Deborah Ann Woll Discusses Her Secret Role as Laufey in the God of War Norse Saga Her Marvel Legacy and New Tabletop RPG Ventures
At Game Con Canada, actor Deborah Ann Woll discussed her diverse career spanning television, interactive theater, and voice acting. Speaking in an interview with CGMagonline after her Q&A session, Woll detailed her transition into the primary face of the newly revealed game God of War Laufey. The announcement follows years of confidential development on the project, which represents a significant narrative expansion of the Norse mythology established in the previous entries of the franchise.
Woll noted that her participation in the project predates the game's reveal. Creative director Cory Barlog initially suggested a game centered around Laufey during the development of God of War (2018). While Woll felt fortunate to work at Santa Monica Studio for almost a decade in such a collaborative atmosphere, she was completely unaware of God of War Ragnarok.
This is, I think, the best job I have ever had.
The actor described the high tech motion capture techniques used in the game as having been extremely successful in capturing the nuances of her performance. Woll remarked that the 20 minute first trailer, which she viewed as a spectator, demonstrated how the animation team had accurately translated her expressions, fine mouth movements, and muscle movements. This integrity of technique means her character carries with it significant emotional gravity in contrast with the canonically stoic Kratos when in the same scenes.
Woll said that having a woman carry a franchise traditionally offering dominance to men is important, but pointed out that its story is “about the human experience that exist regardless of gender inequity".
This is a story about a father. This is a story about regret. This is about becoming a better person than who you were before.
Story wise, the story is about preparation, where it comes from, the legacy, about saving somebody. Just another truly complex character in her canon. Woll said, Faye is just another truly complex character in her canon, similar to the measure of vulnerability and strength she brings to all the roles she plays, such as Jessica Hamby on True Blood or Karen Page in the Marvel world.
Woll, who played Karen Page in 14 seasons of the works of Daredevil and The Punisher, reflected on the loveliest experience she had during Season 3 Episode 10 of Daredevil. The showrunner, Erik Oleson, brought cast and crew to upstate New York to make another, secluded family story amid the snow. Woll gave much of the credit to her producer for keeping so much faith in her character to create what she called 1 of the most creative weeks of her life.
In addition to her work as a screen actor, Woll has carved out a strong reputation as a supporter of tabletop role playing games. She made her third appearance at Game Con Canada to promote her recently developed interactive RPG production called Tales From Woodcreek. This production, developed in collaboration with Ed Gass Donnelly on the Dungeon Dudes YouTube channel, involves not only traditional gaming but also live escape rooms, live action role play, and site specific theater. Says Woll,
I wanted to introduce people to tabletop gaming and take away some of the fear when approaching such 400 page rulebooks.
In the future, the actor plans to come back to traditional theater. Woll wished to introduce classical theater to the masses, comparing them to modern day shows. For the time being, she is focusing on growing the Norse saga, and positioning herself to release the God of War Laufey.
