Lani Jean Minella (born July 28, 1950) is an American voice actress, voice director, and producer mostly working in the games industry. She is also the founder and owner of the voice-acting agency AudioGodz. As of August 2024, Minella was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most prolific video game voice actress, a title previously held by Jennifer Hale.
Since starting her career and becoming well known for her unique four-octave vocal range, Minella has appeared in multiple video game franchises such as Diablo, StarCraft, Duke Nukem, Backyard Sports, Warcraft, Baldur's Gate, Unreal, Borderlands, and Darksiders. As well, she has provided many voices for characters in various other video games, most notably roles like Nancy Drew in the video game series, Gabriella in Blood II: The Chosen, Rouge the Bat and Omochao from Sonic the Hedgehog in their debut, Ivy Valentine from SoulCalibur, Eve in Mass Effect 3, and Lucas in Super Smash Bros. Minella has also done multiple roles in a game such as Sindel and Sheeva in Mortal Kombat (2011), Gloria and the Red Run in Remothered: Tormented Fathers, and the creature voices for Clickers, Bloaters, and Infected in The Last of Us and its sequel.
Career After college, Minella started on Morning Drive radio for an alternative station in the late 1980s. After hearing her celebrity impersonations, GTE Interactive Media contacted Minella and asked her to imitate voices from the film FernGully: The Last Rainforest, which was being pitched for a LaserDisc presentation to Magnavox and Philips. She was then referred by the company to their CD-ROM division, where she worked on more voices and assisted with script writing on games for children. Minella asked the company if there were others doing similar work, and they suggested that she should go to trade shows, which led her to attend showcases like Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Game Developers Conference in San Jose, and Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, where she gave out business cards but failed to get any offers. This led her to start her own company, AudioGodz, a production company specializing in all aspects of voiceovers from talent to casting, directing, writing and production, in 1992.
In 1996, Minella worked on a major first-person shooter video game, Duke Nukem 3D, as voice director and actress, voicing most of the female characters in the series. She helped cast the voice actor of Duke Nukem, Jon St. John, who she met after being cast as the voice for a commercial he was producing in San Diego. After being impressed by her voices, St. John imitated the voices back at Minella and she asked if he had ever done voice acting for video games. Soon after, she got him a telephone interview with the game's creator, George Broussard, and eventually got him the part of Duke.
Minella's first major voice role in a video game was for HeR Interactive's adventure-mystery series Nancy Drew, starring as the titular character Nancy Drew, debuting with 1998's Secrets Can Kill. Minella reprised her role as Nancy Drew in 31 other video games, with her last being Sea of Darkness in 2015. HeR Interactive's CEO decided to find a voice actress local to the Seattle area, as Minella resides in San Diego.
Personal life Minella is of Italian descent from her father's side. In her spare time, she does vocal coaching, gardening, and caring for her rescue pets. She lives in San Diego, California.
Filmography Animation + List of voice performances in animation Year Title Role Crew role, notes Source Burn-Up Excess Maya Jingu, others English dub Resume .hack//SIGN Girl Geneshaft Dolce Saito, Chacha, others Justice League Unlimited Mayor of Central City Episode: "Flash and Substance" All Grown Up! Kid, Old Woman Episode: "TP + KF" Motown Magic Lorenzo
Feature films + List of voice performances in feature films Year Title Role Crew role, notes Source FernGully: The Last Rainforest Background voices Debut voice role, LaserDisc release The Queen's Corgi Ginger US Version It Chapter Two Loop Group Tweet2025The Colors WithinKimi's GrandmotherEnglish dubTweet
Video games + List of voice performances in video games Year Title Role Crew role, notes, region Source 1995 Astal All voices Bubsy 3D All voices Voice talent Candy Land Adventure Captain Cookie, Princess Lolly, Queen Frostine, Gramma Nut, Tree 2, Red Ant 1, Queen Bee, Miner 1 Diablo Adria the Witch, Wirt the Peg-Legged Boy Snowboard Kids Slash Kamei, Nancy Neil, Jam Kuehnemund, Linda Maltinie, Mr. Dog –2002 The Land Before Time games Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Chomper, Spike, Mo Voice characterization Nightmare Ned Hilda Needlemeyer Video game only StarCraft Dropship Pilot Rocky & Bullwinkle's Know-It-All Quiz Game Sherman –2015 Nancy Drew games Nancy Drew, various characters Snowboard Kids 2 Slash Kamei, Damien, Wendy Lane Blue Stinger Janine King Voice actor and director Evil Zone Alty Lazel, Midori Himeno, Ihadurca Duke Nukem: Zero Hour Female Commander Voice actor –2004 Sonic the Hedgehog games Station Square Announcer, Omochao, Rouge the Bat, Void Voice actor and director; US/EUR/NA Tail Concerto Waffle Ryebread, Panta 40 Winks Ruff, Tumble, Robot Tumble, mother Maken X Various voices Evil Dead: Hail to the King Anne Knowby, Grammy, Deadites D2 Martha Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Blood Raven, The Countess, Andariel, Malah, Ancients Half-Life: Decay Colette Green AirBlade Kat Voice actor and director Frogger: The Great Quest Various characters Illbleed Eriko Christy, various characters Backyard Baseball 2003 Sunny Day, Vinnie the Gooch, others Slots from Bally Gaming Olive Oyl, Betty Boop Backyard Football Sunny Day, others Backyard Soccer 2004 Sunny Day, Earl Grey, others Rogue Ops Nikki Connors Go! Go! Hypergrind Piggy Sue, Bob, Jenny 2004 Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Female VOs (deleted scenes) Casting (over 200 voices), director Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening Female Spider, Reaper Creature –present Soulcalibur games Ivy Valentine Voice actor The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II Galadriel, Spider Rider Runaway 2: The Dream of Turtle Gina Timmins, Tarantula, Alpha, Aolani, Rosa Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn Mia, Micaiah, Mist, various others Voice actor -2013, 2018 Professor Layton games Luke (US English), Flora, Emmy, various others Super Smash Bros. Brawl Lucas, Lyn (English), Pit (English) Penumbra: Black Plague Hive Mind Penumbra: Requiem Dr. Richard Eminiss Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Lucia von Bardas Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Omochao DS version only; archive footage Borderlands Commandant Steele New Super Mario Bros. Wii Larry Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., Wendy O. Koopa and Lemmy Koopa Darksiders Silitha, Tiamat Amnesia: The Dark Descent Girl, Mother, Clarice Voice director Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Retribution Hive Mind The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Night Mother, Nocturnal, Aranea Ienith, Cindiri Arano, Dravynea the Stoneweaver, Idesa Sadri, Ildari Sarothril, Irileth, Jenassa, Marise Aravel, Niluva Hlaalu, Priestess of Boethiah, Sabine Nytte, Suvaris Atheron, Synda Llanith, Tilisu Severin, Katria, Female Dunmer Mortal Kombat Sindel, Sheeva Mass Effect 3 Eve, Asari Medic New Super Mario Bros. 2 Larry, Morton, Wendy and Lemmy Lucius Mary New Super Mario Bros. U Larry, Morton, Wendy and Lemmy StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Slivan The Last of Us Clickers, Runners, Bloaters Voice actor Strider Nang Pooh, Xi Mang Wu, Female broadcaster Off The Record: The Italian Affair Gabriella Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Larry, Morton, Wendy, Lemmy, Lyn (English), and Lucas Awesomenauts Nibbs Rad Rodgers: World One The Jungle Elder Fire Emblem Heroes Mia XCOM 2 War of the Chosen Chosen Assassin Remothered: Tormented Fathers Gloria, Red Nun As Lani "Alien Ilmann" Minella Subnautica Sea Emperor Leviathan Remothered: Tormented Fathers Gloria Ashmann, Red Nun War for the Overworld: The Under Games Overlord Lamash God of War Pesta Bendy and the Ink Machine Lacie Benton Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Lucas, Lyn (English), Larry, Morton, Wendy, Lemmy MediEvil Narrator 2020 Summit of the Wolf Adena, Deana Kethagee, Epha Ilo, Narrator, Ori, SallyGropner, Wanda the Tree The Last of Us Part II Clickers, Runners, Bloaters Voice actor Wasteland 3 Other VO (Less than 40 lines) (As Lani Manilla) Remothered: Broken Porcelain The Keeper Sim Settlements 2 Judge Bishop, Shhandy World of Warcraft: Shadowlands Additional voices Remothered: Double Pack Gloria Ashmann 2021 Choices: Stories You Play Olivia Ashton, Rachel Winthrop, Mary Zilberg, Kenna Rys, Audrey, Fiddler, Officer Dawes The Captain is Dead Diplomat Shadow Man Remastered Nettie Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Eve, Asari Medic Chivalry 2 Female Agathian Warrior Happy's Humble Burger Farm Happy the Humble Heifer, Monsters 2022 Sucker for Love: First Date Nyanlathotep Voice actor Lord of the Rings Online: Rangers and Ruins Hrimil God of War Ragnarök Raven Keeper Chivalry 2: Tenosian Invasion Tenosian Tigris Hearthstone: Voyage to the Sunken City Lady S'Theno, Eelbound archer, Twinbow Terrorcoil Identity V Keigan Nicholas Keogh (Clerk) Back 4 Blood ("Tunnels of Terror") Cultist Sniper Overlode Female Drone 2023 Dead Space (remake) Necromorph Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game Klownzilla, Tank, Tracker, Scout Casting, director
Podcast +List of voice performances in podcastsYearTitleRoleNotesSource2016–2017 Liberty: Critical ResearchBaal2016–2019 Liberty: Tales From the TowerVarious2017–2022 The White VaultDr. Rosa De La Torre Main; season 1-2; guest season 4; recurring season 5) 2020–2021 VAST HorizonCommander Graan
References
External links
– Minella's company website
Lani Minella at Voice Chasers Lani Minella at MobyGames