Skip to content
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Menu
  • Happy Health
  • Happy Mindset
  • Animal Wonders
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Subscribe
Happy News

The Career Pivot That Nobody Believed In

Neil Newbon, the beloved voice and motion capture actor behind Baldur’s Gate 3’s iconic vampire elf Astarion, revealed in a recent TEDx Talk how performance capture work in video games literally saved his life after he fell into $45,000 worth of debt and years of struggling to find acting work. The actor had once been on top of the world with roles coming easily, traveling constantly, and not having a care in the world until he realized something was terribly wrong and he started getting typecast while desperately trying to please directors instead of trusting his gut instinct. His career spiraled downward until he found himself living in a ramshackle place, unable to land new acting jobs, and drowning in debt with no clear way forward. The turning point came 18 years ago when Newbon happened to flip through a PC Gamer magazine and discovered an article about voice work in games that completely blew his mind, making him realize he could combine his passion for gaming with his acting career.

A photo of motion capture work in that same magazine showed someone who looked like they were having the best time of their life, inspiring Newbon to pursue this new path despite everyone around him thinking it was a terrible idea. His first video game role came in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, and so much work followed afterward during a time when there were many games being made but very few actors doing performance capture work. Ex-friends, ex-lovers, ex-agents, and even some family members didn’t believe in his career pivot and thought he was making a mistake, but Newbon’s gut instinct told him this was the way forward. Today, after various awards and climbing out of that crushing debt, he plays some of the most beloved characters in gaming and says without being glib that performance capture saved his life and reinvigorated everything about it.

PrevPreviousProfessor’s Secret Gift Changed Student’s Life
NextFrom Babysitting to Educating Thousands Every YearNext

Recent Articles

Happy News

Rockstar Proves Compassion Matters More Than Secrecy

February 4, 2026

Rockstar Games has reportedly granted early access to Grand Theft Auto 6 for a terminally ill fan who was given only six to twelve months to live after battling cancer, proving that even one of gaming’s most secretive companies will make exceptions when compassion calls. The heartwarming story began when

Read More
Happy News

Cat Finally Came Home After FOUR YEARS

February 4, 2026

Four years after losing her beloved cat Tinsel in December 2021, Maggie DeGreenia from Vermont was lucky enough to find her again through a local shelter’s website thanks to her cousin recognizing Tinsel’s distinctive mustache marking that everyone knew right away. The 27 year old had tried everything when Tinsel

Read More
Happy News

This Artist Covered Rent For His Grandmother’s Building

February 4, 2026

ASAP Rocky covered rent for every tenant living in his grandmother’s Harlem apartment building on 140th and Lennox following the release of his fourth album Don’t Be Dumb, partnering with payments rewards program Bilt to give back to the community that shaped him into who he is today. The rapper

Read More
« Previous Next »
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Notice
  • Accessibility Notice
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Unsubscribe
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2026 HappyNews.