Clair Obscur star Jennifer English says she chose ‘queer joy’ in moving Golden Joystick Award speech

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 voice actor Jennifer English dedicated her incredible win at the Golden Joystick Awards this week to “queer joy” in an emotional acceptance speech.

The British actor expressed her shock at winning the Best Lead Performer during the gaming award ceremony on Thursday (20 November).

Nominated alongside industry veterans, including Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle) and Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yōtei), English, 30, bagged the award for her performance as Maelle in Sandfall Interactive’s turn-based role-playing game.

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed after accepting her award. “I didn’t think of a speech because I didn’t think I was going to win … Thank you so much everyone, every single one of you for voting.”

The out lesbian voice actor plays Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s lead protagonist. The youngest member of the Expedition team sent to stop the catastrophic annual “Gommage” in which an entity, known as the Paintress, kidnaps humans of a certain age, who are never seen again.

Descroned as a “shy loner, eager to fly,” 16-year-old Maelle is selected to embark on a suicide-mission to slay the Paintress before she can kidnap more people. Unlike her companions, she views the expedition as her chance to explore the world and “forge her own destiny.”

“I chose a life that was authentic, a life that was gay”

“Maelle embarks on this crazy journey,” English said during her speech. “She chooses to leave a life that wasn’t serving her. And I did that a few years ago. And I chose, instead, a life that was authentic, a life that was gay.

“I fell in love with a beautiful woman who’s crying her eyes out right now – it’s really funny. And I chose queer joy. As a result of that queer joy, I felt safe enough to pour my grief, and pain, and all that nonsense – and joy, and love – into this incredibly beautifully written character. And I am so proud of that, and I just want to thank queer joy for that.”

Best known for her performance as Shadowheart in Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3, English has been unapologetically vocal in supporting LGBTQ+ rights.

Last year, she told PinkNews how thankful she was for the role-playing game’s “special” LGBTQ+ fanbase and the way the game had given the community a chance to “explore parts of themselves that they weren’t able to explore before.”

“You don’t know what you’re going to get from a community until the game is out there,” she said. “You don’t know who is going to play this game. I’ve been wonderfully in love with this incredibly queer [fan base], like it is so queer, especially with fans of Shadowheart.

“I can’t speak for other [Baldur’s Gate 3 actors] but the people [who] come and meet me at conventions are overwhelmingly queer or allies. It’s such an inclusive community, it’s created something very special.”

Fellow Baldur’s Gate 3 cast member Samantha Béart, who presented the award, congratulated English’s win during the ceremony, saying: “Karlach approves.”