Stalking In Blood: An Interview with Gianni Matragrano

Earlier this year when I was at TennoCon, I had the absolute pleasure of being able to sit down and talk to Gianni Matragrano, who most recently made his debut in Warframe as The Stalker. In this interview, you get to see Gianni dive into The Stalker himself and what gives him his layers as well as what he did to bring The Stalker to life. Gianni also dives into his big inspirations and how voice overs elevate the player’s experience. There are spoilers ahead for Warframe's Jade Shadows quest, just so you're aware. Huge thank you to Gianni for giving me his time, and I hope you all enjoy our little chat!

Matt: Alright, it's going. I am Matthew Reyes, and I am a freelance writer. I also wrote for Paste Magazine, which is where I just recently completed my internship. And through said internship, I ended up here, and now I have the chance to talk to you, Mr. Gianni Matragrano. Am I saying that correctly?

Gianni: Yeah, yeah. I’m Gianni Matragrano. I voice lots of cool games and some very dumb videos online and more recently, The Stalker in Warframe. That's me.

Matt: So with Jade Shadows, we got an extended look into the Stalker and his psyche. And I'm sure you've played Warframe prior to this point. Right?

Gianni: Yeah.

Matt: So we’re familiar with what The Stalker is, but we don't know exactly who The Stalker is.

Gianni: Right.

Matt: So considering this blank slate of just “I hate the Tenno” and not much more beyond that, what was the most effective method for you to flesh out that character that we previously don't have any notion of?

Gianni: Well, I played a lot of Conclave, to kill Tenno, you know, personally in the arena. I figured that was the best way to get in touch with that mindset was to kill Tenno and really, you know, understand the feelings. But yeah. I know The Stalker’s history and everything. It was just so cool being cast for that, like, knowing the character and everything. And, to get into that mindset of, you know, just that that burning hatred, you know, sort of it was it was really cool diving into it because it was a lot of, like, I guess, anger with sort of like with the world due to, you know, a tragic situation, and going into understanding that long spurned, like, motive behind that anger really helped, I feel, like, conjure those emotions in that way where it's like, okay, it's not just it's not just mad for the hell of it. You know, it's like…

Matt: He's lost something. He's hurting.

Gianni: Right! And so to have that anger come from that place of, you know, hurt and hate stemming from that really I think informs the color of hate, if that makes sense?

Matt: So this isn't written down, but from my own curiosity, did you read the entire script and then build your character based off of that, or did you learn about the situation with The Stalker?

Gianni: Well, first of all, I guess this interview may or may not include spoilers for the Jade Shadows quest. Because I read through the script, and my first thought is, ‘what do you mean the baby is coming?’ Those were words in the script, and it was just I was reading through the script, and it was, like, “the baby is coming”. And like the material that I got described how there was going to be essentially like a pregnancy rhythm mini game to just give birth and I was like, ‘I think this is one of the best studios on Earth...

And yeah. I mean, they sent me, you know, the script and some background information regarding the situation and the setup and everything altogether. It was kind of all, like, combined in what was sent to me to look over. And yeah, it was it was just so cool reading it because it was just like, I've also had that, like, you know, mystery through the years of, like, who is that guy that, you know, came in and stomped me on all those missions when I was starting off in the game? And then and then later, I just, like, you know, totally dispatched him. And, you know, like, seeing behind the curtain a little bit on that with the material was just really cool.

Matt: It adds a lot of [depth] to the game too, I think. But, going back to the story, there's a lot of heavy themes in the story, like the theme of loss and grieving and as well as just basically coming to terms with things you don't wanna come to terms with. Like, The Stalker has to accept the Tenno's help, which is something he abhors. The thought of that angers him.

Gianni: Right.

Matt: So, after we get a bunch of clarification for The Stalker and all of his actions, and we see that now with the baby after the pregnancy minigame, he has something to lose now. It’s something valuable, a reminder of what he's lost, which is the thing that mattered the most to him. Did you have to tap into your own grievances to emulate that within The Stalker?

Gianni: You know, like, it's- that's a fun question. And, like, yes? But not, like, very specifically. Like, when I'm working on the material, I don't really go, oh, ‘this is like when someone I loved died’ or anything like that. But I feel like everyone has their own way they approach… their unique way of approaching acting and, you know, performing that kind of stuff. And for me, those experiences do inform it, but it more just informs me on this, like, through experiencing the emotions in life, I've learned how those emotions work. Right? And, like, through my own personal losses and everything, have, you know, helped me understand what those things feel like to then use that knowledge of that feeling on those scenes. But, you know, no I don't, necessarily pull from, like, you know, I don't like one to one into, like, you know, situations that I've had in my own life or anything like that. Just sort of, yeah, general experience.

Matt: Yeah, because I know that's what a lot of people like to do. They put themselves in the shoes of the character, so I was just curious about that for my own sake.

Gianni: It’s a great question. It's very interesting.

Matt: So what do you hope players take away from your portrayal of The Stalker? Because you are giving meaning to a character that previously didn't have one. So there's something you want to cement in the player's mind after completing the campaign, what would that be?

Gianni: Is the mic going, can the mic hear me? I AM GOING TO KILL YOU. Okay. That was pretty much it.

Matt: That's fantastic. So, the quest aims to gain sympathy for The Stalker who we (we as in veteran Warframe players) just hate and, as you said, stomped on new players. I mean nowadays you just nuke him, but it doesn't make him any less annoying. But how important do you think it is to be able to understand and sympathize with the enemy, not just in the sense of Warframe, but in a general protagonist versus antagonist sense?

Gianni: Yeah no, that's a fun question. Like, I think that giving them… how do I put it? Giving them that life gives, like, sense of meaning to the actions that the player is then taking. And, you know, when you understand, like, the opposing motives and, like, you know, the mindset of what you're going against, it sort of helps you come at it, like, with your own sort of experience and everything. I think it really adds a lot to go okay this other essentially other player in this story that I am also a player and a part of, you know, sort of, like, it comes together with your own experience, you know, and then, like, informs how you are going to feel as you're doing what you need to do, AKA kicking his ass. I always think about, sorry, I'm gonna find a way to make everything about this, I guess. But I always think about Blood, the old shooter Blood. Which was voiced by Stephan Weyte, amazing stuff. He voices the protagonist, Caleb, and he also voices the cult members that you go against.  

Matt: Yeah, I've broken a mouse playing Blood.

Gianni: Yeah. Yeah, I bet you have. And it does it only ties in a little bit with what you actually asked me, but Blood is like my go to on how valuable- I'm inventing a new question. Sorry.

Matt: No no, that's fine.

Gianni: I’m just making sh- Making… poop up.

Matt: Please, go for it.

Gianni: But Blood to me is like the epitome of what I love about voice over in relation to the player experience because Blood is so… when Blood is happening, Blood is happening. Like, things are popping off, like, stuff's, like, exploding, dudes are on fire screaming for their absolute lives, Caleb's laughing like a maniac, and it makes it all so satisfying to interact with and to, like, tear your path through that world and, like, really you feel everything that you're doing. And I think, like, the voice over, the crazy screaming and everything that's going on, is so fun. And I took a lot of inspiration from old, like, stupid nineties stuff. And for me, Blood is, like, exactly what I always try to aspire to in like having the VO you know be that feedback essentially, that that you are getting as you're going through it. And, you know, the character's story and motives and, you know, understanding their perspective on it is, like, also part of that feedback where you're having these things happen on your screen, but having that understanding of where they're coming from adds even more to any of the things, like, going on or whatever you hear or see or anything. Also, sorry all my answers are like no or like distracting-

Matt: No no that's perfectly fine. That's what makes for a fun conversation. So to add on to that, what would be, like, your Mount Rushmore of inspiration then? Because if you have Blood on one head, what are the other 3 heads?

Gianni: Okay. Yeah. I mean, gosh...

Matt: Well you said you have a lot of stupid nineties stuff, so I'm just curious as to what other nineties stuff.

Gianni: Yeah. Well yeah. Gosh. Alright. Obviously, Duke Nukem is, like, a great inspiration for just having a cool, fun, character that that you know, in that case, actually, Duke Nukem is really interesting because Duke Nukem is honestly, like, what you're stepping into is, like, messed up. Like, it is kind of a messed up situation. And like Duke is like an eighties action hero and like he sort of just deals with it through like levity and one liners because you know the devs in the nineties were just like ‘just reference Evil Dead again, that's hilarious!’ And they were right, but it's kind of funny because like thank goodness for Duke being like that almost because it kind of makes that experience as the player feel like that kind of ass kicking adventure [is theirs]. So anyway, Duke Nukem. Yeah. Definitely Duke. I would also for me personally, a big inspiration is, Serious Sam. I'm actually wearing the shirt…

Serious Sam, he’s voiced by John J. Dick, and I think about that performance a lot too because it especially, like, the earlier stuff, like, you can definitely look at, like, a technical level and be like, this is not, like, technically really good VO. Like, a lot of it sounds like it was, like, recorded in the bathroom and, like, you know, you can hear that, you know, John is still, like, still getting grips on the character and doing VO and everything. But the genuineness and the fun that he has with it and how he's just, like, digging it. You know? Like, you can hear it and you can feel that he's digging it. That adds to me, it is like the perfect example of that being, like, the most important thing in voice over. I say it all the time and it sounds so cheesy to anybody who is, like, wants to do VO.

I'm just always saying have fun. And it sounds like the kind of thing you just say, but, like, I really believe having fun IS the job, because when you are having fun, the audio feels it and, like, the players feel it, and people who are experiencing it, also feel that fun with you. So, yeah, Serious Sam, Duke Nukem, obviously, Blood. And gosh, I know there's, like, another one that that I'm gonna be so mad at myself for. I can never think of things when people actually ask me about them.

Oh, I can't believe it's escaping me... I'm gonna think of it later. I'm just gonna yell in the middle of the interview.

Matt: That's fine. You can do that. So in the meantime, let me ask you this last question because hearing you and those inspirations and knowing your track record and the most notable thing I knew you for before this was Gabriel from Ultrakill. Yeah. So with that in mind, let me ask you this. Who would win in a fight, The Stalker or Gabriel?

Gianni: Let me think. I guess… man, you know, maybe both of them lose because both of them have really terrible track records. They, you know, pretty much, I think, like, okay, Gabriel has lost, two fights against the player. And, depending on how you look at, like, the canon of Warframe, Stalker has lost millions of fights against players. So, yeah, I'm gonna say I'm gonna say, they both lose. It's a double knockout and then they kiss.

Matt: And then they kiss.

Gianni: And then they kiss.

Matt: And you know what? A kiss is the perfect way to end this interview. Thank you so much, Gianni, for your time. I really appreciate it. You're an absolute joy to talk to.

Gianni: Thank you very, very much.


For the record, Gianni did eventually tell me that fourth inspiration, but it wasn't recorded and I'm positive neither one of us remembered what it was.