The Owl House’s debut in 2020 was a watershed moment for animated queer representation, having recently confirmed a romance between Luz Noceda and Amity Blight, while the supporting cast is awash with all manner of LGBTQ+ identities that paint The Boiling Isles as an inclusive archipelago where everyone is welcome. The talent behind the show is equally as diverse, whether it be bisexual creator Dana Terrace or lesbian writer Molly Ostertag. Its universe is a product of the passionate minds behind it, and nowhere is that more apparent than with Avi Roque’s performance as Raine Whispers.
Raine’s role in the show has been met with celebration from fans, the non-binary bard sneaking into the hearts of viewers and refusing to leave. Given their impact, the origins of Avi Roque’s involvement in said portrayal are adorably understated. “I didn’t have a nicer mic at the time, so I think I was still using my phone,” Roque tells me about their audition for the character. “I remember it was different lines with different emotions to convey, and then I literally emailed it back to my agents and they were like, ‘Thanks!’ and then you kind of play the waiting game.”
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Acting as Roque’s first major role in animation, the entire process is described with a real sense of wonder, like they had yet to fully comprehend how popular the show they were about to step into would become. Upon submitting their audition, Roque went on with their life until receiving a random phone call in the grocery story one day. It was their agent, letting them know they’d landed the role. Now, it was time to catch up on The Owl House and get into character.
“Not knowing what the reaction was going to be [to Raine] was kind of nerve-racking,” Roque tells me. “I didn’t realise how huge of a following The Owl House has. I mean, it’s tremendous, the fans and everything, it's really beautiful. Even prior to me being able to say I’m voicing this character named Raine Whispers, you just have to be an observer [of the fans] and let them go ahead. It’s fascinating to see how quick and smart everyone is, like, ‘Is this relationship going to be like this or like this?’ It’s pretty wild to see all of that conversation happening, especially on a platform like Twitter because it’s all so quick. I’m gonna have to admit, until I got the audition I didn’t know about the show. I started watching season one, and then I’ve obviously been keeping up with it. Of course now I’m a fan. Not only am I part of the show, I’m also a huge fan and supporter.”
Roque’s sentiment about being part of the show runs deeper than you might expect, because Raine Whispers’ appearance in The Owl House is seemingly based around their own. “I am a person of color, I identify as Latinx, and when I first got the audition for Raine, the character that they showed me looked fair-skinned,” Roque explains. “I think that was part of the reason I was like, ‘I'm not going to get this. This isn't for me. But I'm going to do it. I'm going to try it anyway, and I'm going to go for it.’ So getting the character, getting the role, and then seeing that the shade was matched to me, I was like oh my gosh, that’s a part of me, and I’m really there. It’s a part of me, and I’m really proud. I don’t know if that’s something to be proud of, but I’m proud of that.”
Despite having just wet their feet in the pool of voice acting, Roque has a deep history with theatre and live-action roles, proudly presenting their non-binary identity in productions that require an aura of confidence.
Their first moment of experimentation with gender roles came with a performance of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in Catholic school. The entire cast was made up of girls, so Roque was cast in a male role and was able to portray masculine energy long before they’d transition either medically or socially. Acting in high school eventually evolved into pursuing professional training, a course that was cut short due to internal budget issues, but Roque didn’t let this setback hinder their passion. “I decided to move to Chicago after I graduated from college, and that’s when my professional career started to blossom,” Roque says. “I hadn’t transitioned yet. I was still using she/her pronouns, and I was still using my birth name. It wasn’t until a few years into my time in Chicago did I do my deep self-searching and educating. Because I think a lot of it was that I didn’t necessarily know there were other options.”
Despite transitioning in such a public-facing profession, Roque tells me that embracing their true identity was a surprisingly smooth process in the grand scheme of things. “When I think back to time in college, I think it was a little challenging because it’s all so binary, and it’s like I’m being groomed as something [I’m not],” Roque tells me. “I felt like I was just always performing and never felt truthful or authentic and could never really break through to doing truthful work. I was always like, ‘I’m performing this part now!’ and it didn’t feel authentic, which is always the word I’m going to use. Then transitioning while I was doing this, I think I felt very fortunate, it felt surprisingly smooth. I don’t know why, maybe it was the community and the people I was surrounded by that helped make it easier. I socially transitioned first, so I chose my name and pronouns and then introduced that to my social circles. As I got deeper into that journey I decided to medically transition, started hormones, got top surgery, and now I’m my best self.”
Raine Whispers is the poetic next step in Roque’s journey, and while they couldn’t say too much in fear of future spoilers, hearing the process behind voicing such a character was enlightening. “I had a basic description so I knew who they were as head of the Bard Coven,” Roque tells me. “It didn’t specify their [identity] but the description used they/them pronouns so I was like, ‘Awesome!’ and I knew they were planning a rebellion against Emperor Belos. I had the basic plot points and the character’s trajectory and their role within the show, but I didn’t know that much. So sometimes, whenever I would get scripts, it was kind of learning as I was going. That was a core process. I just love being in the studio and giving it a go.”
While recording took place during the pandemic, Roque was lucky enough to work in a Los Angeles studio with Dana Terrace, artists, and directors tuning in over Skype. “There was one time when I was like, ‘Oh this is so cool!’ and it was the first time I got to see my voice matched to Raine,” Roque says. “It was ADR, so basically I was just matching my words to the character while I was watching them do stuff. That was just such a moment for me. But yeah, that’s how we did it, sometimes we’d do two episodes in a session, while sometimes it was just very quick and just a few lines.”
Because the fandom would eat me alive if I didn’t at least mention it, the romance between Raine Whispers and Eda Clawthorne is a lovely little thing in The Owl House, something that’s shrouded in equal parts mystery and heartbreak. Like me, Roque is a bit of a romantic. “I don’t know if I’m just a sucker for heart stuff and sweet tender moments, but it’s those times of vulnerability in a show that can be quick-paced and fun to get these rooted and grounded intimate moments,” they explain. “I love that, and getting to act and perform through my voice and share these scenes with Eda, I just loved it.”
Away from the technical and performance side of things, I could feel Roque’s passion for this world and characters, and how The Owl House has been able to craft something that views queer identity as normal, especially in regards to Raine Whispers. “I am always trying to advocate and champion trans and non-binary stories, but let’s not always make it about them and their identity,” Roque states. “Instead of making it a whole ‘to do’ can’t it just be normalised? Can’t it just exist? Can’t they just exist in the world? I always joke about this, but I’d love to be in a series where I’m just playing a doctor, you know?”
Roque praises animated shows like The Owl House for challenging these preconceptions, and appreciates how voice acting isn’t putting up unfair barriers based on physical appearance. It takes place in a world where bigotry is left at the door, and its characters are free to be whoever they want and love whoever they want – nobody is going to stop them. “I know what it feels like to not see yourself represented in the media or in the world sometimes,” Roque says. “I think it’s so positive, because like you’re saying it’s normalising it. Maybe it helps someone feel less alone, less misunderstood. Maybe it’s helping you come to terms with things as a child or a young person to just be like, ‘Oh, Okay.’ The way the show does such a beautiful job of it is how it’s normalized, it is what it is. They’re all people, all human, and they just all have different ways of who they love or like, or who they are. What’s so wrong and bad about that? Nothing.”
We’ll likely see more from Raine Whispers in the episodes to come, but to close our conversation Roque wanted to leave a message for viewers, young creatives, and LGBTQ+ people to keep on going, and to fight for what they believe in.
“Some of the messages I’m getting [from fans] are really touching and really moving,” Roque explains. “It’s part of the mission of what I do, with the hopes of inspiring and with the hopes of helping someone. It really is such an honor to be a part of this and offer this kind of representation. So to everyone who might come across this, I may be cliche, but I’m a firm believer of just continuing to believe in yourself. Even though it might be scary at times, just know that you’re not alone, and there are things you can look to and anchor to. There is hope and change is coming, and we need you. We need all of you here to keep being here, living your lives, and finding joy.”
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