Meet Tod Fennell, the voice of Taro! As a spirit corrupted by pain in his life, Taro needs Kena’s help to untangle his past to free him. Tod’s vulnerable performance and deeply personal approach to his role produces a truly heartfelt journey.
Based in Montreal, Canada, Tod began his performance career early. As a child actor, he appeared on popular family shows like Lassie, Goosebumps, and Are you Afraid of the Dark on Canada’s YTV. But soon, he discovered his passion for voice acting:
“I fell in love with voice work because you can hyper focus on the delivery without having to worry about lighting, hitting your mark, or even what your face is doing. It’s a kind of laser focus on tone, cadence, and rhythm of your voice that I really enjoy. It also frees an actor up to play characters that they would never get cast to play on film or in television because it really doesn’t matter what you look like, just how you sound.”
During the recording process for Kena, Tod really appreciated the time and attention that Ember Lab’s team gave to finding the depth and nuance of his character. He felt that his creative input was valued and taken into consideration, and for good reason! As Tod’s role required some pretty difficult emotional topics, spending the right amount of time and attention to delve into the emotional depth for Taro was top priority. Tod brought just as much focus and personal insight into his work.
Players will guide several spirits in Kena: Bridge of Spirits as they overcome haunting memories of their past. Tod’s character, Taro, struggles with the unresolved pain of loss. Tod reflects,
“I can identify with the pain and guilt Taro is experiencing, having lost my mother in my early 20’s to cancer. When you lose someone close, it’s really hard not to go over what you think you should or could have done differently. Or think about what you should have said or didn’t say.”
Bringing this kind of personal vulnerability to creative work isn’t always easy, but Tod’s openness as an actor and connection to Taro’s experiences truly elevate his performance and enhance Taro’s story.
While a fantastic actor, Tod isn’t only a voice in video games – he also enjoys playing them! (“Though not as much anymore as a father of a six year old, another one on the way, and a kitchen to renovate.”) When he does have time, though, he enjoys a wide variety of games from the classic Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to the Diablo series and first-person shooters like Call of Duty.
Aside from performing, Tod also hosts a show on Instagram Live, interviewing other professionals in the entertainment industry about their journeys and taking questions from the audience. “I think the nonlinear paths people take in the entertainment industry are fascinating and I feel like there’s a lesson to learn from everyone’s story.”
Looking forward, Tod has recently been working on writing. From television pilots to short films, he is even writing a children’s book with his wife called “Growin UP” about a young plant trying to find purpose in a confusing world!
If you would like to hear Tod’s other works after playing Kena: Bridge of Spirits, you can hear his voice acting in the Assassin’s Creed series, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, The Division 1 & 2, Bean in Far Cry New Dawn, and Cheval in Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin. His film/TV credits also include, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Racetime, and April and the Extraordinary World.
You can find more about Tod and stay up to date with him here:
Instagram: @itstodfennell
Facebook: @todfennell
Twitter: @todfennell
Cameo: @todfennell
Tik Tok: @itstodfennell