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Raze, the popular and aggressive duelist agent, has been a part of the Valorant Protocol since its closed beta.
The Brazilian Valorant duelist is equipped with explosive abilities which helps her in mobility and causes damage to the enemies. Raze has been a go-to pick for players with aggressive playstyles in Valorant.
Raze has been beautifully portrayed in Valorant by Carolina Ravassa, a Colombian actor and voice artist. Apart from Valorant, the voice actor has also been credited for lending her voice to video game characters from some of the most popular games like Sombra in Overwatch, Taliana Martinez in Grand Theft Auto V, and many more.
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In an exclusive conversation with Pratiti Dhang of Sportskeeda Esports, Carolina Ravassa shared her journey from acting to being a voice actor. Carolina also talks about her experience working with Riot Games and portraying Brazilian Valorant duelist agent Raze.
Here is an excerpt of the conversation.
Carolina Ravassa opens up about portraying Raze in Valorant
Q: Carolina, can you tell our readers about yourself and your journey from pursuing your Theater Arts degree from Boston College to New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts to acting and portraying video game characters like in Valorant?
Carolina: I was born and raised in Cali, Colombia. When I was five years old, I started doing theater in school. I just knew I had to study acting in college because it was the only thing I loved. After that, I went to NYC to study acting for film and TV and loved getting to know the city. I stayed there for 10 years.
Once I finished studying, I was auditioning for film, TV, commercials, theater and voice work - anything that included acting. I was also waiting tables at the time to make ends meet.
Luckily, I booked Spanish radio commercials here and there, so I started getting into the voice world. I’d also applied for jobs doing Mocap for Rockstar Games and was lucky to work on Max Payne 3 and GTA V. That gave me a peek into video games. It wasn’t until I got Sombra though that I understood what video games really meant.
Q: You have worked in several TV series and short films as an actress as well. How does acting in films and TV series differ from voice acting in video games?
Carolina: For film and TV, you’re using your whole body, your facial expressions, mannerisms, etc. For voice work, the only thing people really get is your voice! So everything has to be put into how you deliver the lines; I can’t just raise an eyebrow and have them understand what I’m going for. I do incorporate my body when I do voice work though, just so I know I’m connected and to convey certain emotions, but of course, it’s never like being seen on camera.
I think they can be similar in that we have to build a character, connect to the emotion, and live in the moment. What I love about voice work is that I can create a sound that is totally different to how I look, and I can play all ages and types and it can work. I’m not limited to my body type and age.
It’s also nice to not have to memorize lines for voice acting work! I love them both though, as they each have unique and fun things about them.
Q: What made you pursue a career in voice acting? Did you have any inspiration?
Carolina: I just wanted to pursue a career in acting. Period. I didn’t plan on voice acting as a career, but I always loved doing accents and voices, so I’m glad I was able to make it a part of my life. I think it’s a branch of acting. I always admired Robin Williams for his talent on screen and doing cartoons, so I definitely looked up to him and how versatile he was.
Q: You are known for voicing the Brazilian Valorant duelist agent, Raze. What was your reaction when you first got the offer from Riot Games?
Carolina: I was super excited! I knew League of Legends was huge, so I was excited to finally get to work for Riot Games in Valorant. I loved Raze as a character, so I knew I’d have fun recording her. Valorant writer Zach Betka and voice director David Lyerly were open to collaborating, so we really had fun and found nuances for her. It was a beautiful experience potraying Raze in Valorant.
Q: Can you share your experience of recording the voice lines for Raze? How much did you connect to the Valorant agent?
Carolina: I remember recording a ton of lines and finding all the energy and loudness that Raze had. But then they both encouraged me to find other sides to her- she’s maternal, loving, bada**, tells horrible dad jokes and finds them funny, etc. So it was really cool to make the Valorant agent more three-dimensional.
David encouraged me to improvise, and I warned him that some of the stuff would be silly or simple, not good. He said, “Don’t worry! This is a safe space!” And I believed him. I was there riffing, saying stuff that made the cut, and other stuff that had to be cut.
At one point I invented a voice line they liked, and I then said, “Money baby! This is Money!” and they said, “Can you say that as Raze again? We want that too!” We had a lot of cool moments that ended up becoming a part of Raze in Valorant.
Q: What are some of your favorite voice lines of Raze in Valorant?
Carolina: Definitely “Here comes the party!”, “Time for the fireworks!” and “Let’s make some chaos!”
I also love, “Brimestonezinho, you sure I can’t listen to music? You’re really bringing me down here man.”
Q: Raze has been a part of Valorant since beta, and like every other agent, she has also got an interesting backstory. How familiar are you with the Valorant lore and backstory of Raze?
Carolina: I only know what’s been publicly shared by Riot. I don’t know much else. But I’m always excited to learn new things about her and I loved the short film they did with the Brazilian Riot team.
Q: Other than Raze, which agents' backstory interests you the most in Valorant?
Carolina: I definitely think Reyna is super interesting and feels like she has a lot going on. And Cypher because he’s so funny and dark, I just love it.
Q: Apart from lending your voice to Raze in Valorant, you have portrayed other video game characters like Sombra in Overwatch, Taliana Martinez in Grand Theft Auto V, and many more. Which video game character did you enjoy portraying the most among all of them? Is there any other specific video game franchise you wish to work with in the future?
Carolina: I think Sombra is definitely my favorite. She’s so smart and witty, sarcastic and mysterious. I love that she has a dark sense of humor. Of all the games, she’s the character that I know the best and that has been most developed, so I feel a deep connection to her. She changed my life.
I’d be excited to play a Colombian in a AAA company. I think that would mean so much to me and Colombian gamers.
Q: You've worked with several video game franchises and have voiced many video game characters. You are so much involved in the gaming community. Are you a gamer yourself? If so, what are some of the games you enjoy playing?
Carolina: Oh no! You don’t want me to be a gamer! I’m terrible. I love sports and seem to be good at hand-eye coordination, but when it comes to consoles or PCs, I just stink. I also find it really stressful to play. I need to relax and be a passive viewer to enjoy what’s going on. I played Mario Karts and Donkey Kong when I was like 10 years old. I think that was the height of my gaming career.
Q: Do you play Valorant often? If yes, what is your go-to agent? Is it Raze or any other Valorant agent?
Carolina: I haven’t played Valorant yet. However, I would love to join someone and see what it’s like. I’d definitely try Raze. I also just know I’m really bad at it, so I’m fine staying away for a while.
Q: You have been working as a voice actor for a long time and have experience in portraying video game characters as well. Can you put some light on the future of voice acting in video games? Any suggestions or messages to the aspiring ones?
Carolina: If you absolutely love it, keep doing it! I think if you start hating the process, then it becomes no fun. It’s a really tough career to break into, so you have to do it for the love of it. I always suggest taking a class if you think you might be interested. There, you can make like-minded friends and your teacher can recommend ways on how to pursue it in your city or town.
People focus on the microphone and recording booth first, and I think the first step is to see if it’s something you truly want to do rather than just keep it as a hobby. There are so many websites where you can learn from. I always recommend: www.iwanttobeavoiceactor.com
Break legs and hope you enjoy it!
