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Critical Role's Laura Bailey reveals one of her favorite aspects of The Mighty Nein's Jester actually came from castmate Marisha Ray

As any D&D player knows, you discover core pieces of your character as the campaign goes along. And sometimes, like in the case of Critical Role pals Bailey and Ray, your fellow adventurers discover it for you

Critical Role Laura Bailey Jester Mighty Nein
Image credit: Prime Video

Ask the average Critical Role fan about their favorite parts of the TTRPG liveplay series and I bet you'll hear "the characters" as a frequent number one answer. Not only are the characters invented by the cast fantastical and often hilarious, but fans get to watch them grow in real time, as the cast of the show discover certain aspects of the Exandrian citizens that they play. But, as Laura Bailey will tell you, sometimes that discovery comes from other folks at the table.

Bailey was recently at GalaxyCon San Jose 2025 to discuss all things Critical Role alongside castmate (and life partner) Travis Willingham. With a new Prime Video animated adaptation on the way, much of the panel was spent discussing The Mighty Nein, Critical Role's second campaign in which Bailey plays fan favorite character Jester Lavorre. Toward the middle of the Q&A, one of the character's particular traits came up as an answer to a very prescient fan question.

"What is your favorite aspect of a character that developed as you played a campaign?" asked the fan in attendance.

"With Jester," said Bailey after giving the question a moment's thought, "I did not go into the game planning to like sweets."

As fans who've listened through the Mighty Nein campaign know, that's a pretty massive part of tiefling Jester's character. Her weapon of choice, for example, is a giant, weaponized lollipop.

"I know, I know," Bailey said as the crowd showed their surprise. "I was just playing and then when I was saying I was going to go get some something to eat, Marisha [Ray] said, 'I don't think I've ever seen you eat anything but cookies. I was like, 'Yes, yes, that makes perfect sense.'"

It just goes to show that you can always count on your D&D coplayers for two things - self-exploration, and terrible dietary influence. The Mighty Nein season 1 will debut on Prime Video on November 19.


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Grant DeArmitt

Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.

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