Sara Secora (Borderlands 4, Fallout 76, Smite)

Award Nominated Voice Actor, Sara Secora joins Gone Gold as we delve in to an impressive career across multiple Triple A titles and key characters she has showcased. From games such as Borderlands 4, Dragon Age: Veilguard, Warframe, Bye Sweet Carole and more - Sara talks about some of the processes and elements behind her key performances. 

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Transcript

Simon Hill (Host): 0:03

Hello and welcome to another episode of Gone Gold with me, Simon Hill, esports host, industry presenter and TV personality. Yes, it feels good to be back. December was a busy time, but we made it through to the other side. Happy 2026, everyone, and thank you for joining us on the first episode of the year. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. So I want to know what were your ultimate gaming moments of 2025. If you want to hear about them, you can text a show and share yours with us, and we'll read them out on next week's episode. Simply click the text the show button on your podcast page, and I'll look forward to hearing about your favourite gaming moments of the year. So just to help poke and prod that a little bit, I'll give you mine before we delve into this week's episode. Several come to mind. It was a great year to see Battlefield return to form and dice to produce such a great experience. Really happy to see the direction they're going in with that. Also, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, in my opinion, was a masterpiece. But I think the ultimate moment for me was a game that originally flew under my radar, and it only came to my attention after the game awards and then after I spoke to the studio. And that was Dispatch, which is now my game of the year. It's such a unique narrative-driven experience, a great story with characters so well written, and I will go on record to say this that I think it would challenge any modern DC film. He's hoping for another season of that this year from ad hoc studio. So really looking forward to seeing what happens with Dispatch. A really good game, really fantastic experience. And if you haven't played it yet, I'd definitely recommend you go and check that out as well. For 2026, we have some big plans for the show and a long list of guests I'm excited to announce and reveal over the coming weeks. So make sure you're following Gone Gold across X, Instagram, and TikTok for your regular updates, including video footage of these interviews. I'm sure one day I will actually just release the full episodes in video form as well. It's a lot of work, believe me. However, the numbers across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podchaser, they're doing really well. So we'll continue down that road for now. I've also noticed plenty of you wonderful people engaging with the show and also leaving us a rating on your chosen platform. Let's continue to do that. It's completely free to do. It costs just three seconds, you can do this right now, to scroll down, hit the stars on the platform you're listening on, whether that be Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon Music, etc. It will also help build more awareness for the show and allow us to approach more guests and studios in the future. And we also want to hear who you'd like to see on the show. Right, shall we get into our first conversation of 2026? On our last episode, we were joined by the wonderfully talented Nadia Marshall, who afterwards recommended I reach out to a few of her friends, including my next guest, an award-nominated voice actor who has had multiple leading roles and appeared in such games Fallout 76, Smite, Warframe, Borderlands 4, and many, many more. It's a who's who list, isn't it? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Gone Gold with Sarah Sakura. Story of our next guest is one of persistence, commitment, and sacrifice. Now she's an award-nominated voice actor who has thrived in the industry, performing in multiple AAA games, including Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Fallout 76, Borderlands 4, Dragon Age Vile Guard, and many more. We're about to uncover the journey that has led her to this moment in her professional career. Ladies and gentlemen, Detroit's very own Sarah Socora. Sarah, welcome to Gone Gold.

Sara Secora: 4:15

Thank you, thank you. I appreciate it. Nice intro.

Simon Hill (Host): 4:17

Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Uh firstly, happy new year. And I know we've been trying to make this happen for a while now. Big shout out to Nadia Marshall, who was previously on Gone Gold. She put us in touch and now we're here. How has the 2025 year been for Sarah Socorro? You've ended on a high, and 2026 are already looking good for you with plenty more opportunities.

Sara Secora: 4:40

Yeah, I mean, I can't complain. I feel like I'm in a very fortunate position given the fact that I do work entirely remotely as a voice actor from a place that's not a hub for voiceover. So, you know, can't complain. Um, I'm really interested to see what this year brings and and kind of this momentum that I've been having for the for the past couple of years, like where's the next step, right? Um, and so yeah, I I guess it's kind of a question mark to some degree to me right now, but that's the fun part, I think, is never truly knowing what the next thing is gonna be.

Simon Hill (Host): 5:15

Yeah, absolutely. And what are some of the highlights that you'd taken away from 2025?

Sara Secora: 5:20

Well, I got to start my husband into his own voice acting journey, which was really fun and unexpected. I never thought he's an IT guy, so I never thought he would be into that. Um, but yeah, we got to, you know, exploring it and he he's really been enjoying commercials. So he got his first um agent. He's freelancing with one, and they just sent him his first audition yesterday. I don't know. I'm having a lot of fun with that. And surprisingly, I'm having a lot of fun with the teaching elements um and the casting elements and directing for voiceover. I I like being in all these different, I guess, seats and wearing all these different hats within voiceover um on top of the acting itself. So I've been focusing a lot on those things too. Um, and I think they've really helped me both like learn as a voice actor about, you know, from casting, from that perspective of how to submit um with a I guess a better mindset to and like how to translate my acting to a casting director, how to, you know, appreciate their time and effort, how to just send better auditions. And when it comes to directing, how to be more directable and how to make sessions less of a headache for other people. And, you know, when I get to be in that seat, seeing it from that perspective, it's glaring what some of the issues could be, right? So it's a really cool perspective for me. And and same with teaching, you know, getting to have that amazing reminder of what starting looks like. Because I think when you're 12 years in like myself, it gets a little blurry. But seeing people in their beginning stages can really make me appreciate how far I've really come in this. Cause I started with no theater degree, no background in acting. Um, I was very much fresh into this and I just had the goal of being in video games. And so I think I've achieved that. But at the time, you know, I just I had nothing. I didn't know anybody that did this. I just kept like poking away at it online until something kind of opened. But yeah, I would say my my big learning of 2025 is just more about how to better harness my skill for other people so that I can, you know, be better at my job and not a nuisance and just more efficient, you know.

Simon Hill (Host): 7:36

That's very humble of you. And let's go on this journey. We've already mentioned the super talented Nadia Marshall, a big shout out, but you were also recently in a game with Nadia titled By Sweet Carol. We discussed the game quite a bit. Spoiler alert, the studio will also be appearing on the show in the near future. You played Vicky Trant in the game. Talk to us about the process of working on this beautiful artistic horror narrative adventure.

Sara Secora: 8:03

Um, so yeah, I got to be the mean girl. I did not, you know, necessarily know when I was, you know, talking to the team what it was gonna turn out to be. You know, I remember I got to audition for a few characters. I auditioned for the lead. I also auditioned for Amanda, and then I landed on Vicky. And uh I didn't really know much about Vicky at first, but the more I got to see the progress of the game come out, and they were were releasing so many cool tidbits about the game and the imagery and everything, I really got to know her better. So there was a couple times I recorded for her. Um, and as I got to learn more about her through their own posting, um, it really helped me kind of figure out where I wanted to go with her. And I think she's quite an interesting character because it's like, you know, spoiler alert a little bit, um, she's the the mean girl that turns out to be not so mean, you know, you don't hate her in the end. And I I love stories like that where, you know, it's nobody is entirely black and white. You know, there's not always an extreme evil or extreme good. And to see a character that has that kind of both sides of the coin where you can see maybe why she was acting the way she was acting a little bit um and humanize her more is really cool. So I I really enjoyed that. And I mean, honestly, the the whole team, everything they've created is insane. It's winning awards and nominations for good reason. It's a beautiful hand-drawn animation turned video game. Um, incredible.

Simon Hill (Host): 9:34

It is stunning, and I'd recommend anyone to go and check it out. And you just started to break down the character there, so let's dive into that. She's Vicky's a very dominant character, you've said a leader, a bit of a mean girl in the game. She persistently targets one of the main characters, Lana. Then there's this secondary layer to play with, where it's almost like a good side, a little bit of regret at times. How did you manage to explore this wide range of emotions in the character and how do you get to grips with that on this project?

Sara Secora: 10:05

I think, you know, with the with the information I was given, you know, a lot of times we don't have the full story. Um, in this case, it was a self-record as well, so I didn't even have a director present. Um, in some cases, that hurts the acting, in some cases, it helps the acting. I can really take my time in the positive side of it. I can really take my time to kind of dive into it, read between the lines, and maybe give a few extra takes than they would necessarily ask for. Um, so I I really just kind of wanted to honor the the Disney element of this game, uh, make these characters brighter than you know, the maybe standard grounded approach of a game. Um, so she has a very kind of I I love I love kind of comparing it to the like Mary Poppins-esque, because I do a British accent in it. And um, I I did that with with um with Warframe as well, one of my characters. She she kind of has that demented Mary Poppins vibe, but Vicky does too. Um, where they she kind of has this like overbearing trying to be super peppy happy. Um, but then she's also got this little evil twist to her. That's um that's just kind of fun to play with. I would say for the emotional side, I really just wanted her to feel like a real kid um with the Disney twist. So she's being a bully. Um, she's kind of like you said, like the ringleader of the bullies, and she's picking fun at this girl. And as the game goes on, you start to see peel back the layers of who she really is, and you know, maybe she's not all bad. Um, and then you just soften her. So at first it's like, you know, when you think of mean girls at school, you're playing up, like they're all kind of reacting off each other and haha, point make fun. But later on, you have these characters that are just kind of like they don't need to be so performative. And I don't mean necessarily in the acting, but I mean in that like fake mean girl thing, you know. I was never the popular girl at school. I definitely was a kid getting picked on. So I'm like, oh yeah, I remember so-and-so from back then and how they would talk. And they're not so tough when you kind of isolate them, you know. So I just kind of pulled from that thought, you know, and and tried to make sure to show some of her softer sides later on.

Simon Hill (Host): 12:22

Do you share any similarities with Vicky? She's considered very artistic, she loves to read. Uh, she's also quite defensive when it comes to threats made towards those she cares about.

Sara Secora: 12:33

I think I think there's a lot of qualities and a lot of characters that we could pull from. Like I said, I don't think anything is all good or all bad in most cases. Yeah. Um, there may be some examples in, you know, video games where that's not true, but I just mean in real life. There's very few things that are all good or all bad. Um, so yeah, I definitely think there's qualities of her that anybody could find relatable. And I think that's what made it so nice towards the end is seeing that human side of her kind of come out a little bit more and showing that she she's more than just a bully.

Simon Hill (Host): 13:02

Yeah. This required a specific style of acting as your character had multiple layers that you required to explore and showcase during your performance. How important is it to have a professional acting background or training when it comes to voice work?

Sara Secora: 13:17

So, voiceover and voice acting, in my opinion, are incredibly different. You know, with voice over, you've got like audiobooks and commercial voiceover and things like that, but voice acting, um, the acting becomes the primary focus in that, where you really do need foundations and how to act more than you need to worry about having cool voices or doing impressions or whatnot. So I'd say it's really important to uh to gain that acting background, build those foundations, know how to connect both to scene and the characters that you might be talking to, the relationship, and even your own character, um, having that reactivity is really important, knowing how to not be like T posing in a white space, but actually part of this world. Um, and being able to have characters that have varying emotions and can sometimes have these like dualities happening at the same time. Um, it's really important to know how to just connect to all that, express it. Um, and the ultimate goal is to create immersion for the listener. So if you're not able to create that, I think that's where it starts to fall flat.

Simon Hill (Host): 14:24

You've played many characters during your successful career thus far. You were also part of additional voices from one of the biggest global IPs in video games, especially of last year, Borderlands 4. Talk to us about how this came about for you and the difference in process when it comes to exploring a more broader scope of voice acting whilst working on these triple A games.

Sara Secora: 14:45

Yeah, so Borderlands 4 uh blew my socks off when I got that email. Um, I have always been a big fan of that IP, so to be told that I'm gonna be part of it's huge. Um, I got to be um a couple things. So obviously, some NPCs you'll hear throughout the world, but I also got to voice some of the rippers, which was really cool. Um, I worked really hard on that. Um, that was the most vocally stressing role of my life. Um, but it was so cool. I worked with some of the legends behind Borderlands over at Gearbox, people I've looked up to for a very long time, alongside an incredible cast of people that I just still kind of can't believe it, to be honest. Um, but yeah, I mean, the process was interesting. It's Borderlands. It's definitely not your most grounded, um, pulled back read possible. It's it's over the top, it's wacky, it's outrageous, it's it's really cool. And um, it's some of the the highlights of my career for sure. Just getting to do those sessions with those everybody that was part of them. Um, and I feel really thankful for it. I think the the experience really helped me learn about my own breaking point with vocal uh strain and how far I can really take that. So it was um very eye-opening for me. Um, but I'm so glad I did it. And it was a it just yeah, I don't know how else to put it was awesome because it was just beyond awesome.

Simon Hill (Host): 16:09

Oh, that sounds great. Were you a fan of the IP previously? Yeah. So oh man.

Sara Secora: 16:14

Oh, yeah.

Simon Hill (Host): 16:15

So does that carry strength going into a role like this? You're already a fan of the IP, so you know what to expect and what you're going into. Does that give you a bit of an edge?

Sara Secora: 16:24

Yeah, I think so. Because when the team's like, oh, this is Borderlands, let me tell you the story. I'm like, I understand the story. I've played them, I've played all of them. Um, so I I totally understand. And, you know, any new information's great, but I'm like, you know, you don't have to go through the whole speech of what Borderlands is because I understand. And you know, same things happened when I was talking to like Bethesda about Fallout, and they're like, let me tell you about Fallout 76. I'm like, I actively play this, so you're good. Um, but it, you know, I think they like that because they, you know, they want people who enjoy the game in there and that who understand it. Not that it's a requirement, but you know, it's cool, it's a bonus to them. You can see uh how it kind of lightens the room. Um, so yeah, I definitely think it helps, definitely from that perspective, but also from the perspective of um preparation for myself. Because if you don't know the style of a read or kind of, you know, the general guardrails of how to do this role, it can be a little bit um intimidating. Because, you know, like for example, I worked on um Digimon, really fun project. I was it was a bit more of a learning curve because I'm not as familiar with it. I know of it, but I was more of um a Pokemon watcher as a kid. So I didn't have a huge background in Digimon and I was trying to like cram some information in and learn about it more, but like it was really helpful to have the team sit there and explain more of the story and kind of what we're aiming for. So sometimes it's you know, it's a big help to go in there with that knowledge already at hand.

Simon Hill (Host): 17:51

As we know, you've already mentioned that the tone of Borderlands is very lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek humor with an element of chaos added in. Were you able to play around with this during your time working on the game and in the studio?

Sara Secora: 18:04

Oh, absolutely. I mean, they they it's all about play at that point. And, you know, the crazier that you can be sometimes the better, especially for a character like a Ripper. You know, I'm talking about, you know, I think I remember one particular part talking about um biting someone's thigh, talking to one of the male characters, and I said, This one's for my husband, and then I did the line. And it's just the whole room laughs, and it's just it's silly. It's it's meant to be. Um, and so the more I think that you have fun with it, and that's in that scenario, the better. I mean, you're saying the craziest stuff. Um, and I I think that is by far the most wild script I've ever had in my life. And I am I'm wondering if anything could top it, but I doubt.

Simon Hill (Host): 18:49

We're championing for more in 2026, Sarah. That's what we're doing. I'm down for the challenge. And you've also been a regular feature in another big AAA game. You've just mentioned it there, the ever-evolving and expansive Fallout 76. One of the more memorable roles you've played in that game was your performance as Patricia Myers, the leader of the Nuka World Carnival. There was some fun dialogue to explore again here. Different layers to your character from the fun, loving, sporadic personality. Then there's this extra story about Pete and Dell. What do you remember about your time on Fallout 76?

Sara Secora: 19:25

Oh man, stress. I I was given that role as they they offered it to me, and I had not auditioned for it, and I was like, ooh, I really want this, obviously. Um, however, there was a note that said that she had a Boston accent. Well, I do not have a Boston accent, nor do I know how to do one. So I wrote them back and was like, hey, is is that optional? And they were like, no. So I said, Well, okay, I transparency. I don't know how to do that, but I have a dialogue coach and I'm down to try. And they said, Okay, you got one week. And that was my recording session a week later. So I had two dialogue coaches. They phonetically changed my script. I mean, we did everything you could think of. Um, I was walking around the house talking in this crappy Boston accent. That is not an easy accent to pick up. It is so particular. Um, and it was it was really stressful. And I spent a lot of money on that. Um, and then I get into the session, meet the team over at Bethesda, and I, you know, we start, you know, we do a line or two, and then he goes, Hey Sarah, where are you from? I said, Detroit. He goes, lean into that. Forget the Boston. And I said, Oh, thank God. I mean, like hundreds of dollars I wish I didn't spend, but it was a really cool experience. I'm glad I tried. Had I not said I was willing to try, I wouldn't have been in that room. So, you know, sometimes you gotta, I always trust my team. Sometimes I get asked to voice things that I'm like, are you sure? And I tell them about my concerns and they still want to move forward, then I'm like, okay. Um, I've been asked to voice adult men. I mean, that's not something I think I can necessarily do, but if they believe it, sure. Um any anything they want to do, honestly. If they're asking you to come in over other people, then they I assume know that that's what they want. So I just trust the client at the end of the day. And um, that's what I did there. I tried my best. And honestly, I think I didn't do a half, well, okay, I did probably a half terrible job, but at least the other half of it wasn't very terrible. Um, and I'm glad I tried and I had so much fun. Um, Pat is a very special character to me. Um, she she has a whole lot of heaviness on her, um, but she's still got some spunk too. And I just, yeah, that was cool to be like the ringleader of that entire DLC right there was really cool.

Simon Hill (Host): 21:44

Let's hope Pat's gonna make it into Fallout 5 in the future. Who knows? We'll see. Fingers crossed. And working with studios like Bethesda and Gearbox, do you get a different insight into the business through these kind of studios?

Sara Secora: 22:00

Yeah, I mean, for sure, there's a higher expectation of professionalism and get it done, ism. Um, and yeah, they they they have a certain expectation. I think with indie, it's a little bit more Wild West. Um, they're not always as prepared. There's not as much structure. Um, and I think there's also a lot of leniency in a good way. Um, like I said, with like the by sweet Carol, I got to record on my own. Um, that was done in a very indie structure. While obviously Bethesda and like other companies I've worked with, they have a more strict one where it's all live. Um, with you know, you got the narrative team and you got the director and you got some assistant making notes, and then you've got, you know, engineer and you've got so many different people. You might have anywhere from like three to eight people in a call, depends. Um, so it can be a lot different in in the atmosphere and just kind of, I guess, that strict kind of structure. But both, again, have pros and cons. I've I've come to really prefer live directs because I feel like I'm getting the information live versus recording something, finding out later I did it all wrong because it's actually some other context that I didn't get and it changes everything. Or, you know, I rather get it done right with people there to guide me, make sure everything is going well, and have that collaborative effort.

Simon Hill (Host): 23:20

I can imagine. And your first two AAA titles that you worked on as a voice actor, Warframe and Smite, what do you think you'd taken away from those two experiences within your first year of this new journey you'd set out for yourself? And how do you feel that that began to shape who you are today as a professional voice actor?

Sara Secora: 23:41

Those are actually the first two I booked, and I booked them uh about a week apart.

Simon Hill (Host): 23:45

Incredible.

Sara Secora: 23:46

Um, so it was pretty overwhelming. I was like, oh geez. Um, kind of blew that, you know, triple A door wide open. And I was like, okay. Um, you know, it it was a really hard thing, especially somebody with an anxiety disorder. I'm very open about that. Um, I get really frazzled quite easily. Um, and that really was a difficult thing. But I was so thankful with you know, Warframe, I had Cam Rogers as my director, who's turned into a really close friend of mine. And he made that experience very, you know, I could get through it, survive, even though I was having some difficulties with the anxiety front, and also I was having some vocal strain that day. So a lot of yelling made that hard. And, you know, with um with Smite, I had Nazi Tarja, who is just an incredible being all the way around. Um so I don't know, I just I think I was really lucky. I booked two games that ended up having people behind it who were super kind and warm and welcoming that made that entry easy despite my anxiety. And then if you look now, um, I'm casting and directing for Smite, and I am now sometimes casting for Warframe 2. So I'm very involved in these games that ended up being my entry point, which is kind of crazy.

Simon Hill (Host): 25:04

I mean, the growth there is unbelievable, isn't it?

Sara Secora: 25:07

Complete full circle.

Simon Hill (Host): 25:09

And do you look back on those obviously with thumb memory, but do you think there's an element of growth within your acting as well from those early jobs, being able to learn, now being a part of the process, but also it's elevated your skill set to being able to be in games like Borderlands and Fallout and things like this? Oh, a hundred percent.

Sara Secora: 25:30

Yeah. I mean, it's all a ladder at the end of the day. And I I feel like my ladder, some people they they get through their ladder quickly. I was a very slow burner. Um, a lot a lot of that uh time that I guess I spent for like, I don't even know, what was it, six, seven, eight years? Um, I spent just trying to make indie stuff work because I had believed that that's all I was capable of doing. And then when that door blew open and I started to get to go into that triple A space, um, it kind of reshaped my perspective and how I was even looking at this as a career. Because before I was like, nobody's gonna want to deal with the remote only person because that's what I was told over and over and over. Um, but yeah, I'm I don't know. I guess my entire perspective, the way that I view my job, the way that I tackled, I guess, you know, the expectations and and what I even wanted out of this. Everything shifted and it really started with those two games.

Simon Hill (Host): 26:29

We mentioned it during the introduction. You have also received a nomination at the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences, also known as the Sovas Awards. This was for your work on the motion picture Bonnie Bear's Back to Earth. Awards are always a fun conversation because for most people that's not the reason they get into the entertainment business. However, that level of recognition is also quite valuable to an artist. How did you feel about receiving the nomination and what are your fond memories looking back at that moment?

Sara Secora: 27:00

Um, my friend recorded uh a little video for me of them announcing my name next to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cast and the Elemental cast and ice cubes up there, and then they just mentioned my little name at the end. And you know, obviously I didn't win, I never expected to, but to be up there to have my name called um was crazy. And it's still to this day, I'll randomly just like play it, show it to a family member or something, be like, this really happened. Um, because I can't believe it. You know, that's a huge category for the Sovas Awards, the the animated movie category. Um, and you know, I I submitted it just kind of for fun, not thinking anything of it. And then I got that email and it, you know, again, the the perspective of like what I'm capable of, it keeps changing because I I keep, you know, reaching new heights that I didn't think I was capable of. Um, I think partially because, you know, because of that remote status, but also just, I don't know. It's you have a lot of, I think it's normal for people to have like imposter syndrome and doubts and whatnot. So I'm just like, okay, what's a reasonable expectation? Because I like to create goals and and and go for things that I believe are actually obtainable. But when that happened, I was like, that my first nomination I've ever received was like one of the biggest ones you could have gotten from a SOMAS. And so I was like, that's crazy. Uh didn't mean for that, but I'm also loving it because that's cool. It's validation that that tells me, hey, I'm doing something right. Um and I think more than anything, that that just fuels my desire to keep going for bigger goals and to push myself harder. Because at the end of the day, my biggest and only true competition is myself. And I think actors can stand in front of their own way a lot, especially when they are having this like doubt war with themselves and they're keeping their expectations low. And sometimes you just need those moments where it's like it shatters that and it just says, No, you are capable of more, don't doubt yourself. And for me, that was a big moment where that kind of happened for me.

Simon Hill (Host): 29:09

I feel like throughout this entire episode, we've gone through achievements, and again, I think I mentioned it in the introduction how persistence and commitment, sacrifice has been at the forefront of everything you've done in this industry so far, and you're being rewarded bit by bit, year by year. You had potentially the best year in 2025 that you've had to date, of course. That certainly topping the charts with it. And another landmark within your voice acting career saw you as Dunizard, I hope I pronounced that right, on Genshin Impact. You voiced the English version of that character. What were some of the challenges you had to overcome during this recording process? And as an extension to that question, what do you remember specifically about the passionate community who really connected with your performance?

Sara Secora: 29:58

I mean, she was the first character I ever voiced that had any sort of uh disability of any kind. She had a terminal illness that prevented her from being able to go outside and travel and do the thing she wanted to do, which as a person who is homebound and disabled, uh, that really hit a note for me. And what's so funny is I don't think the team even knew that at first. I eventually told them because I was reading lines that were literally saying how she's stuck inside of her house, just watching the world pass her by and that she can't be part of it. And I was like, guys, I to a point don't have to act anymore because it's already in my natural voice for the most part. Um, all I had to do was connect to this, what I'm saying, you know, that's acting, connecting. Um, and I was like, I it just by default, that is a connection for me. So the room got pretty emotional as I was going through those parts um because I don't they I don't think they knew. And when I got to announce her and other all these people who play that, you know, have their own disabilities, their own things that they feel make them different in that way, where it may be um a limitation of some kind. They were messaging me saying that they felt seen and that they love that somebody who also has a disability was able to voice her, uh, because it gave that representation in a really believable, honest way. Um, while I don't have a terminal illness, it is very close to heart. Just all those moments I had to talk about, how she was so limited as a child and missed out on so much life and got stuck in one place and how bad it hurt her. Um, I totally, from a deep perspective, understand. So um, yeah, for me, that that was just remarkable. I loved getting to do it. I hope for a day where I actually get to voice a character with my own disability. That would be really special to me. Um, you know, because I do know that sometimes I get sent, oh, here's a character in a wheelchair because they're looking for a disabled actor. And it's not really fair to think of disability as a monolith. Like I don't have a physical disability. Um, the same if if they ask me to voice somebody who's blind or hard of hearing. Um, I don't think that's fair because that's not necessarily, we're not all just one thing. Um I feel like disability does need more representation in media as a whole, but I think being more specific with them as well and not doing that monolith um with all of them would be the most beneficial in the long run. But I do think with her, because of her being stuck at home so much and me having that exact um experience with being stuck at home and those feelings, I do feel like I was able to really connect to her and represent her well. Um because her her illness was also Lazar, you know, it's not a real thing. So I think to a degree that's okay. Um they're not always going to be the same.

Simon Hill (Host): 32:55

I'm going to jump a few questions as we're on the subject. I'm a firm believer in also utilizing these platforms for awareness, and I'm gonna let you lead on this subject. You're a dedicated disability advocate and a pioneer for improved accessibility within voice acting. This also comes with the personal obstacles you've also just spoken about that you've had to fight throughout your career.

Sara Secora: 33:19

So, like, you might not want to talk about your disability, and this is kind of what I want to say to other actors that maybe have it and don't know if they should say it. Um, because you don't want to be a burden, you don't want to be looked at as lesser or anything like that. And you're viewing it like, oh, is this a bad thing to say? Will this make an agent not want to sign me or a client not want to work with me because I am differently abled or require something extra or whatever? Um, it's a personal choice, I think, for every actor to decide if they want that to be known, just like anything else. Um but at the end of the day, I chose to be very open about it because I wanted to empower people with my specific disability and really any, but mine in particular really hits a pretty hard cord because I've met a whole lot of people with it. And um, the amount of people that are like shut down to the point where they don't talk to family, they don't pick up the phone, uh, they don't leave a room, like a singular room they won't leave. Um, and they lose everything. And I just wanted to show them that I have not beat my disability, nor do I think I will ever, in my personal opinion. Um, but I do think that you can still live a full life despite it. I have a home, I have a husband, I have a bunch of pets, I have a career I love, I have a fulfilling, wonderful life despite it. And it might be really hard to think that's possible for you. And I just wanted to give people hope. So I came out as, you know, a disabled person, which was hard because I had all those feelings. You know, are people gonna think less of me? Or, you know, is the talk of a burden or a weirdo or whatever? Is that gonna come up? And it's just, it's, it's hard. Um, but I decided not to care about those people and care more about living my truth and letting other people with this know that life isn't over. Um, because yeah, like I said, I met a lot of them. And in my journey, I have met two other people with my disability who have then turned to voiceover and are on their own journeys with it. And it's really cool to see them um putting their time and love into this thing that they're nurturing and hoping grows. And yeah, I I feel really good knowing that I've at least inspired two other people that have what I have to take that chance. It doesn't have to be voiceover, it can be anything. Um, but in particular, those two people really stand out to me.

Simon Hill (Host): 35:44

Such a beautiful perspective, Sarah. I want to thank you for sharing that as well. I can understand it can be quite difficult at times, but the fact that you're so open and inviting other people to talk about that, I think is so important within this industry. And you've hit the nail on the head. I think a lot of people worry and are concerned that people will look at them in a different way. So to know that you're able to be so open, and that's not the case for you and for some of your colleagues and friends, peers, that they're able to do what they love and not be looked down on, I think is is a beautiful message. Yeah. One thing that I read and found fascinating is your Ukrainian, Polish, and British heritage. There's lots to dive into there. You've got obviously got to explore the British side in some of your characters. Have you managed to implement any others within your voiceover work as of yet?

Sara Secora: 36:31

Yeah, what's so funny is I've never like trained in accents, and the only two that I can like strongly do that are not American accents is my like London British accent and also my like broadly Eastern European. I call it broad because I don't think it's it fits a specific region, but I've used both. Um and I just I'm like, is that just like my ancestors coming forth and being like, you know how to do this? This is just part of you. Um, but yeah, I I, you know, given our current climate, really embrace um my Eastern European side. It's the side I connected to more growing up because of the family members I have and the culture that I was around. And I did really embrace um the Polish and Ukrainian sides. Um my grandparents took me to festivals because in in Detroit, there's a lot of Polish and Ukrainian people, tons. Um, so there's a there's like Polish markets and and uh Ukrainian festivals we have here, and I don't know, it's just uh it's really special to me growing up in that. I haven't really uh explored my British side as much. It's more of my mom's side. I don't think anybody really did anything. There was no like cultural celebrations for that, but um yeah, that when I when I did a 23andMe, I'm like a 50-50, so it's quite interesting.

Simon Hill (Host): 37:53

That's fascinating. Hopefully, there'll be more opportunities to utilize that in your career as well in the future. That'd be awesome, wouldn't it?

Sara Secora: 38:00

I have had quite a few people come to me with auditions specifically for Ukrainians. Um, so I find that that's awesome. More of that.

Simon Hill (Host): 38:08

Yeah, definitely, definitely. Before we wrap up, I'm going to put you on the spot here and ask you for your most influential games of all time. I know you're a gamer, you have been for a long time. You had a YouTube channel that you were quite active on. What games shaped you as a gamer, and what were the ones that you connected with the most growing up?

Sara Secora: 38:31

Okay. I have a few. So Gears of War was a very special one to me. I had a lot of community on that game. Um, and I really just enjoyed the competitive spirit. I even named my cat Carmine, who's sitting right next to me. His name is Carmine Anthony. And Anthony is the middle name because there's a couple Carmines. I want to be clear that he's named after Anthony Carmine, the best one. Um and then I'd say League of Legends is probably the game of all games that I wish I could be in more than anything because I love that game and I've been playing it since season one, and I'm very competitive in that. I I'm you'll see I'm quite a competitive gamer. A lot of my answers are gonna be revolving around that. Um, I'm really into Overwatch right now. That game has been just kind of my uh no lifing during break game. Um, I find Harvest Moon to be a big one for my childhood.

Simon Hill (Host): 39:24

Yeah.

Sara Secora: 39:25

I was really into Harvest Moon. Um, and I would say, gosh, there's a couple, I'll kind of wrap it these. Uh so Portal, Mass Effect, Bioshock, um, Elder Scrolls, all of those are like staples. Just staples in my in my gaming career. Um, I love them. And and World of Warcraft. I'm probably missing a bunch, but I'd say all those are very, very important to me in some capacity.

Simon Hill (Host): 39:53

There's a wide variety there, isn't there? There's so much to dive into. Uh, I think again, you kind of touched upon a Really key era when you mention the likes of Portal and Bioshock and Gears. That era of gaming was really popular for those explorative action games, wasn't it?

Sara Secora: 40:12

Oh, and Halo.

Simon Hill (Host): 40:13

Oh, yeah, Halo. The original, especially, I still think is one of the best shooters of all time.

Sara Secora: 40:18

Yeah. Yeah, I mean you put so many hours in there. Halo 2 was my favorite by far.

Simon Hill (Host): 40:23

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Everyone has goals in this industry and things they want to achieve. You've already built such a mound of achievements in a short span. You had a fantastic 2025, as we've covered a lot in this conversation so far. What's on the list for 2026? What's left to tick off for you?

Sara Secora: 40:45

I'm spending this year trying to get more involved in the animation side of things, um, particularly the adult animation side. Um, more of that like on-screen realism. I'd love to get into that. I'm gonna be trying my best. And then um, I would love to be more front and center, you know. NPCs are cool. I'd like to just be maybe more supporting. If I could lead in something, I'd be great. Um, and I'd love to voice in some kind of commercial with my husband. I know it's a weird one, but like I've done commercial reads with him in the past where it's like we're doing it together and kind of like, you know, line for line, reacting off each other. And I would love to do something with him. That would be really, really fun. Um, I think those are my main goals, honestly.

Simon Hill (Host): 41:30

I know when I spoke to Morgan Taylor, she said she would love to be in Call of Duty. Elena Vis said she'd love to be in The Last of Us. Is there a specific IP for you that you would just love the opportunity to shine in?

Sara Secora: 41:43

League of Legends and World of Warcraft are the top two. Yeah. There we go.

Simon Hill (Host): 41:48

We're manifesting for 2026.

Sara Secora: 41:50

Yeah, those two I would love.

Simon Hill (Host): 41:52

Sarah, this has been fantastic. When Nadia put me in touch and I started doing my research, I was like, man, she has been everywhere, she's been in all these incredible games, and I started watching footage and I just thought, what an incredible talent and what a wonderful person as I was watching some of the interviews you've done in the past. So I'd like to thank you for for being on Gone Gold and I really appreciate your time. This has been such an insightful interview. Also quite a humbling one as well to see the journey you've taken, the obstacles you've overcome to where you are today. It's quite inspiring.

Sara Secora: 42:25

Well, thank you. I appreciate that. I always love the opportunity to talk about more of the like maybe not as glamorous side. Because I I want it to not be like, oh, it's all pixie dust, you know, it's it's not.

Simon Hill (Host): 42:38

What I like to do on this show is I like to end with my guest having the final word. A lot of people choose to thank people or just, you know, give their own perspective on where they are or where they want to go and things like that. So from myself, from Gongold, Sarah, thank you very much once again. And the floor is yours.

Sara Secora: 42:57

So I am a coach and I do coach on SarahSagora.com and I have a book called The Anywhere Voice Actor for other people who want to learn about the business remotely. Um, and yeah, I mean, aside from that, I think um drop the word aspiring if you're trying to be a voice actor. Um, because if you're trying and you're doing your best and you're putting yourself out there, you're already there. Um, and just put one foot in front of the other and try to go and do little steps. And I think that that's probably the best way to go than those long haul dreams all at once because it gets overwhelming. But yeah, I just hope everybody has um a chance to make their own dreams come true, voiceover or not. And yeah, thank you for the time.

Simon Hill (Host): 43:40

Wow, on so many levels. Just a wonderful human being. Sarah Sakura, so open, so positive, so inspiring. All those obstacles she has had to overcome personally and professionally, and she's thriving. She's had arguably the best year so far working as a voice actor in video games and across all the other disciplines that she performs at. I mean, what a wonderful story then, a great journey, so many memorable moments, so much to pick apart in that interview as well. Fantastic, great interview, great conversation with an incredibly talented, gifted human being. Looking forward to seeing what Sarah Sakara does this year in 2026. Ladies and gentlemen, another great episode. Don't forget, you can subscribe to this podcast on your chosen platform. Get following, get commenting, get liking, get sharing. It all helps this podcast grow, and we're able to get more guests on in the future. Talking of more guests, we are back next week with a brand new episode. Back to weekly episodes. We have so much to reveal. So make sure you're following at Gone Gold Show on X, Instagram, TikTok, and you'll have all the latest news, including video footage of all of our interviews. And we'll be back next week with another episode. Ladies and gentlemen, you know what to do. Keep it gone gold.