Sam Riegel

Sam Riegel’s Journey from Stage to Screen

Long before he ever stepped into a recording booth, Sam Riegel was already performing. Growing up in Northern Virginia after early years in Washington, D.C., he began local theater at age six and landed a spot in the national tour of Les Misérables at eleven. Soap opera credits on Guiding Light and Another World followed during his teen years, but the draw of live performance won out – he chose stage over screen, a decision that gave him a discipline few voice actors can claim.

Phoenix Wright, Donatello, and the Characters That Defined a Generation

Riegel’s entry into animation came through a role that became a touchstone for an entire generation of fans: Donatello in the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. The part ran for years and introduced him to the kind of fanbase that follows a voice across every project it appears in. His parallel career in video games produced an equally enduring legacy – Phoenix Wright in the Ace Attorney franchise became one of the most quoted, cosplayed, and beloved characters in gaming. Teddie in Persona 4 rounded out a trio of roles that cemented his place in the medium.

Critical Role and the Media Empire Built Around a D&D Table

What started in 2015 as a group of voice actors playing Dungeons and Dragons for a friend’s birthday turned into one of the defining entertainment brands of its decade. Riegel co-founded Critical Role alongside Matthew Mercer and their circle of colleagues, playing Scanlan Shorthalt in Campaign 1 – a gnome bard whose wit and heart became signature to the show. When the group launched a Kickstarter to animate Campaign 1, a $750,000 goal ballooned past $11 million. The resulting series, The Legend of Vox Machina on Amazon Prime Video, saw Riegel serve not just as a voice actor but as executive producer.

The Emmy Award, Voice Direction, and a Career Behind the Glass

Directing became a second career running parallel to performing. Riegel earned a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program for Danger and Eggs in 2018, and his credits as a voice director span Disney’s DuckTales, Elena of Avalor, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, and Nickelodeon’s Sanjay and Craig, among others. He has also directed performances in major video game productions including Fallout: New Vegas.

Cancer Diagnosis and a Public Return

In July 2024, Riegel disclosed that he had been diagnosed with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer earlier that year. Treatment included six weeks of radiation therapy and surgery that left a seven-inch scar across his throat. His openness about the diagnosis and recovery connected deeply with fans and colleagues, and his subsequent return to Critical Role was marked by widespread support within the voice acting community.