Taliesin Jaffe
From child star to Critical Role founding member, bringing depth to Percy, Mollymauk, Caduceus, and more.
Taliesin Jaffe is an American voice actor, director, and screenwriter who serves as a cast member on Critical Role, a web series where he plays Dungeons & Dragons with other voice actors. Born in Los Angeles to actress Nina Axelrod and producer Robert Jaffe, Jaffe began his career as a child actor appearing in films like Mr. Mom and 2010: The Year We Make Contact. He held Screen Actor's Guild membership at just seven months old. While he enjoyed early roles on shows such as Hail to the Chief and She's the Sheriff, he eventually quit acting after realizing it was an option following a difficult audition. Later, his time in a school AV club creating English anime dubs led to a professional career in voice direction and dubbing.
- Role
- Cast Member / Actor
- Affiliation
- Critical Role Productions
- First Appearance
- Campaign One: Vox Machina
- Status
- Active
- Notable Characters
- ['Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III', 'Mollymauk T
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
In the Critical Role web series, Jaffe has portrayed multiple distinct characters across four campaigns. In Campaign One, he played Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III. For Campaign Two, he took on the roles of Mollymauk Tealeaf, Caduceus Clay, and Kingsley Tealeaf. Campaign Three featured his portrayal of Ashton Greymoore, while Campaign Four introduced Bolaire Lathalia as one of his characters. Beyond the main campaigns, Jaffe co-created the Candela Obscura campaign setting for the Illuminated Worlds system with Chris Lockey. Serving as the Lightkeeper in the monthly horror-themed actual play web series of the same name, he provides mission briefings to the players each episode. This creative expansion followed Critical Role's move from Geek & Sundry to their own production company, Critical Role Productions.
In Their Own Story
Jaffe's journey began at age seven months with Screen Actor's Guild membership, appearing in films like Mr. Mom and guest spots on The Facts of Life. In 1985, he was a regular on the ABC sitcom Hail to the Chief as Willy Mansfield, son of the fictional first female president played by Patty Duke. From 1987 to 1989, he co-starred with Suzanne Somers as Kenny Granger on She's the Sheriff. He once turned down the role of Brian Tanner on ALF because his parents declined the offer. After losing interest in child acting and facing a bad audition, his father gave him an ultimatum: work harder or quit. Jaffe immediately chose to quit. His career resurgence came through creating English anime dubs with friends at school; he made a demonstration tape that launched his professional path as a voice director and actor, notably voicing the Flash in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and Injustice 2.
Reader's Guide
Taliesin Jaffe's character roster on Critical Role includes Percy (Campaign One), Mollymauk Tealeaf, Caduceus Clay, and Kingsley Tealeaf (Campaign Two), Ashton Greymoore (Campaign Three), and Bolaire Lathalia (Campaign Four). He is also the Lightkeeper for the Candela Obscura series. The show won both Webby Winner and People's Voice Winner in "Games (Video Series & Channels)" at the 2019 Webby Awards, and was a Finalist plus Audience Honor Winner in "Games" at the 2019 Shorty Awards. Originally on Geek & Sundry until early 2019, the cast formed Critical Role Productions shortly after. They raised over $11 million on Kickstarter for an animated series of Campaign One, far exceeding their $750,000 goal. In November 2019, Amazon Prime Video acquired streaming rights to The Legend of Vox Machina, where Jaffe reprised his role as Percy.
Did You Know?
- Jaffe held membership in the Screen Actor's Guild at the age of seven months.
- He was offered the role of Brian Tanner on ALF, but his parents turned it down.
- His maternal grandfather was screenwriter George Axelrod and his paternal grandfather was film producer Herb Jaffe.
- Jaffe is bisexual and has two brothers and a sister.
- The Critical Role Kickstarter for an animated series raised over $11 million, significantly exceeding the $750,000 goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Taliesin Jaffe?
Taliesin Jaffe is an American voice actor and screenwriter who serves as a founding cast member of Critical Role. Before his gaming career, he gained recognition as a child actor in films such as Mr. Mom during the early 1980s.
What are Taliesin Jaffe's most notable characters?
Within the Critical Role campaigns, he is best known for portraying Percival de Rolo, Mollymauk Tealeaf, and Caduceus Clay. Each of these characters has become iconic within the community due to his unique storytelling approach.
How did Taliesin Jaffe begin his acting career?
Born in Los Angeles to parents Nina Axelrod and Robert Jaffe, Jaffe began his career almost immediately after birth. He officially held Screen Actors Guild membership by the age of seven months old before taking on various roles throughout his childhood.
Why is Taliesin Jaffe important to Critical Role Productions?
As a founding member of Critical Role Productions, he helped establish the web series that launched their professional gaming career. His ability to bring emotional depth and complexity to his Dungeons & Dragons characters significantly shaped the show's narrative tone.
Did Taliesin Jaffe stop acting before joining Critical Role?
Prior to Critical Role, Jaffe worked extensively as a child actor but eventually stepped away from performing for several years. He returned to the industry later in life, channeling his past experiences into his current work with voice acting and gaming.
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