Troy Baker has voiced some of gaming and animation’s most recognizable characters, but one of his earliest anime setbacks came from a surprisingly specific challenge. The actor recently revealed that he was fired from the original English dub of Fullmetal Alchemist after struggling to deliver a script direction requiring 30 seconds of gradually building maniacal laughter.
Baker discussed the experience during an interview with Party Chat, recalling his brief attempt at voicing Greed in the 2003 anime adaptation. According to the actor, the session quickly exposed a weakness he had not expected.
“The first cue is 30 seconds of building maniacal laughter,”
Baker recalled.
He explained that the recording team spent roughly 15 to 20 minutes attempting to capture the required performance, but none of his takes worked. Baker compared the sound of his failed attempts to air escaping from a balloon, admitting that his ability simply did not extend to sustaining the specific type of villainous laugh the scene required.
Troy Baker Eventually Lost the Role of Greed
The difficulty ultimately resulted in Baker being removed from the production. The English voice of Greed in the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series was subsequently performed by Chris Patton.
Ironically, the experience became particularly memorable because Baker would eventually get another opportunity to play the same character. When Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood arrived years later, Baker returned to the franchise as Greed after the character takes over Ling Yao’s body. Chris Patton voiced the original version of Greed, while Baker handled the later incarnation in the English dub.
Baker said his first question when returning for Brotherhood was whether Greed would have to perform the infamous laugh again. The answer was no, giving him the chance to portray the character without repeating the performance challenge that had cost him the original role.
The story is especially amusing in hindsight given Baker’s later career. He went on to become the voice of Joel in The Last of Us and the Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins, among numerous other roles. His return as Greed in Brotherhood ultimately turned an early career failure into an unusual second chance.
