Voice Actor Troy Baker Recalls Being Replaced in Fullmetal Alchemist Due to Laughter

Before securing a role in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, actor Troy Baker attempted to land a part in the previous manga adaptation.

Troy Baker explained how he lost the role of Greed in the English dub of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime. The future voice of Joel from The Last of Us stumbled on his very first scene, which required him to laugh continuously for 30 seconds:

“In the first version of Fullmetal Alchemist, I was brought in to voice a character named Greed. And the very first scene required me to deliver 30 seconds of escalating, maniacal laughter.”

Troy Baker

Baker and the director spent about 15 to 20 minutes on the recording session but failed to achieve the desired result, ending the actor’s work on the character:

“We tried to record that scene for about 15 or 20 minutes because every time I did it, the laugh sounded terrible. It sounded kind of like air coming out of a balloon. It was bad. The director said, ‘Do you want to step out of the booth, pal?’ Well, at least I figured out what I’m not good at: I’m not good at laughing. That became especially funny a few years later when I had to audition for another character known for his laugh.”

Troy Baker

Baker was referring to the Joker, whom he later voiced in Batman: Arkham Origins and several other DC projects.

The actor eventually got a second chance to play Greed in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which followed the original manga’s plot more closely. Before starting work, Baker decided to clarify one detail right away:

“When I was brought in for Brotherhood, the first thing I asked was, ‘Does he have to laugh?’ The director replied, ‘No maniacal laughter.'”

Troy Baker

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