Happy Birthday to the Voice Behind Kanan Jarrus & the Iron Bull!

Back when I was in school, the name Freddie Prinze Jr. was everywhere. Star of She’s All That (1999) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), two movies I still haven’t seen, all the girls around me were in love with him. I was at a weird age where boys were still gross, but I still knew the name. I didn’t get a glimpse of him until he played the Male Nanny in Friends! I read the title of this post and had no idea what you were talking about, but now I understand and I can confirm I was one of the girls who was in love with Freddie!!

Anyway, years later, Freddie Prinze Jr. is still a name I think about, but for an entirely different reason, and seeings as today is his Birthday, what better day to celebrate my favourite work of his, as the voice behind two of my favourite animated characters, Kanan Jarrus from Star Wars Rebels, an animated Disney XD cartoon show, and the Iron Bull, a loyal companion in the video game Dragon Age: Inquisition. Eh?!

It’s a testament to Freddie’s work that these two characters are extremely dissimilar in both character and voice, but also completely loveable. Kanan is a sensible, smart and powerful Jedi and the leader of his gang of rebels, and the Iron Bull is a brash, adventurous, foul-mouthed companion to your playable inquisitor. What’s I find fascinating was that although I already knew Freddie voiced Iron Bull, when I first started watching Rebels, I knew that Kanan’s voice was familiar, and when I looked it up, I refused to believe it was the same voice actor! Occasionally when Kanan gets grumpy you can hear those deeper Iron Bull tones.

I’d be lying if I said that Star Wars Rebels wasn’t a children’s show, but it’s story is so well told and its characters so well developed, that is still an interesting and fun watch for the ‘big kids’ like me out there! It’s currently heading towards the end of Season 2, and whilst this Season has been mostly giving more detailed backstory to each of our characters, things are rapidly gaining momentum to a grand finale. Kanan’s story is still very mysterious, but I have a feeling we’ll soon know more.

Forgive me for talking video games on our Movie & TV blog, but I’m also a huge gamer, although not as much as I used to be. I have followed the Dragon Age Series since its beginning in 2009. They are a fantastic series for RPG fans, and it’s the companion characters that make it so enjoyable. Huh?! The Iron Bull is introduced in Dragon Age: Inquisition, and it’s easy to see why he’s such a fan favourite. He’s crass, rude and drinks like no-one you’ve ever seen before. Freddie Prinze Jr. does an amazing job of portraying a huge character both terrifyingly intimidating and completely loveable at the same time. 

So Happy Birthday, Freddie, and thanks for your amazing voice work. It’s almost enough to make me want to play Mass Effect 3 to see you portray Lt. James Vega, but no amount of practice will ever make me able to play a shooter game. Eh?!

In case anyone was wondering Allie is a gamer, I am not! This is all completely over my head!