he worked as a stage actor and even performed Shakespeare in the Park.
He is known for his meticulous preparation, often creating extensive backstory notes for his characters.
“The nice thing about voiceover is you can be a 300-pound monster or a tiny fairy, and no one cares what you look like.”
