Slayers: A Buffyverse Story’s James Charles Leary, Laya DeLeon Hayes on Joining the Scooby Gang

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe returns this week in the Audible Original . The new story brings back several Buffy the Vampire Slayer stars, including James Charles Leary Clem, only this time, instead of a supporting character and ally to the main Scooby Gang, Clem is part of the main cast. There are new additions in the cast as well, including BAFTA-winning actress Laya DeLeon Hayes as Indira, a fresh-faced, brand-new Slayer who finds herself on a surprising mission that sees her teaming up with Cordelia the Vampire Slayer, Anya the ex-vengeance demon, and plenty others.

ComicBook.com had a chance to speak to Leary and Hayes together about their roles in Slayers: A Buffyverse Story. Here’s what they had to say:

James, Clem is such a fun character, but he was always an ally and not a full member of the gang. He’s much more integral to the here. How did it feel to get to see Clem become a full-fledged member of the Scoobies here?

James Charles Leary: It was my 2004 dream come true. No, Chris Golden and Amber Benson, who I’ve both known for a long, long time, came to me a while ago and said, “Hey, we’re thinking about doing this and we’re going to make Clem a main character.” And I was like, “Wait, what? All right.” And then it happened, and it was incredible. I loved every second of it, getting more time with each character and getting to work with people I’d never worked with. I never got to work with Charisma. My experience with Emma was small. I think I had maybe one scene with Amber. I’d never worked with Anthony Stewart Head. Those of us who know him call him Tony. So, I say this: 22 years ago this was an audition for five lines on one of my favorite TV shows, and that’s all I thought it was going to be, five lines. Here I am 22 years later still talking about it, still being a part of it. I feel incredibly lucky and like I hit the lottery. Not the six-figure lottery, but the four-figure lottery.

Speaking of 22 years ago, Laya, you’re playing a character who is a fangirl for the universe she’s in, but it’s a universe that had closed up shop, if I’m not mistaken, before you were born. Was it tricky to find that energy? Was there something in your own life that you are a fangirl about that you drew on for this? Or did you approach it differently?

Laya Deleon Hayes: That’s part of the reason I’m an actor, even started being part of this industry, is because I was a fan when I was younger of Disney Channel shows. As I got older, I was a fan of theater. I was a big Hamilton fan when I was 12. I think that one of the things me and Indira have in common is when we love something, it does get very obsessive. But when it came to Buffy like you were saying, yeah, it was before my time. Like you said, they just kind of closed up shop once I was born.

I will say that making sure that I understood the tone and really what my new character was going to bring to something that had already been solidified, that was more of the, not even tough part, but maybe more of the thing that I was nervous about. It was before starting the project, but immediately after my first call with Amber, Christopher, and Kc, it was like all my nerves went away. They were just so cool and so comforting and so welcoming from the very beginning, and just a cherry on top with the cast too, because they were so open and generous as well. Other James, who plays Spike, on our first day, they were able to give me so much insight and even suggestions for episodes to watch, which was so unbelievably helpful. And again, you get those first-day jitters on any project that you’re on. With this, I wanted to make sure that I was doing the show justice and these lovely people justice, and they made it such a wonderful environment for me from the beginning. Again, I’m very grateful for that.

JCL: Well, before you ask another question, I’m going to add to that. And I’ve said it before, but Laya came in and slayed from the get. A lot of this cast and I, even if we hadn’t worked together, we’ve known each other for a very, very, very long time. She came in immediately and felt like someone we had worked with for 20 years, even though she was not even 20 years old. She is incredible and it’s a great testament to her personality, talent, and professionalism. Because it was just like, “Oh no, no, she’s been with us the whole time, right? No, she wasn’t even born when the show went off the air. Shut up. What are you talking about?” So that’s all I say about Laya.

LDH: Thank you. Thank you. This is a true treasure. He’s really one of the sweetest people I’ve ever worked with truly. So thank you, James.

JCL: You’re absolutely welcome.

Audio drama has really secene a resurgence in recent years. James, I know you’ve done some voiceover work for video games. Laya, I know you’ve done voiceover work. How did that experience serve you in doing audio drama where you’re not going to have animation to carry the visuals and the character? Did it require a different acting toolset or were you able to fall back on those skills?

LDH: For me personally, yeah. I think I was more able to fall back on those voiceover skills because voiceover is such a long process period. I mean, starting out projects, especially with games, it’s such a long process, so you really are, one, you’re trusting your director and you’re trusting your cast members in hopes that you’re making this vision come to life, and on top of that, you’re using your imagination. There’s a huge emphasis on creating this world for yourself and understanding your character for yourself, and when you get in the booth, just playing and trying things out, seeing what works, seeing what doesn’t work.

That’s what was so beautiful about Slayers, we got to be in the booth together. But even though we can’t see the animation or what these characters look like, we know what the show looks like. And on top of that, when you’re doing another voiceover project, you don’t see the animation sometimes until a year and a half or two years later. So, for me personally, it felt like the same thing. And a lot of my past voiceover experience was definitely able to help me in this realm.

JCL: For me, I loved the way that we recorded this, and I have done a lot of voiceovers where it’s just you in a booth and you are saying wild lines. You’re like, “Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah,” and you’re having to do that over and over again with no one really reacting with you. So, this was really great to be able to look over at Laya and Emma and Charisma and James and everyone else, and be able to be like, we’re reading a script together, we’re reading a play. That’s what I loved about it. As far as voiceover work, I don’t tend to treat anything differently. Whether I’m doing voiceover or on camera or a play, I’m playing. It’s just play. So, for me it’s — oh boy — It’s much more fun to play with others than to play with yourself.

I see what you did there.

JCL: Yeah, that one was in there and I just let it go. I’m sure the Audible people are losing their minds.

James, was there any challenge finding Clem’s voice again, sans the prosthetics, or did it just come naturally?

JCL: No, surprisingly. I was actually very, very nervous about that. You can talk to my wife. The week before, I was terrified. I was afraid it was all about teeth. I was afraid it was about the makeup, and the second I stood in there and said my first line, which was with the other James, Mr. Marsters, the cheekbone himself, it was there; a testament to Chris and Amber’s writing. There was never a second thought.

Slayers: A Buffyverse Story premieres exclusively on Audible, releasing all nine episodes on October 12th.