Roger Craig Smith Reflects on Fifteen Years as Sonic and His Evolving Approach to the Blue Blur

Roger Craig Smith is many things, but one thing he refuses to be is a source of Sonic shipping discourse. In an interview with TheGamer, when asked who he personally ships in the Sonic series, he immediately laughs and refuses. After fifteen years with the character, he knows better than to step into that minefield.

Smith has performed an astonishing range of roles throughout his career, yet voicing Sonic has placed him in a uniquely public position. He remembers the day he became the new voice of the Blue Blur as unexpectedly intense. Sega had prepared an announcement revealing a new cast and a new game. Smith assumed it would be a regular workday. Instead, he opened his inbox to a flood of reactions from fans who were stunned to hear the new direction for Sonic. Some were confused. Some were blunt. Many told him he sounded too old. It was an abrupt introduction to a passionate community that he had never fully understood until that moment.

Today he takes that passion in stride. Even simple posts on social media can be interpreted as Sonic commentary. Smith jokes that a photo of a bird can prompt comments from fans who claim they never knew Sonic liked eagles. He has become used to the enthusiasm that follows him.

When it comes to his actual work, Smith approaches every project the same way. Whether he is returning to Sonic or voicing Kyle Crane in the Dying Light series, his focus is always on what the writers and directors need in the booth. That mindset came into play when Techland reached out and asked him to return for Dying Light: The Beast. Smith originally believed Kyle Crane’s story had ended, so the prospect of returning felt surreal. Techland assured him that there were surprises ahead and worked closely with him to refine a version of Kyle who had changed dramatically since the first game.

This new Kyle had endured trauma and hardship, and Smith had to balance these qualities with the personality fans remembered. He describes the process as one filled with adjustments, revisions, and careful attention to tone. The team would occasionally restart entire sections if the performance felt too angry or too disconnected from the Kyle people knew.

Techland also brought Smith deeper into their promotional efforts. As he explains, players want to connect with the people who bring their favorite characters to life. Thanks to his long list of roles, Smith has a dedicated audience that follows his work across projects.

Of course, Sonic remains central to his career. Smith has now voiced Sonic longer than any actor before him, yet he still finds it difficult to define what his version of Sonic truly is. The character has changed many times across games, shows, promotional appearances, and social media takeovers. Every project brings a new tone or direction, and Smith adapts each time.

Sonic Frontiers is the clearest example of this evolution. Smith and voice director Jack Fletcher experimented with a lower and more grounded delivery that initially felt unusual for Sonic. Only after learning more about Frontiers and its more emotional tone did Smith understand why this approach made sense. The performance leaned closer to his natural voice and supported the themes of the story more effectively.

Smith notes that every Sonic project requires a fresh start. Sonic Colors embraced an energetic and lively tone. Sonic Boom leaned into comedy. Sonic Frontiers pursued maturity. To Smith, this constant reinvention is part of what makes the role enjoyable, and he appreciates that Sega continues to try new ideas instead of settling into a routine.

His Sonic journey had a chaotic beginning, including an early theme park recording that leaked online and confused fans. Over time, things stabilized as Sonic Colors won over players. From that point forward, he has continued shaping Sonic through every new direction the franchise explores.

Smith is proud of where the series stands today. He praises the variety of current Sonic projects, from Deven Mack’s work on Sonic Prime to Ben Schwartz in the film series. With new games, shows, events, and social projects, he believes the franchise is thriving in a way that would have been impossible to predict a decade ago.

On the topic of AI, Smith is far less alarmed than many of his peers. He views AI as a tool that can be used well or poorly, much like any new technology. In his eyes, AI parodies and voice filters are novelties that people will eventually move past. He recognizes that AI can assist with production and budgeting, but he does not believe audiences will ever prefer fully synthetic voices over human creativity.

Smith shares that he has already had some work altered through AI, yet he remains unbothered. His belief is that actors will continue to refine their craft in ways AI cannot imitate. Genuine human choices, emotional detail, and collaborative direction sit at the core of real performance. These qualities cannot be replicated by typing commands into a machine.

He compares the current AI concerns to past shifts in entertainment. Radio did not erase print. Television did not erase radio. New tools emerge, but the old ones remain alongside them. As long as studios value the humanity behind beloved characters, voice actors will always have a place.

For now, Smith continues to bring Sonic and many other characters to life. He remains grateful for the chance to shape one of gaming’s most iconic voices and to evolve with the role as the franchise moves into its next era.

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