Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 actor reveals the terrible advice he received from Ben Starr

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has cultivated such a devoted following that some fans have gone as far as mailing wedding invitations to the cast.

Rich Keeble, the voice behind the Gestral warrior Monoco and a host of other characters, shared the anecdote during a recent interview. “I actually had an email forwarded to me from people who wanted to invite us to their weddings,” he chuckled. “I joked that it would be hilarious if I showed up just for the free meal.”

While Keeble felt confident in the project during production, the sheer scale of its reception took him by surprise. He frequently encounters “wonderful people” at conventions who hail Expedition 33 as a landmark title of the decade, with some even sporting commemorative tattoos. However, he notes with a laugh that not every fan has extended a wedding invite.

Keeble admits he never anticipated this level of stardom. Starting his acting career in his early 30s, he carved out a niche by leveraging his deep voice and comedic timing, while balancing on-camera roles. Even now, more than a year post-launch, the game’s overwhelming success—including a recent BAFTA win for Best Game—feels somewhat surreal to him. Despite the accolades, he confesses that the nerves he feels in the recording booth have never quite vanished.

Keeble recalls that meeting costars like Ben Starr (Verso) and Kirsty Rider (Lune) before recording began was a rare privilege. “Usually, you don’t even know who your castmates are until the game hits the shelves,” he noted.

As the April 2025 launch approached, Keeble watched the game’s momentum build in real time. He remembers grabbing coffee with Ben Starr to discuss the growing buzz. While Starr was optimistic, he urged caution, worried that the turn-based combat might alienate a segment of the audience. “He predicted it would do well, but he didn’t expect it to become a Baldur’s Gate 3-level phenomenon,” Keeble said. Ultimately, Starr’s attempts to manage expectations were proven hilariously wrong by the game’s massive success.

Beneath the weight of its central themes of grief, Expedition 33 finds room for profound absurdity. Whether it’s characters sporting baguette-laden outfits or bizarre journal entries about “naked and jacked” explorers, the game refuses to take itself too seriously at all times.

Keeble’s Monoco provides a perfect anchor for this levity. He fondly recalls his debut scene—where Monoco responds to a recruitment plea with a blunt “OK, bye”—as a career highlight. Ben Starr had predicted that specific moment would go viral, and he was right: it racked up over five million views shortly after launch. “I love that even without a face, Monoco remains incredibly expressive,” Keeble remarked. “It’s brilliant design.”

When the game finally premiered, Keeble was just as stunned by the narrative twists as the players. Though he had access to a character bible, it only provided context for Monoco’s immediate surroundings rather than the wider world. “Perhaps they withheld the fact that he was actually a dog because they knew I’d get confused,” he joked.

Ultimately, Keeble voiced 11 different characters in the game. He admits that his tendency to “mess around” with silly voices during breaks to combat his own anxiety led to the developers tapping him for more roles. “I’m constantly dying inside and worrying about what people think of me,” he confessed, noting that he often finds common ground with fans who approach him at conventions feeling nervous. His advice to them? “I just pretend to be confident. Most of us are just winging it.”

Source: Polygon