Behind the Mic is a series of short interviews to celebrate the work of the actors who provided the voices for Mortuus Est: Legacy.

Shaina plays journalist and Elaina’s friend, Alonit Speyer. She’s one of the cast members pulling double duty on the show as she’s also part of the production team. See what she had to say below!

What made you want to pursue acting?

I’ve always been drawn to storytelling. I love writing, and I also love bringing a character to life. Every character is a chance to step outside of yourself and view the world from another perspective and I think that’s a very valuable experience.

Why did you branch out into voice acting? Was this always your preference, or is it an extra skill in your wheelhouse?

Voice acting was always something I loved. I’m constantly annoying my friends with silly voices. I love the added challenge of trying to portray all the emotion a scene may require and the only tool you have is your voice.

What was it about the Mortuus Est story that drew you to audition?

I’ve known the director and writer, Nik Jermaine, for a very long time. I’ve listened to her storyboards and her ideas for years, and have been looking forward to getting to witness the final project for just as long. So when she asked if I wanted to work on it, I jumped at the opportunity. 

How do you relate to your character when getting into their headspace?

Alonit is kind of the ‘every man’ I think. She’s outside of the spy world, she’s connected to the story as Elaina’s coworker with no idea really as to the bigger picture. From her perspective, the story is just that her friend is going through a rough time and she wants to help her. So I tried to relate to Alonit by asking myself what I might give a friend who is going through what Elaina is.

What was your favorite scene or moment from season one?

There’s a scene in episode 6 I believe where Alonit and Elaina are on the phone and Alonit is out partying and wasted. That was a riot to record in the studio.

[Listen to that clip from Episode 6 “Under the Hood” here!]