Hi, dear Chicers! I hope you’re all staying safe and healthy. We are truly blessed/cursed to live in interesting times, aren’t we? Thanks to social distancing, the Internet has become a more important place than ever, especially since it allows us to get up close and personal without ever leaving home.
Speaking of which, I had the amazing opportunity to get up close and personal (via email) with someone whose name you may not recognize but whose voice(s) you’ll never forget. In 2017, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts — which has expanded to cover video games, too, as well it should — recognized Cissy Jones for her stellar performance as Delilah in the small, sleeper hit Firewatch. (If you haven’t played the game, then you should because Jones’ performance is even more moving and impressive given that her character never makes an on-screen appearance.)
Her voice has shown up in plenty of other games, including Life Is Strange, The Walking Dead, Destiny 2, Death Stranding, and Eliza, just to name a few. And, on top of all that, she’s a lovely person that’s patient and kind when people get overexcited and tongue-tie and fangirl all over her. Or so I’ve heard. *ahem* At any rate, Jones was gracious enough to both agree to this interview and to answer my crazy questions.
Without further ado, let’s get to know Cissy Jones! (Also, #sorrynotsorry for the article title. I absolutely could not help myself.)
Cissy Jones / Image from imdb.com, Photo by Riker Brothers
How did you get into voice acting? Did you start out on the stage or screen, or did you go straight for the mic?
I had a rather non-traditional route into VO [voice-over], in that I was working in the Silicon Valley as a workin’ stiff. I wasn’t particularly happy; I always felt like a square peg in a round hole. Anywho, one morning I was getting ready for work and had the radio on, when Nancy Cartwright (aka Bart Simpson) was on my favorite talk show talking about VO, and what a great job it was, and, oh hey, you guys in the Bay Area are SO LUCKY. You have a great voice-over school right here in your area! So, I got on the phone that day, started taking classes that week, and two years later I had an agent and was able to quit my high-paying job for a life of uncertainty and happiness! [laughs]
Katjaa from The Walking Dead video game / Image from The Walking Dead Fandom Wiki
Why, or how, did you end up working in video games?
Auditions! I was insanely fortunate that one of the first things I auditioned upon signing with my agent in San Francisco was Telltale’s The Walking Dead. Katjaa was the first job I ever booked. Something about the storytelling and the depth of the characters… It just hooked me from the get-go.
How did you learn you’d been nominated for the BAFTA? (Please tell me they sent you an owl!)
Ha! No owl, unfortunately! I think I woke up that morning to a ton of “congrats” messages, and I had no idea what was happening. Then I saw the announcement on Instagram and just about passed out!
What was the first thing that went through your head when you won?
That was the year of the La La Land gaffe at the Oscars, and honestly, that’s what went through my head. I was not expecting to win AT ALL. I believe, if you watch the video replay, they don’t show my reaction because I jumped about thirty feet out of my chair and screamed “HOLY SH**!” at the top of my lungs. [laughs]
[BTW, this is totally accurate. You can see the announcement, minus Jones’ immediate reaction, and her acceptance speech here.]
Who, or what, is your favorite character you’ve played?
Delilah’s pretty hard to beat to be honest. But, I’m working on a couple of things at the moment that are going to come pretty darn close!
The closest you come to a face-to-face meeting with Delilah in Firewatch is visiting her empty outpost. (Her drawing of your character, however, is dependent on your in-game relationship with her.) / Screenshot from game discussion on Reddit.com
Are there any roles or franchises you wish you’d been able to work on?
Probably not the answer you’re expecting, but I reaaaallllly want to be the voice for the Wonder Woman 2 trailer campaign. Dudes have been having all the fun in the trailer world for a long time, and it’s time to bring in the ladies!
Agreed! Especially for something like the Wonder Woman franchise. Away from the mic, what is/are your hobbies?
Yoga, meditation, hiking, hanging out with my friends and family, trying desperately to watch all the good TV out there.
How did you feel about interacting with fans, and has anyone ever recognized you for one of your voice-acting roles outside of an industry gathering or convention?
The greatest thing about VO is never being recognized. (Unless you’re Jen Hale or Ashly Burch!) I adore my anonymity, so it’s nice to have it in place. That said, I really love meeting and interacting with fans! If people didn’t like the work I do, what would be the point? It’s nice to have that feedback, especially when it’s not under the guise of a fake Twitter handle. 😉
In the grand tradition of Marcel Proust, Bernard Pivot, and James Lipton, I’ve made my own list of questions to ask my interviewees.
What is your favorite smell?
Lilac or lavender. Also, coffee.
Mmmmm…lilacs. / Image from The Old Farmer’s Almanac
What smell that most people enjoy do you detest?
Patchouli.
What is your favorite swear word?
Fuck. It’s just so fucking versatile.
What is your favorite non-swear swear word or phrase?
Booooo. As in, “Sorry, I have to cancel last minute.” “BOOOOOOO!”
What is your oddest fear or pet peeve?
I detest running out of things. I have mostly-used bottles of everything under the sun at my house because I have this weird paranoia about running out and never being able to find it again. It’s ridiculous.
And yet, it must be coming in handy these days! If you could have dinner with one fictional character and one real person (alive or dead), who would they be?
Real person: the goddess Brigid, from Druidic times. Fictional: Spider-Gwen.
Of course, you’ll have to catch her first. Image from Marvel Database
What is your favorite simple pleasure?
Snuggles with my kids.
If you had to go back to any age and live your life over again, what age would you pick? (You would retain all of the memories and knowledge accrued on your first go-around.)
I’d go back to middle-school me and tell me that all those bullies were just insecure and full of sh**. That none of this would matter in the long-term, except to “build character” and teach me humility and kindness, crappy as it was at the time. Oh, and that my hair was f**king rad, and not to listen to them when they made fun of it!
When someone approaches you and says they want to follow in your footsteps (pursue the same profession), what is your foremost bit of advice?
There’s a website built by the great Dee Bradley Baker, iwanttobeavoiceactor.com. I tell people to read it inside outside and backwards, and let me know if they have any questions after that.
Finally, if you were reincarnated into any animal, vegetable, or mineral other than human, as what would you most like to return?
A Shih Tzu. Spoiled, loved, cuddled, happy. And you don’t have to work that hard for your dinner! What’s not to love?!
#reincarnationgoals. Image from the American Kennel Club
Many thanks to Cissy Jones for her patience, her humor, and her incredible skill. She’s a diamond in the crown of voice-over work, and I hope she continues to be celebrated and rewarded for her exceptional contributions.
Author Bio
Cissy Jones is an award-winning actress whose voice-over career spans the gamut from animation to video games and everything in between. Aside from winning a BAFTA for her performance in the 2017 Indie video game Firewatch, Cissy has also cemented her role as a new animation actress to watch for her part as the lead in a yet-to-be announced new Disney animated franchise. When she’s not creating characters that kids of all ages adore, she’s lending her voice to more serious projects such as the Academy-Award nominated documentary Winter On Fire, as well as many national commercials, feature film trailers, and network promos.
Featured image photo by Riker Brothers
What a great interview! I remember that voice very well. My husband played a lot of Firewatch. I’ve also seen play-throughs for that Walking Dead game and Life is Strange. Very cool to see the face behind the voice!