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From Baldur’s Gate 3 To Hollywood Ambitions, Theo Solomon is Ready
For many actors, landing in New York is the dream. But when the opportunity came knocking, Theo Solomon turned it down. Solomon was starring in The Wife of Willesden, Zadie Smith’s theatre production that achieved a sold-out run despite COVID restrictions, when the play was set to transfer to New York and Boston.
“I was going to do it, and then something in my gut was like, ‘Nah, you’ve done the play once, you don’t need to go and do it again,’” Solomon told us when he was in Singapore for the Lion City Faire in June. Just months later, he landed the role of Wyll Ravengard in Baldur’s Gate 3, the acclaimed role-playing game that would turn him into one of the game’s most recognisable performers.
“As an actor, you don’t really know where you’re going to go next,” he said. “You have no idea. Tomorrow, something could change. But what I can say is, Baldur’s Gate has given all of us a massive platform to go on to other things, which is really nice. So, no regrets.”
Finding Wyll Ravengard
Although Solomon had never played a Baldur’s Gate game before, Wyll immediately appealed to him because of how “cool” the character seemed on the page. More importantly, he felt like the kind of character Solomon would want to play in a fantasy world.
“Looking at the breakdown on the page, I think it said he’s kind of an Idris Elba, Daniel Kaluuya kind of fusion,” Solomon explained. “That got me intrigued for sure, but then he’s also this righteous, warrior-like man who defends and protects.”
That heroic side of Wyll quickly became one of the things Solomon connected with most. One of his favourite scenes is the moment where Wyll teaches a group of children how to fight. The sequence struck a personal chord with the actor, who learnt jiujitsu as a child. Not only did it capture Wyll’s role as both mentor and warrior, it also reminded Theo Solomon of training with his sensei.
“I could go on because I love playing all these parts,” he laughed. “I love the romance scenes because Wyll’s language is different to the rest of the characters. He’s much more Shakespearean with his words sometimes. He’s a walking green flag.”
Ironically, the Wyll line fans most often quote back to Solomon is not from one of those romance scenes, but the character’s opening line: “Provoke the blade and suffer its sting.”
In a game known for its enthusiastic embrace of romance, fans have also gleefully reinterpreted the line with a more suggestive reading. When asked whether anyone had ever pointed that out to him, Solomon replied in the negative.
“I can see that, I can see that,” he admitted with a grin.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Changed Everything for Theo Solomon
With the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 came Solomon’s own rise within the gaming community. The actor acknowledged that Wyll has become the defining role of his career so far, bringing him the most acclaim and the largest fanbase.
“I’m happy to be known for it,” he said, adding that the role would open doors to “many, many more things”.
Even so, Solomon believes Wyll will likely remain the character he is best known for because of how iconic the game has become.
“Not all actors get to be in iconic pieces in their career. Do you know what I mean? It’s a bit of a lottery, so I’m very thankful for that for sure.”
Yet the game’s runaway success was something Solomon never saw coming. A month before release, fellow Baldur’s Gate 3 actor Neil Newbon gave him a warning that the game could become huge. At the time, he did not fully understand what that meant.
“I remember speaking to Neil a month before release, and he gave me a bit of a heads-up like, yeah, this might be huge,” Solomon recalled. “But even him saying that, it didn’t mean much to me because one, I had barely done a game before; and two, I didn’t really understand. I had no idea about the video game space and conventions and things like these. Nothing could have prepared me for it, but it was just a beautiful journey, the way it happened.”
Fandom, Boundaries, And Being Wyll
Along with the game’s success came a passionate fanbase, one that has built deep attachments to Baldur’s Gate 3’s companions. For performers, that kind of visibility can come with a strange closeness between actor, character and audience, especially in a game where players can spend dozens of hours building relationships with party members.
Solomon said his own experience has been overwhelmingly positive. He added that he is so “chill and laid back” that he sometimes does not even realise when someone may be developing that kind of attachment.
“If something quite concerning does happen, I’d definitely flag it,” he said. “But more often than not, I’m pretty chill with it. I’m happy to talk to anyone. I’m quite open.”
That openness extends to Twitch, where Solomon said he is planning to return to streaming soon. “The people who watch me on stream, they know I’m a chatterbox,” he shared. “I’m open with my life.”
It is part of why Theo Solomon seems comfortable remaining close to the Baldur’s Gate 3 community. Rather than distancing himself from Wyll, he appears to understand that the role has given him not just recognition, but a direct connection with the players who helped make the game a phenomenon.
Hollywood Is The Next Step for Theo Solomon
The fanfare surrounding Baldur’s Gate 3 may have been unexpected, but it has also reopened doors Theo Solomon thought were closed. Among the biggest is the chance to pursue a career in the United States, something he had previously walked away from when he turned down the opportunity to follow The Wife of Willesden to New York and Boston.
Having recently signed with American representation, Solomon is now looking to expand his presence there. He pointed to Black British actors such as Idris Elba, Daniel Kaluuya, Damson Idris and John Boyega as examples of performers who have successfully crossed into Hollywood, noting that there is “more work” in the US market.
Over the next 12 to 18 months, Solomon hopes to land more roles across video games, television and film. When asked what kind of roles or projects he would like to take on next, he said he is drawn to “gritty, conflicted characters”.
He also cited the German sci-fi mystery series Dark as an example of the kind of storytelling he would like to be part of.
“I can do things which are fantasy-based, supernatural-based, you know?” Solomon said. “That could even extend to the Marvel Universe. Those are the kinds of things I want to be involved in.”
While those dream roles may still lie ahead, Solomon has already begun building his post-Baldur’s Gate 3 résumé. Most recently, he was part of the cast of 007 First Light, alongside fellow Baldur’s Gate 3 actor Samantha Béart.
He is also set to film the feature Tales of the Dying Daylight later this year. According to Solomon, the director cast him after becoming a fan of Baldur’s Gate 3. While the character will not be based on Wyll, he said audiences may notice some similar qualities. Beyond those projects, Theo Solomon hinted that more is on the horizon, though he couldn’t share further details.
The Impact Of Baldur’s Gate 3 Will Remain for Theo Solomon
Even as he quietly builds the next chapter of his career, Solomon has no intention of distancing himself from the role that changed his life. He is more than happy to keep talking about Baldur’s Gate 3 for as long as fans want to hear about it, knowing that the excitement surrounding the game will not last forever.
But while the hype may eventually fade, Theo Solomon believes its impact never will.
“You have to appreciate the moments whilst they’re here. Do you know what I mean?” Solomon said. “For me, the best part of this whole experience has been meeting the supporters and the fans of Baldur’s Gate at the conventions.”
Those fan encounters have given him something tangible to carry forward, long after the convention appearances, panels and streams eventually slow down.
“Some of the messages I’ve received, some of the gifts I’ve received… I’ve got a shrine at my house that I can look back on,” he shared. “When I’m old and grey, I can look back on these messages. So, for me, that’s amazing.”
Equally rewarding, Theo Solomon said, has been hearing how Baldur’s Gate 3 has affected players’ lives in unexpected ways. Some told him the game helped them through difficult periods, strengthened friendships, or even led them to meet their partners.
“We had no idea it was going to do something like that,” he said. “So, regardless of if the hype dies down, or we talk about it less, the impact that it’s had will always remain, which is really nice.”
For Solomon, turning down New York once felt like trusting his gut. Landing Wyll was the unexpected turn that followed. Now, with Baldur’s Gate 3 behind him but very much still part of his life, Hollywood no longer feels like the road not taken. It feels like the next one opening up.
