How One Death Scene Turned British Voice Actor Alan Shires Into a Character Icon

One death scene turned British voice actor Alan Shires into a character icon that has become beloved by fans. The How One Death Scene Turned British Voice Actor Alan Shires Into a Character Icon first appeared on The Blast

British-born voice actor Alan Shires has spent the past few years quietly building one of the more unusual resumes in the anime and gaming voiceover space: a performer whose castings keep circling back to the people he’s worked with before, and whose fans now recognize him in person at conventions across the United States.

A casting call that came full circle

Shires’ role in Moriarty the Patriot began with a phone call from veteran voice actor Chris Sabat, who asked for help casting British talent to bring authenticity to the show. Shires helped run that search. When the production returned for a second series, Sabat surprised him with a role he felt was a perfect fit. For a separate casting, Shires reviewed more than 100 auditions and presented director Rawly Pickens with a shortlist of the 15 best, expecting Pickens to make the final call on seven. Instead, Pickens told him to make the picks himself, trusting his judgment, a process Shires has described as one of the toughest and most rewarding parts of the job.

His casting in Arknights: Endfield followed a similarly organic path, starting with a tip from a London-based client before the project landed with developer Liquid Violet. Shires recorded two sessions for the game, and the connection resurfaced unexpectedly in August 2026 at Anime NYC, where he walked past a massive Arknights: Endfield booth handing out merchandise. When he mentioned his credit had just gone live on IMDb, the team pulled him in for photos with the game’s mascots on the spot.

The role that became a movement

Shires’ most unexpected fan response has come from An Elmwood Trail, a video game he joined as a lead character starting with its second release, which the title refers to as an “episode.” When his character appeared to die in that episode, social media reaction was immediate and emotional, with fans reaching out directly to Shires in disbelief. The twist arrived in episode three: the character was alive, in a coma, setting off the fan-driven hashtag #WakeUpKevin that still follows the game today.

The series has since surpassed five million downloads on Apple’s platform alone, with a 4.9-star review score. Recording for the fourth episode is expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027, and Shires says he’s been told to stay available, with more twists likely ahead for his role as Kevin.

A regular presence at North America’s biggest conventions

Shires’ convention schedule runs through Fan Expo, North America’s largest convention company, which stages 13 shows annually. His role there varies by event: judging voice-acting competitions, hosting live “On the Mic” interviews with high-profile guests, and introducing first-time attendees to voiceover work at hands-on booth sessions.

That regular presence has turned into consistent in-person recognition, with fans approaching him for selfies and messaging him on social media, driven largely by the emotional connection to An Elmwood Trail and to the broader body of family and educational content he’s built his career on.

What’s next

Shires recently helped cast the upcoming game Static Dead and has booked a role in an unannounced 2027 title he’s not yet able to discuss. He’s also slated to speak at ICVM in October and to take part in a film intensive with the Kendrick Brothers in November, alongside a steady run of convention appearances roughly every other weekend. He’ll also return to filming the Amazon Prime series Vindication in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The How One Death Scene Turned British Voice Actor Alan Shires Into a Character Icon first appeared on The Blast