SHSU alumni Bryson Baugus is an American voice actor.
Anime fans are already widely familiar with the popularity boom their favorite medium has seen over the last few years, as shows like “Attack on Titan,” “Chainsaw Man” and “Vinland Saga” have boosted the profile of Japanese animation on a global scale. But what Bearkats may not know is that one of their own has been leading the charge, taking over the voiceover industry one role at a time.
Bryson Baugus’ interest in voiceover work emerged at a young age. In the throes of Saturday morning cartoons, Baugus found himself enthralled by the sounds and voices coming from his television. Shows like “Pokémon,” “Yu-Gi-Oh,” and “Mega Man” introduced him to the world of Japanese animation.
Anime quickly overtook American cartoons on Baugus’ radar, as he became increasingly invested in the plot-centric serializations, dramatic natures and mature tones of shows like “Fullmetal Alchemist” and “Death Note.“
“American cartoons would make me laugh, but anime was what made me cry,” he recalled.
Baugus began at Sam Houston in 2016, pursuing a BFA in Acting and Directing through the university’s Theatre program. Even then, Baugus was already taking on roles, appearing in supporting capacities on projects like “Re: Hamatora” and a “Blade Runner: 2049” prequel. Throughout his college career, he was able to balance professional projects with his schoolwork, something he greatly appreciated the department for.
“They were all very encouraging,” Baugus said. “All of them were like, ‘As long as you can fit it in your schedule and it’s not affecting your performance in class, definitely go for it.’ … Which is more than I can say for some other theatre programs.”
Baugus spoke briefly about an experience he had where his availability had earned him a role over another actor at a different theatre school with a more conservative work-study tradition.
“It just felt weird to me, because you’re training to be in this profession, you would think that people would be encouraging of professional work. I’m always thankful to the professors [at Sam Houston State] for being encouraging of seeking those professional opportunities,” Baugus said.
There was mutual admiration between Baugus and his professors. He would often work closely and diligently with his instructors, honing his artistic talents and academic understanding of performance while still working professionally.
“He was a very honest, genuine actor,” said professor of acting Tom Prior, who led Baugus in an independent study on voiceover work. While Prior instructed Baugus on the art of commercial voice acting, Bryson also introduced concepts and ideas from anime to him.
“I learned a little bit from him, which I think is an important aspect of education,” Prior said. “I’m really proud of him.”
(When asked about students looking to follow Baugus’ work/study plan, he answered “We encourage it—as long as it doesn’t take away from your academics.”)
“Bryson was a very memorable student!” theatre professor Kevin Crouch recalled. Crouch had worked closely with Baugus on a production of “Damn Yankees,” a musical the department was putting on at the time. He fondly recounted how committed to the part Bryson had been, despite being focused on voicework at the time.
“He was willing to jump right in and try his best,” Crouch said.
This seems to be the key to Baugus’ success. Even during his time at Sam Houston, he expanded beyond his focus of study, embraced all areas of acting, and continued to be a diligent student. Ultimately, it paid off.
In March of 2017, American audiences were introduced to Bell Cranel, a timid young adventurer, the main character of the anime “Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon?” This was Baugus’ first leading role as a voice actor.
Less than a year later, the English dub of “Haikyu!!” was released, serving up a new leading role for Baugus. He portrayed Shoyo Hinata, a fiery and determined high school volleyball player, just as he was entering his senior year of college.
These roles served as benchmarks in Bryson’s career, marking his transition from an amateur student to a leading man and setting the stage for his graduation from Sam Houston in 2018. He had struggled with uncertainty briefly, acknowledging the weight of responsibility in a major role, but he ultimately overcame his doubt, and has played both roles regularly since their debut, including in a “Haikyu!!” movie last year and a new season of “Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls In a Dungeon?” last month.
His leading man status also opened new doors for him, such as allowing him to sign-on as series regular Falco Grice in “Attack on Titan.”
“That was a show I was a fan of when it first came out,” Baugus recounted. “So that was super exciting for me.” He also noted that he appreciated how it allowed him to explore his acting range.
Baugus’ range would be even further explored after he was cast in “Blue Lock,” an anime revolving around the new age of competitive soccer. Baugus introduced audiences to Nagi Seishiro, a star player whose impressive athletic feats are matched only by his laziness. Even the most casual of glances could tell you that Nagi’s demeanor is a far cry from Shoyo’s hot-tempered high energy.
“It was a fun exercise in performance, to be able to play characters like that,” said Baugus, who had recorded scenes for both Nagi and Shoyo in quick succession thanks to a busy schedule.
After season one of “Blue Lock,” Bryson was given more opportunity to explore Nagi’s character in his own movie: “Episode Nagi.” The movie, which presents the events of season one from Nagi’s point of view, allowed Baugus to deepen his understanding and connection to the character, who he recognizes similarities with.
“I feel very Nagi-coded,” Baugus laughed. “I like to spend my days doing nothing and playing video games.”
Baugus made his film debut as the voice of Damian Wayne/Robin in “Batman Ninja: Yakuza League” in March. In April, he debuted as Leland in “Lazarus,” a new anime from Adult Swim by Shinichirō Watanbe, creator of “Cowboy Bebop.”
Baugus, who made the Dean’s List during his time at SHSU, listed other Sam Houston alumni who followed very similar paths, such as “Haikyu!!” castmate Adam Gibbs and Joel McDonald, a veteran voice actor and director. Baugus greatly emphasized the importance of making friends and how many of his and his colleagues’ roles were landed “thanks to networking.”