Temple of Geek’s Maddie Morrow sat down with the influential comedian, voice actor, and writer Brandon Rogers. They discussed the complexity and duality of voice acting and writing for the same series. Rogers is not only the voice of Blitzø, the irreverent protagonist of Helluva Boss, but he is also a co-writer, giving him a unique understanding of the character’s profound complexity.
Brandon Rogers Knows Blitzø Inside and Out
Rogers explained that the key to writing and performing Blitzø’s emotional range is grounding the character’s story in reality. “We write what we know.”
Blitzø’s trauma, though fictionalized (like his mother dying in a fiery accident), is rooted in “trauma similar to that situation” from Rogers’s own life, allowing him to tap into a genuine “authenticity.”
He strongly argued against the common assumption that comic relief characters shouldn’t be allowed to have deep emotional beats.
People think that the comic relief of a show or a film… they don’t have a place to, it’s not right for them to cry or for them to have their heart broken or for them to feel scared. But the thing is we all do.
Rogers believes the greatest acting challenge is showing what a funny character looks like across the “emotional wheel.” He cites the nuanced performances of Pee-wee Herman as a model.
The duality of Blitzø—yelling one moment and weeping the next—is channeled through a distinct recording process. Blitzø’s scenes often begin with him “at a 10,” yelling and screaming, which Rogers says serves as a natural vocal “warmup.” Once the shouting and screaming are complete, he feels “looser,” allowing the sadder, deeper material to “flow out easier.”
Rogers even recalled a day when he was going through a genuine personal crisis and almost canceled his session. However, he and Viv Medrano decided to “use this.” The resulting performance, he felt, was one of his best. He described the experience as “surfing,” letting out a raw, authentic sadness that elevated the acting. This demonstrated the power of the actor’s connection to the character and the commitment to emotional truth.
