What do Zenyatta (Overwatch), Lord Adachi (Ghost of Tsushima) and Lee Sin (League of Legends) all have in common? They’re all voiced by California-native actor Feodor Chin, who, beyond gaming, also landed roles across TV (Pam & Tommy), film (Scrambled) and animation (What If?…, Futurama and Love, Death + Robots).
After graduating from UCLA with a major in communication studies, Feodor Chin pursued his dream of becoming an actor and eventually voiced the lead character in the Xbox exclusive New Legends – an action title released shortly after the console launch. Ever since, according to the IMDB page, he’s amassed over 120 acting credits in a career spanning 24 years and running.
Ahead of Feodor Chin’s appearance in an episode of season four of Netflix’s Love, Death + Robots, I got the chance to video interview him and ask about his most iconic roles, what advice he’d give people who’d like to go into acting today and more:
Hello! Thank you so much for speaking with me today: do you mind please introducing yourself, in your own words?
Feodor Chin: Hi, I’m Feodor Chin! I’m an actor probably best known for voicing such characters as Zenyatta from Overwatch and Lee Sin from League of Legends.
So, during your time at UCLA you studied communications yet acting was still on your mind – when and how did you know you wanted to become an actor?
Feodor Chin: Actually, I think the seed was planted in high school. In English class, we read Death of a Salesman. Then our teacher showed us the made-for-television version starring Dustin Hoffman as Willy Loman. I remember seeing that and thinking, “Wow! I want to do that—whatever that is!” It was such a transformative performance for him—physically and vocally, he really just embodied this character who was not necessarily who he was as a person. For me, that was incredibly appealing: to be able to use your whole body, face, and voice to tell a story.
At UCLA, I was a communication studies major, mainly because my mother said, “I refuse to pay for a theatre B.A.!” [laughs] But the joke’s on her, because I was essentially a de facto theatre major. I spent all my time at the theatre department, took all the classes I could, and ended up doing many plays and student films. I did everything I could to essentially be a theatre student, even though my major was communication studies.
As an English major myself, I can absolutely relate…but it all worked out!
Feodor Chin: Ultimately, you have to go for what you want! And, as an actor, training is certainly essential, but, because you’re telling stories through your own life experiences, no matter what you end up studying will end up being useful in some way, you know?
“Getting to meet these great folks, the fanbase, who really are what makes Overwatch special…it’s been life-changing, really.”
That’s reassuring, thank you for that! So, shortly after graduating from UCLA, you landed the lead character in 2002’s “New Legends”, released for the original Xbox. What do you remember most fondly about that time and how do you feel acting in games has changed?
Feodor Chin: Oh, gosh! So, one of the coolest things about that is that we recorded at Skywalker Ranch, up in Marin County. Just being able to go there, when, I think, it was [George] Lucas’ main facility before he moved to San Francisco, and getting to record on the sound stages there was mind-blowing. And, yeah, being a lead in a video game was a real treat – certainly for a first-timer!
As for how acting in games has changed—not a whole lot. At least in terms of strictly voiceover, it is still pretty much the same. However, a game like New Legends, if produced today, would likely involve motion capture, which is a significant difference.
Ever since, you’ve landed roles in games and animations such as League of Legends and Marvel’s What If…?. However, you are today most known for portraying Zenyatta in Overwatch and Overwatch 2. How has Zenyatta impacted your life? And how are you most like your character?
Feodor Chin: When Overwatch first dropped and became this phenomenon, it gave me so many opportunities to literally travel the world and get to go to conventions and meet fans and gamers. That’s certainly changed my life. We also had the opportunity to go to the Philippines, Australia, all around America…and getting to meet these great folks, the fanbase, who really are what makes Overwatch special…it’s been life-changing, really.
With regards to how I’m most like Zenyatta, I think he makes me calmer and more zen-like. I’m generally a pretty chill guy, but, whenever I go in for a session, and, when I sometimes have to drive across L.A, it’s nice to get into the booth and just embrace tranquility, as he does! So, he’s helped me to be a more calm and collected individual.
Have you ever been to BlizzCon? Do you remember any special interactions with Blizzard or Overwatch fans in particular?
Feodor Chin: Yeah, I was at what, I think, was the last live one before the pandemic…so it must have been in 2019. I got to do a panel with some of the other members of the cast and got to meet all of the Blizzard fans. And, actually, Carolina Ravassa (Sombra) and Anjali Bhimani (Symmetra), unbeknownst to me, have been working with a cosplayer to come dressed as their characters. And, I met them there and they were in full outfits as Sombra and Symmetra and just getting mobbed. I thought maybe we were, you know, maybe grab some dinner or something but…yeah, it was a scene! But, it was fantastic.
Thank you for sharing that! How, in your opinion, has Zenyatta changed during the time gap between Overwatch and Overwatch 2? And how are any changes reflected in your performance?
Feodor Chin: Well, with the introduction of Ramattra there is a lot more conflict, so you’ll see a less zen-like Zenyatta because this has really dug up a lot of things for him. This is exciting for me because Zenyatta is generally straightforward and chill, but to get to play with different emotions is always a treat.
“With regards to how I’m most like Zenyatta, I think he makes me calmer and more zen-like.”
You’ve also voiced Master Splinter in the 2013 video game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. How do you go about putting your own spin on a character who’s been played and/or by a lot of people in the last few decades?
Feodor Chin: When I got that one, I definitely thought about how to make the role my own. I think you just have to approach it as any character, really, and, when it comes to me, I generally draw from my own life. Not that I’ve ever lived in a sewer with a bunch of teenage turtles [laughs], but, I’ve certainly had to deal with rambunctious kids before. And so, I wanted to infuse that kind of fatherly vibe into Splinter.
Moving on from video games, how was it like working on Marvel’s What If…? How was it like playing Xu Wenwu alongside Cate Blanchett’s Hela on season 2 episode 7 of the show?
Feodor Chin: We recorded at least that episode in the height of the pandemic and so, I did all of my lines in my home studio. Unfortunately, like with most voiceover work, it’s generally pretty solitary, so, I didn’t get the chance to meet Cate Blanchett, but I knew that she was going to be voicing Hela. To know that we were going to have a scene together was mind-blowing cause she’s tremendous, obviously!
I also loved what they did with the episode – they really managed to bring it all together as it looks terrific and it sounds great. But, yeah, that was an honor. And, to get to, basically, take over the mantle of the role that Tony Leung Chiu-wai did so well [with] in Shang-Chi, that was definitely an honor as well.
Did you take inspiration from Tony Leung Chiu-wai’s portrayal of the character?
Feodor Chin: I was definitely influenced by his performance because he’s just so cool! [laughs] But, in What If…?, you see a much younger version of that character, and so, [he had] a bit more brashness and, maybe, bullheadedness than you might have seen in the movie. I tried to infuse a bit of that into the character.
What advice would you give to recent graduates, from UCLA and beyond, who’d like to go into acting?
I would definitely tell people to be open to different possibilities and opportunities. It is important to have dreams and goals and to pursue them, but if you close yourself off to certain opportunities, you might miss out on things that could truly change your life or career. I meet many people who want to do, for example, only anime. I tell them there are great opportunities in commercial work, audiobooks, or other areas they might not have considered but could enjoy and find rewarding as well. So, continue to pursue what you want, but keep yourself open at the same time.
When you started, was voiceover for video games or animation something that you thought of when you were dreaming of becoming an actor?
Feodor Chin: It really wasn’t! Up to New Legends and games like it, games were like Super Mario – there wasn’t a whole lot of voiceover in them! So, it wasn’t a thought that it was something you could do as a career. That’s something to keep in mind: there’s always going to be emerging avenues and technologies.
Do you have a dream role? In any medium? If so, let’s see if we can manifest it!
Feodor Chin: Off the top of my head, as I’ve been watching the newest season of The Last of Us…I don’t know, I’m sure there’d be someone [in that universe] that I could hopefully find myself playing…
In both the TV show and a potential future video game?
Feodor Chin: Yeah, exactly! That’d be perfect! [laughs]
Are there any upcoming projects you’d like to tease?
Feodor Chin: Yeah! There is an anime called The Fable that is currently out on Hulu. You can check that out, I play a character called Matsu – and it’s pretty wild! I also play a character in a new animated series on Nickelodeon called Wylde Pak, which comes out this month. And, I can’t say too much about this, but, season four of Love, Death + Robots comes out this month too, so keep an eye out for it!
LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS VOLUME 4 releases on Netflix on May 15.
