Shelby Young on Voicing Princess Leia, Gaming Iconography, and Why AI Can’t Replace Human Storytellers
“With voicing LEGO Princess Leia, I want to honor the character deeply. The sass, the humor, because with LEGO, you get to play into the comedy, but I wanted to showcase Leia’s heart, her bravery, how she’s able to take control and handle anything thrown her way… With Batgirl, I kind of did the opposite… I wanted to give my own spin on Batgirl while still staying true to the essence of the character.”
I had the pleasure of talking with Shelby Young. Shelby is among a rare group of voice actors whose careers have managed to span the traditional boundaries of television, film, gaming, and digital media, all while cultivating a deep and loyal fanbase that follows her work as closely as the characters she plays. With more than 7 million combined followers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, Young occupies a unique space in contemporary entertainment: a working actor with major franchise credits and a content creator whose behind-the-scenes videos and voice impressions regularly go viral.
Raised in Boca Raton, Florida, Young entered the performance world early, competing in local pageants by age three. A chance encounter with talent agents and casting directors at one of those competitions led to early modeling and commercial work, and later, acting roles on series like Days of Our Lives, Everybody Hates Chris, and American Horror Story: Murder House. A brief stint in New York pursuing musical theater transitioned into screen work, and by the time she was 12, she and her mom had relocated to Los Angeles permanently.
Though she first gained visibility as a child actor, it was Young’s pivot into voiceover and motion-capture that propelled her into a different echelon of creative recognition. Her resume includes titles from some of the largest franchises in gaming and animation: she’s voiced Princess Leia in Star Wars: Forces of Destiny and multiple LEGO Star Wars specials, Batgirl in DC: Dark Legion, Soph Blazkowicz in Wolfenstein: Youngblood, and featured roles in Persona 3 Reload, God of War: Ragnarök, Marvel’s “…What If?” and Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Shelby also recently appeared in Dreamworks Animation’s The Bad Guys 2, Pixar’s Elio, and in Fortnite as Kor.
Young’s vocal versatility is only part of her appeal. Across social platforms, she’s known for blending performance with humor and education, often layering helpful industry insights with voice impressions that resonate strongly with Gen Z and millennial audiences. Her 4.2 million TikTok followers, 2.2 million YouTube subscribers, and over 650,000 Instagram followers aren’t just passive viewers, they actively engage with the characters and universes she brings to life.
Her range has made her the voice of choice not just for fantasy and sci-fi fans but also for major networks. Young has been hired by companies like Disney Plus and Nickelodeon, lending her voice to projects aimed at both children and adults. Though she’s often attached to big-name properties, she also embraces the indie world, recently voicing characters in Date Everything!, a popular game developed and cast by fellow voice actors.
Some of Young’s most formative experiences have come from working abroad. She traveled to Iceland at age ten to film the pilot for LazyTown, where she spent a month on set surrounded by puppets and pink wigs. More recently, she’s made multiple trips to Sweden for motion-capture work, including Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Horizon Call of the Mountain.
When it comes to portraying iconic characters, Young’s approach varies. For her recurring role as LEGO Princess Leia, she leans into a detailed study of Carrie Fisher’s performance, working to retain Leia’s dry wit, heart and leadership skills even in comedic animated settings. In contrast, her portrayal of Batgirl in DC Dark Legion was shaped less by voice matching and more by intuition. With no singular canon voice for the character, Young allowed her natural tone to inform the performance, aiming to reflect the character’s intelligence and strength without overwriting her own interpretation.
Beyond her screen and voice work, Young is attuned to the shifting dynamics of the industry, particularly when it comes to the use of AI in voice acting. While she admits to sharing concerns about synthetic voices replacing human actors, she remains hopeful that audiences will continue to value the emotional depth and lived experiences that human performers bring to storytelling.
Despite the high-profile roles, Young maintains routines to protect her voice and mental health. Hydration, vocal exercises, reading, and a close circle of supportive relationships form the backbone of her self-care. She also continues to learn and adapt, consuming the very media she works in as a form of research and inspiration.
Asked what message she would put into the world if given a platform beyond entertainment, Young’s answer is simple: “Love your neighbor.” In an increasingly critical and polarized online space, she advocates for kindness, curiosity, and seeing the best in others, a value system she carries into both her personal interactions and her public persona.
Her work continues to evolve. She’s returning as LEGO Princess Leia in the upcoming Disney Plus special LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy — Pieces of the Past, she’s voicing Riko Izumi and a handful of other colorful characters in the anime City The Animation on Amazon Prime Video, and has more projects in development she can’t yet reveal. But whether she’s voicing a lightsaber-wielding princess, an animated gaming console, or a zombified grunt in a survival horror game, Young is part of a growing class of performers reshaping what it means to be a voice in modern entertainment, both literally and culturally.
Yitzi: Shelby Young, it’s a delight and an honor to meet you. Before we dive in deep, our readers would love to learn about Shelby Young’s personal origin story.
Shelby: I’m originally from Boca Raton, Florida. I started acting really young. It all just kind of happened because my mom saw an ad in the paper for a local pageant and thought it would be fun to give it a try. We went and competed, not expecting anything, but I ended up winning that pageant which moved me on to the next round.
We did that for a bit, it turned out that space wasn’t really for us, but at the final pageant we attended, the judging panel was made up of agents and some casting directors. The agents were really interested in signing me and working with me. So I started from there in Florida with modeling and commercial work.
I realized I wanted to pursue musical theater as a kid, so my team suggested going to New York.. We spent some time there and instead of booking theater, I started booking roles in independent films and getting close on episodics so my team then said, “Well, now it’s time to go to LA.”
We gave Los Angeles a try when I was 12, and we never left. I started regularly working on camera out here, and then I eventually found my way into voice acting. I absolutely fell in love with it, and that’s what I’ve been pursuing for the past eight-ish years now.
Yitzi: You probably have some amazing stories from the different projects you’ve been involved with and the places you’ve been. Can you share with our readers one or two stories that most stand out in your mind from your professional life?
Shelby: Absolutely! I’ll share one from when I was really young and one that’s more recent.
When I was little, I booked the pilot episode for this project called LazyTown and it filmed in Iceland. I was 10 years old, and it was this wild show where there were two adults, one child, and everyone else were puppets. Because the show was so fantastical, my character had a pink wig and was dressed head-to-toe in pink. To make sure the wig fit perfectly, the team had to make a mold of my head. So there I was, this little thing, covered in plaster with straws up my nose so I could breathe. And I was loving it, just giving a thumbs up like, “This is great!” Meanwhile, my mom was panicking, asking if I was okay. I couldn’t talk, but I just kept giving her those thumbs up.
We filmed in Iceland for about a month, and it was truly a blast! I wish I remembered more of it, but what really sticks with me isn’t necessarily the work itself, it’s how much fun I had doing the work. I was singing, dancing, and doing everything I loved.
Then in my adult life, I’ve had the chance to travel to Sweden twice for different mocap projects. The more recent one was Horizon Call of the Mountain, and the first was Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Wolfenstein: Youngblood was actually my first time going abroad for work since filming LazyTown in Iceland. Everything else had been in LA or New York, Utah, just around the States.
When I went to Sweden for Wolfenstein, I didn’t know anyone except the director. But I ended up making life-long friendships and having the most incredible time. The game is part of the Wolfenstein series, which is set in an alternate reality. I was one of two playable leads, who was also one of BJ Blazkowicz’s twin daughters. I was joined by Valerie Rose Lohman as my twin sister in the game, who’s now one of my best friends in real life. At the time, we’d never met. We were just thrown into this wild game where we’re taking down enemies left and right. It was such a crazy, amazing experience, and I always think back on it so, so fondly.
Yitzi: It’s been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a funny mistake you made when you were first starting and the lesson you learned from it?
Shelby: This might be a bit of a twist on the question, but something that’s actually really fun in voice acting is that sometimes, when you’re attempting an impression of a character and you’re not quite getting it, the “mistake” ends up leading to something even better. Like, if you’re trying to do an impression of the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland and it doesn’t land, you might end up discovering a whole new character voice, like a Yiddish grandmother or something totally unexpected. So, these little missteps can actually create something brand new and unique.
As for a more traditional mistake, I made the error of saying I do hip-hop when I couldn’t. It was for a commercial audition, and I had “dancer” listed on my resume…. and I, well, I cannot do hip-hop [laughs]. That was definitely a mistake. Lesson learned: don’t put skills on your resume unless you actually have them!
Yitzi: That’s funny. I hear that a lot, people writing things to pad out their resumes, and then they get called on it. People say they can ride horses, and then they’re asked to ride horses. And then…
Shelby: Honestly, with Wolfenstein, I knew our director Tom Keegan because he also directed my first game ever, Dead Rising 3. He’d reached out to me before the audition and asked, “Do you have boxing experience? Can you box?” And I was like, “Yeah, totally!” That was a lie. I literally found a boxing instructor that day and started taking private lessons because I knew it was going to come up. And sure enough, in the audition, they wanted to see a little bit of movement, and I was ready. I didn’t tell him I fibbed until we were done with the game. I was on a panel at LA Comic-Con a year or two later, and I said, “By the way, Tom, I completely lied. I never had boxing experience until after we talked.” He laughed so hard.
Yitzi: Can you tell us about one of the most challenging projects or roles you’ve taken on so far?
Shelby: Emotionally challenging would be a project I can’t talk about yet because I’m under NDA and it’s not out. Vocally challenging? Voicing zombies is always tough. I’ve done it a few times now, for a Call of Duty zombies expansion, and then I voiced some zombies for The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
You’re basically, in a safe way, tearing up your throat a little bit. There’s no perfect way to voice a zombie without some scratchiness, that’s just the nature of how they sound. There are tricks I’ve learned, like doing the usual VO no-no, which is having chocolate and dairy beforehand because it makes your voice gross and phlegmy. That actually helps get those vocalizations to sound extra wet and zombie-like.
But really, there’s not much you can do except give it your all, take lots of breaks, stay hydrated, and make sure you’re not doing any real damage. I remember leaving those sessions sounding like an 80-year-old smoker.
Yitzi: Okay, so you have so much exciting work. Tell us about the exciting new projects you’re working on now. Tell us about what you’ll be working on in the near future.
Shelby: The worst part about voice acting, and there are very few negatives, is the amount of time it takes from when you’re working on a project to when it’s released. You’re sitting on secrets for years, and you want to tell everybody and shout it from the rooftops.
Fortunately, I can talk about a few projects. I have an awesome four-piece special dropping on Disney Plus called LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy — Pieces of the Past and I’m voicing LEGO Princess Leia again. I voiced her in the first special, LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, and in other LEGO Star Wars specials on Disney Plus. Anytime I get to step into the booth and voice this character, I feel so lucky. I’m such a huge Star Wars fan personally. I’m so excited for this special to come out, it’s less than a month away now. The first one was so funny and so well written, and I think the fans are going to love this one just as much.
Right now, you can also hear me as Batgirl in DC: Dark Legion. It’s a mobile game that’s super addictive and so much fun. My boyfriend picked it up just to hear my voice, and he hasn’t stopped playing it. It’s pretty wild. Now, all the time I’m like, “Is that me? Stop playing, I’m trying to go to bed. I don’t want to hear my own voice right now [laughs].”
I also have an anime I’m in, with new episodes releasing every Sunday on Amazon Prime Video. It’s called City The Animation, and I voice a bunch of different colorful characters. My main character in that project is named Riko Izumi.
I also have some recent releases I can mention, like Date Everything!, which is a super fun indie game that’s kind of taking the world by storm. It’s all over my For You page on TikTok! It was made by voice actors and has a cast of one hundred voiced roles! It’s a crazy fun game. I voice Connie Soul and Val 9000. Connie Soul is the human manifestation of a gaming console and I got to voice different iterations of the game characters within the console, which are all still a part of Connie. I was talking to myself as the protagonist Luna, then the villain Selene, then the grunts and… it was a wild recording session!
I was also just in Fortnite as Kor in the last season. She was a boss you could battle, she had her own island and she’d be yelling at you in Fortlish, which is a gibberish language within the world of Fortnite. That was a blast to record.
And finally, I was just in The Bad Guys 2, which just dropped on digital, and Elio, which also just came out digitally. Elio is my first Pixar film, which was a total dream come true. I voiced Diplo Ship. Going to the premiere, meeting the team, and being interviewed by Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel, was surreal. As a kid, Ariel was my favorite princess, so I was trying not to cry on the red carpet. It really was a dream come true.
Yitzi: You voiced so many iconic characters like Batgirl and Princess Leia. Does it feel like a weighty responsibility?
Shelby: Yes, I absolutely feel a sense of responsibility to the fans, and to myself too. With voicing LEGO Princess Leia, I want to honor the character deeply. The sass, the humor, because with LEGO, you get to play into the comedy, but I wanted to showcase Leia’s heart, her bravery, how she’s able to take control and handle anything thrown her way. I want everything you see in live-action Star Wars Leia to shine through in animated Princess Leia as well.
I also want to sound as on-voice as possible so that when fans are watching, they’re hearing and seeing Leia. So I do a lot of voice match prep work, it’s the best homework in the world. I’ll rewatch Star Wars over and over, or go back to specific scenes and use certain trigger words that get me into the voice.
With Batgirl, I kind of did the opposite. I know the character well, I’ve read plenty of comics she’s featured in, but there have been so many different iterations of her that I didn’t want to listen to or be influenced by anyone else’s performance. I wanted to give my own spin on Batgirl while still staying true to the essence of the character. There’s no one definitive “this is Batgirl.” So it was really fun to throw my hat in the ring and get to perform my version of her.
Yitzi: How would you compare and contrast your personal self, Shelby Young, with the character you play, Batgirl? How are you similar, and how are you different?
Shelby: Vocally, we’re pretty similar. Oftentimes I completely alter my voice for a character, but Batgirl was one where I felt we had a lot of similarities personality-wise and that shines through vocally. She’s amazing, can be sarcastic, a total whiz with technology. I myself use technology non-stop, but we use it in different ways, and that’s where the differences start.
I mean, she’s a superhero! I’d like to think that in the right circumstances, I could be a hero too, but I also know myself. I’d be much more scared in those life-or-death situations than I think these heroes are written to be. I was actually joking with my boyfriend after we watched Superman in theaters. I said, “I’m really glad I’m not a superhero. I’m glad I’m just a regular person,” because, oh my God, the responsibility! That’s a lot to handle. I’d definitely be in a lot more therapy [laughs].
Yitzi: As you know, the Batman universe has a cult following. What do you think it is about that universe that captures people’s hearts and minds?
Shelby: I think it’s the characters, the humanity in it. You’re following this hero who’s out there risking his life to save people, but he has such a sad backstory! Watching his parents get killed right in front of him, come on. Everybody loves a good origin story, and as tragic as his is, it’s a great one.
Then you’ve got these larger-than-life characters like the Joker and Harley Quinn. I’ve always loved Harley Quinn in every version I’ve seen. The animated Harley Quinn show is hilarious, and I also love Margot Robbie in the movies. But, anyway, the villains are so colorful, and the hero is so stoic, and I think something about that contrast just works really well.
Yitzi: So you’ve been very successful as a voice actress, but I’ve seen some voice actors express a lot of concern about the future of the industry because of AI. As someone who seems to have a lot of work and a portfolio full of projects, what would you recommend to other voice actors? Why should they stay in the game, not give up, and not be terrified that AI is going to replace humans, particularly in voice acting?
Shelby: Yeah, I mean, I’m not gonna lie, I’m terrified too. It’s a really scary thought, and not just for voice actors, it’s a terrifying thought for all creatives out there. But I don’t think anyone should give up, because as humans, we crave a human connection in our art. We want to enjoy art where we know someone’s been through something real, experienced real life, real love, real sadness. There are some fantastic, really deep, moments in animated shows and games where people find characters they connect with, that help them get through things. Even children’s shows do that. With My Little Pony, you hear about it all the time, people saying, “I was able to understand my emotions because I watched this show.”
I don’t think that will change, or at least I hope it won’t. I believe humans will always crave storytelling from other humans. It goes all the way back to the Stone Age, with drawings on the cave walls. It was people sharing their own experiences, like which berries not to eat, and passing on stories to future generations. I just have faith that humanity will prevail in our storytelling, and you can quote me on that!
Yitzi: Okay, this is our signature question. Shelby, you’ve been blessed with a lot of success, and you must have learned a lot from your experiences. Can you share five things you’ve learned that would have been really nice to know when you first started voice acting?
Shelby: .
- First, specifically when you’re auditioning, don’t worry about what “they” want, “they” meaning the production team, producers, or director, because sometimes they don’t even know at this stage. Go in and just have fun, and bring your own quirks to it. I call them “isms”. For me they’re my “Shelby-isms.” That’s going to naturally make you stand out because your isms are different from anyone else’s isms. When I stopped obsessing over being exactly what “they” asked for and just enjoyed myself in the booth, that’s when I started seeing more success.
- Voice acting is so much more about the acting than the voice itself. Having range is helpful, for sure, but you need solid acting to back it up. Focus on the acting, not just sounding good on the mic.
- It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Just like with on-camera acting, you hear those “overnight success” stories, but what you don’t hear about are the ten years of hard work that led up to that moment. You’re on your own journey, and you shouldn’t compare it to anyone else’s. Your path is exactly the one you’re supposed to be on, and it’s okay if it takes time.
- Never lose your sense of play. I don’t think I ever thought I would, but it’s something that’s so important as you get older. Having the ability to tap into a playful mindset is really important to hold onto as an actor.
- Never stop learning. Trends in animation and gaming are always changing. Stay up to date by consuming the media you want to work in. If there’s a game or series you want to be part of, play it, or watch people playing it. Do the research, that’s your homework as an actor. Always keep learning.
Yitzi: Can you share with our readers the self-care routines you use to help your body, mind, and heart thrive?
Shelby: For the body, and especially for my vocal cords, I stay super hydrated. I do a warm-up called vocal phonation every day. You take a straw and a little bit of water and sort-of sing through it, which opens up the back of your vocal cords. You can do scales through the straw, “hum” Happy Birthday, I do that daily. I also use this new product I just got called the VocalMister. I love it. It nebulizes a saline solution and really helps coat your cords.
For the mind, reading. I love reading. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t read as many books this year as I usually do, but I just bought two new ones. I’m halfway through one and am excited to start the other. I’m very grateful for my imagination because it lets me disconnect from the real world when I need to and escape into my books.
And for the heart, surround yourself with people you love who love you back. I’m very, very grateful that I have an amazing support system. My boyfriend is incredible, my friends are lovely. I’ve found good people to have around me, and I think that makes all the difference.
Yitzi: Amazing answer. Beautiful. Okay, this is our aspirational question. Shelby, because of your great work and the platform you’ve built, you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could put out and spread an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would that be?
Shelby: Oh, that’s so much responsibility to inspire a movement. See, this is why I wouldn’t be a superhero! Okay, it’s gonna sound so hippie-dippy, but honestly, just love your neighbor. That’s the biggest one, look for the good in everyone instead of focusing on the negative.
I’ve seen how comment sections on social media have gotten more negative over time. Negativity tends to thrive. Negative opinions, bad reviews, harsh comments, they stand out, and that’s just human nature. I think it goes all the way back to early forms of communication, where warnings were crucial. It was more important to say, “This animal is dangerous,” than “This one is soft and fluffy.” I get that. But it can feel like negativity spreads so much faster than positivity.
I think if people just expected the best in others instead of the worst, and really accepted each other’s differences, because differences are what make the world beautiful, it would make a huge impact. If everyone were the same, the world would be boring.
Yitzi: That’s great. How can our readers continue to follow your work? How can they support you, maybe even purchase something to help support what you’re doing?
Shelby: If they want to follow my social media, I’m always announcing when new roles are coming out and then, of course, making content for my followers and subscribers to enjoy! My handle is @shelbyhyoung on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Threads & Snapchat. On Twitter, it’s @shelby_young.
Just following along and supporting the content I put out there means a lot. And when I post about new shows or movies, watching them when they release, renting them, or buying them on digital, that’s the best support anyone can give.
Yitzi: Amazing. Well, Shelby, it’s such a delight to meet you. I wish you continued success and good health. And I hope we can do this again next year.
Shelby: Absolutely, I would love that. I know I’ll have more exciting projects to share next year!
Yitzi: That’s great. Thank you. I’m looking forward to sharing the article with our readers.
Shelby: I can’t wait to read it. Thank you.
Shelby Young on Voicing Princess Leia, Gaming Iconography, and Why AI Can’t Replace Human… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.