Samuel Brent Oscar Riegel[1] was born in Washington, D.C. on October 9, 1976,[2] the son of Lenore and Kurt Riegel. His mother later married author Jerome Charyn.[3] His father works as a radio astronomer, environmental executive, and sailor. Riegel is of Jewish descent, with his grandmother being a Holocaust survivor.[4] He is the older brother of actress Eden Riegel and the younger half-brother of filmmaker Tatiana S. Riegel. He grew up in Northern Virginia, where he began performing in local theater at the age of six. He was cast in the touring production of Les Misérables at the age of 11, and performed in The Sound of Music three years later. He also had television roles on Guiding Light and Another World as a teenager, but opted to pursue a career onstage over screen acting as he preferred the live feedback of a theater audience. He joined the Upright Citizens Brigade shortly after graduating from college.[5]
He is also a cast member of the popular web series Critical Role, in which he and other voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons.[9][10][11]Critical Role was both the Webby Winner and the People's Voice Winner in the "Games (Video Series & Channels)" category at the 2019 Webby Awards;[12] the show was also both a Finalist and the Audience Honor Winner at the 2019 Shorty Awards.[13] After becoming hugely successful, the Critical Role cast left the Geek & Sundry network in early 2019 and set up their own production company, Critical Role Productions.[10][14][15][16] Soon after, they aimed to raise $750,000 on Kickstarter to create an animated series of their first campaign, but ended up raising over $11 million.[11][17] In November 2019, Amazon Prime Video announced that they had acquired the streaming rights to this animated series, now titled The Legend of Vox Machina.[18] Riegel reprises his role as Scanlan Shorthalt.[19] He hosts the All Work No Play podcast and spinoff web series with his Critical Role co-star and best friend Liam O'Brien.[20][21][22]
On September 11, 2001, Riegel and Tran witnessed the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.[26] They were caught in the dust cloud formed by the collapse of the South Tower, but eventually escaped to Battery Park, where they witnessed the collapse of the North Tower; Riegel captured video footage that has since been featured in several documentaries.[23] Shortly after the events, they moved to California when Tran was accepted to UCLA.[27]
In July 2024, Riegel revealed that he had been diagnosed with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer earlier in the year and was recovering after undergoing six weeks of radiation therapy and surgery to remove his tonsils alongside parts of his tongue and soft palate, leaving him with a seven-inch scar across his throat.[28][29][30]
Ab-Snatchers Actor, Movie Announcer, Blue Frog With Hat, Gary, Janitor, Brown Overalls Frog, Dartboard Frog, Dark Green Male Frog, Glass Artisan, Grub N Go Hirer, Bell Ringer, Chief McClintock, Cop 2, Arrested Civilian, Patrick, Bearded Frog, Neckerchief Betting Frog, Kurt, Neckerchief Frog, Frog DJ, Orange Haired Frog, Vince, Dragonfly Frog, Scared Hat Bittie, Neckerchief Bittie, Brown Slicked Hair Bittie, Bird Seller Trucker, Ushanka Hat Frog, Bartley, Branson, Ant Cream Worker, Gift Shop Worker, Fleafy, Red Eyed Frog, Blue Toad Soldier, Green Frog with Hat, Leander, Tyler, Tyler's Boyfriend, Hat Customer, Bearded Tough Guy Bus Passenger, Glasses Customer, Mitch Harper, Branson, Blair, Butterfly Drone Soldier Prototype, Scared Museum Observer, Worried Amphibians
A web series where Riegel and Liam O'Brien catch up over a drink and try a new activity each episode. The show was developed from their original AWNP podcast (2012–2017).
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadae"Sam Riegel (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved November 5, 2017. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
^"Cherry Blossoms". Boys Be... Episode 1. Manga Entertainment. 2006. Event occurs at 22:40 director and writer credit, 22:45 character credit. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
^"Sword Dancer". The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye. February 8, 2011. Event occurs at Closing credits, English Cast – via YouTube.[dead YouTube link]
^"WATCH: Critical Role Performs a Scene from The Legend of Vox Machina". CBR. October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021. The players from the original campaign are all reprising the roles of their RPG characters, and they will also serve as the executive producers for the new animated series.
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