Lani Minella

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Lani Minella
Born
Lani Jean Minella

(1950-07-28) July 28, 1950 (age 71)
San Diego, California, U.S.
Alma materSan Diego State University
OccupationVoice actress, voice director, producer
Years active1992–present
Websitelaniminella.com

Lani Jean Minella (born July 28, 1950)[1][2] is an American voice actress, voice director, and producer mostly working in the games industry. She is also the founder and owner of the voice-acting agency, AudioGodz.[3]

Career[]

After college, Minella started on Morning Drive radio for an alternative station in the late 1980's. After hearing her celebrity impersonations, GTE Interactive Media contacted her and asked her to imitate voices from the movie FernGully: The Last Rainforest, which was being pitched for a LaserDisc presentation to Magnavox and Philips.[4] She was then referred by the company to their CD-Roms division, where she worked on more voices and assisted script writing on games for children.[5] Minella asked the company if there were others doing similar work, and they suggested that she should go to trade shows, which led her to attend showcases like Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Game Developers Conference in San Jose, and Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, where she gave out business cards but failed to get any offers. This led her to start her AudioGodz, a production company specializing in all aspects of voiceovers from talent to casting, directing, writing and production, in 1992.[6]

In 1996, Minella worked on a major first-person shooter video game, Duke Nukem 3D, as voice director and actress, voicing most of the female characters in the series. Lani helped cast the voice actor of Duke Nukem, Jon St. John. She met Jon when she was cast as the voice for a commercial he was producing in San Diego. After being impressed by her voices, Jon imitated the voices back at Lani and she asked if he had ever done voice acting for video games. She shortly got him a telephone interview with the game's creator, George Broussard, and eventually got him the part of Duke.[7]

Lani's first major voice role in a video game was for Her Interactive's adventure-mystery series Nancy Drew, starring as the titular character Nancy Drew, debuting with 1998's Secrets Can Kill. Lani reprised her role as Nancy Drew in 31 other video games, with her last being Sea of Darkness in 2015. Her Interactive's CEO then decided to find a voice actress local to the Seattle area (Lani lives in San Diego).[8]

Since starting her career and becoming well known for her unique 4-octave vocal range,[9] Lani has provided voices for many voices for other characters in a variety of video games, including Rouge the Bat in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, Ivy Valentine in the Soulcalibur series, and Lucas in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Personal life[]

Minella is half Italian.[10] In her spare time, she does vocal coaching, gardening, and taking care of her rescue pets.[11]

Filmography[]

Animation[]

List of voice performances in animation
Year Title Role Crew role, notes Source[12]
2002 Burn-Up Excess Maya Jingu, others English dub Resume
2003 .hack//SIGN Girl English dub [13]
2003 Geneshaft Dolce Saito, Chacha, others English dub [14]
2006 Justice League Unlimited Mayor of Central City Episode: "Flash and Substance" [14]
2007 All Grown Up! Kid, Old Woman Episode: "TF + KP [14]
2012 The Cleveland Show Hispanic Woman Episode: "Flush of Genius" [15]
2018 Motown Magic Lorenzo [14]

Feature films[]

List of voice performances in feature films
Year Title Role Crew role, notes Source[12]
1992 Ferngully: The Last Rainforest Background voices Debut voice role, LaserDisc release
2019 The Queen's Corgi Ginger US Version [16]
2019 It Chapter Two Loop Group Tweet[17]

Video games[]

List of voice performances in video games
Year Title Role Crew role, notes, region Source[12]
1995 Astal All voices [14]
1996 Bubsy 3D Bubsy Bobcat, others Voice Talent [14]
1996 Candy Land Adventure Captain Cookie, Princess Lolly, Queen Frostine, Gramma Nut, Tree 2, Red Ant 1, Queen Bee, Miner 1 [14]
1996 Diablo Adria the Witch, Wirt the Peg-Legged Boy [14]
1997–2002 The Land Before Time games Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Chomper, Spike, Mo Voice characterization [14]
1997–2002 Nightmare Ned games Sarah Needlemeyer video game only [14]
1998 Starcraft Dropship Pilot [18]
1998 Rocky & Bullwinkle's Know-It-All Quiz Game Sherman [14]
1998–2015 Nancy Drew games Nancy Drew, various characters [14]
1999 Snowboard Kids 2 Slash Kamei, Damien, Wendy Lane [14]
1999 Evil Zone Alty Lazel, Midori Himeno, Ihadurca [14]
1999 Duke Nukem: Zero Hour Female Commander Voice actor [14]
1999 Blue Stinger Janine King Voice actor and director [14]
1999 Tail Concerto Waffle Ryebread, Panta [14]
1999 40 Winks Ruff, Tumble, mother [19]
2000 Evil Dead: Hail to the King Anne Knowby, Grammy, Deadites [14]
2000 D2 Martha [20]
2001 Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Blood Raven, The Countess, Andariel, Malah, Ancients [14]
2001 Half-Life: Decay Gina Cross, Colette Green [14]
2001–2004 Sonic the Hedgehog games Omochao, Rouge the Bat, Void Voice actor and director; US/EUR/NA [14]
2001 AirBlade Kat Voice actor and director [14]
2001 Frogger: The Great Quest Various characters [14]
2002 Backyard Baseball 2003 Sunny Day, Vinnie the Gooch, others [14]
2002 Slots from Bally Gaming Olive Oyl, Betty Boop [14]
2002 Backyard Football Sunny Day, others [14]
2005–present Soulcalibur games Ivy Valentine Voice actor [14]
2006 The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II Galadriel, Spider Rider [14]
2007–present Fire Emblem games Mia (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn onward), Micaiah (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn only), Mist (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn only) Voice actor [14]
2007– Professor Layton games Luke (US English), Flora, Emmy, various others [14]
2008 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Pit, Lucas, Lyn [14]
2009 Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Lucia von Bardas [14]
2009 Borderlands Steele [14]
2009 New Super Mario Bros. Wii Larry Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, Wendy Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr. [14]
2010 Darksiders Silitha, Tiamat [14]
2010 Star Trek Online M'Tara, T'Nae, Sirella, Taris, Taelus, Vishka, Mivek, Computer voice, Jhu Terel, B'Elanna Torres, Nadel, others Voice actor, casting, and director [21][22]
2010 Amnesia: The Dark Descent Girl, Mother, Clarice Voice director [14]
2011 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Retribution Hive Mind [14]
2011 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Night Mother, Nocturnal, Aranea Ienith, Cindiri Arano, Dravynea the Stoneweaver, Idesa Sadri, Ildari Sarothril, Irileth, Jenassa, Marise Aravel, Niluva Hlaalu, Priestess of Boethiah, Sabine Nytte, Suvaris Atheron, Synda Llanith, Tilisu Severin, Katria, Female Dunmer [23]
2011 Mortal Kombat Sindel, Sheeva [24]
2012 Mass Effect 3 Eve, Asari Medic [14]
2012 Lucius Mary [14]
2013 Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm Slivan [14]
2013 The Last of Us Clickers, Runners, Bloaters Voice actor [14]
2014 Strider Nang Pooh, Xi Mang Wu, Female broadcaster [14]
2014 Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Lucas, Lyn, Larry, Lemmy, Morton, Wendy [14]
2016 Rad Rodgers: World One The Jungle Elder [14]
2017 XCOM 2 War of the Chosen Chosen Assassin [14]
2017 Remothered: Tormented Fathers Gloria, Red Nun As Lani "Alien Ilmann" Minella Press,[25] Resume
2018 Subnautica Sea Emperor [14]
2018 Remothered: Tormented Fathers Gloria Ashmann, Red Nun [14]
2018 War for the Overworld: The Under Games Overlord Lamash [26]
2018 God of War Pesta Tweet[27]
2018 Bendy and the Ink Machine Lacie Benton [28]
2018 Dark Parables: Return of the Salt Princess Serafina/Fire Witch/Fire Doll Voice actor
2018 Dark Parables: The Match Girl`s Lost Paradise Forest Witch Voice actor
2018 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Lucas, Lyn, Larry, Lemmy, Morton, Wendy [14]
2019 MediEvil Narrator Tweet[29]
2020 The Last of Us 2 Clickers, Runners, Bloaters Voice actor [14]

References[]

  1. ^ Minella, Lani (October 26, 2015). "Lani Minella's 58th Birthday Tribute". Facebook. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  2. ^ "Lani Jean Minella". californiabirthindex.org. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  3. ^ Gnatek, Tim (November 4, 2004). "Giving Voice to Video Games". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  4. ^ Sweeney, John (November 2, 2015). "Performance Matters: Interview with Veteran Voice Actress Lani Minella". SuperNerdLand. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  5. ^ AKA Knuckles Echidna, Josh (April 2, 2001). "Lani Minella interview". Sonic Retro. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  6. ^ Shirgley, Chris (July 30, 2015). "Immortal Darkness Interview: Lani Minella, Voice Actor". Immortal Darkness. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  7. ^ Dominguez, James (August 27, 2014). "Duke Nukem speaks: how a radio station director became one of gaming's most iconic voices". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  8. ^ "Interview with Lani Minella". Phoenix Star. January 23, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  9. ^ "Lani Minella – Videogame Voices". NandrewForever YouTube channel. June 28, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  10. ^ "Interview with Lani Minella: face to face with Ms. Gloria". Remothered.com. April 11, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  11. ^ "About". thewhitvault.com. 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Lani Minella's Credits" (PDF). Lani Minella. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  13. ^ ".hack//SIGN (TV) – Anime News Network". Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw "Lani Minella (visual voices guide)". BTVA. Retrieved December 7, 2018. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  15. ^ "Heard you on "The Cleveland Show"". Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  16. ^ "I play a redhead Scottish stable boy Ginger in this". Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  17. ^ Minella, Lani [@LaniMinella] (September 12, 2019). "Just heard a few of my creature voices made it into this movie. After it's been out a while and if I get to see it, I'll let you know which ones. Yay!" (Tweet). Retrieved September 12, 2019 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ "Phoenix Interviews Lani Minella".
  19. ^ "Isn't that your voice?