The voice behind the Portal antagonist GLaDOS, Ellen McLain, has been speaking about her experience as the ruthless yet still amusing robotic adversary. While the voice actor is known largely for her work on the puzzle games and other Valve titles, Ellen McLain has also starred in some live-action films, including Pacific Rim and a Twitch adaptation of Marsha Norman's play Night, Mother. Recently, she's been discussing her work as the omnipotent character, giving an account of her experience taking on the role of a non-human.
GLaDOS is, without a doubt, one of the most memorable video game villains in recent history. While the first Portal game had her down as a pure villain, it was the sequel that allowed the character to develop into something more complex. Her relationship with Chell, the anatagonist from both games, is more nuanced than simply being about good versus evil. GLaDOS is not without her flaws, as is evidenced in the key moments of the sequel, and it's through the talent of McClain that the story's main opponent really shines, becoming iconic in her own right.
During an interview with the YouTube channel KIWI TALKZ, as spotted by PC Gamer, McClain discusses her role in Portal and what was expected of her from day one. She said that during the audition for the first game, Valve already had a computer-generated voice, which McClain was asked to imitate. She goes on to say that the reason they wanted a voice actor rather than using a computer was that the AI-generated lines were copyrighted and it was actually cheaper to get a human to do the lines. She also goes into some detail about how she was able to pull off the robotic voice, noting that she made the word "Aperture" sound like it had two A's at the start.
Portal is notorious for its quotable lines of dialogue, all of which come from McClain in the first installment. Many will no doubt recall the days when "the cake is a lie" became a meme sensation. This is largely why GLaDOS is such a popular character, despite her being a villain. Her sassy attitude as the game progresses makes her stand out as something more than just an antagonist who takes after System Shock's SHODAN.
It's a shame there haven't been any more Portal games after the second one. While there has been some desire for Valve to make Portal 3, it doesn't seem as if the developer will give the world a third entry. That said, there is still plenty of love for the first two games, and McLain's voiceover work is just one aspect that makes the series so beloved.
Portal is available on Mobile, PC, PS3, Xbox 360, and Switch.
Source: PC Gamer