Picture courtesy of Netflix and Plessala
Ben Plessala is no stranger to the camera, but his true passion lies in the recording booth. After starting out in television commercials, Plessala made the jump to animation at just 12 years old and never looked back. Now, he’s taking on the role of Will Byers in Netflix’s highly anticipated animated series, Stranger Things: Tales from 85.
Taking over a character defined by Noah Schnapp’s celebrated live-action performance is no small task, but Plessala is ready for the challenge. In this interview, the actor discusses adapting his voice as he grows, recording solo in the booth with beautiful animatics from Flying Bark, and why he chose to hone in on Will’s gentle and loving nature.
This is an extended interview of our main feature, meeting the new voice cast of Stranger Things: Tales from ’85.
How did you get into voice acting?
I started out with on-camera acting. I’ve done a lot of television commercials, and then gradually I would get auditions for animation, and I just kind of fell in love with it. It’s much more fun for me because I’ve always enjoyed animation and cartoons. Breaking into that world was a really fortunate thing for me. I’ve been voice acting for about six or seven years now.
How old were you at your first role in animation?
I was probably 12 or 13.
In that time, your voice would have changed a lot. Has it been difficult to adapt to that at the different stages of your career?
I think that’s what being an actor is all about, right? You’re acting. Definitely, things have changed since then, but I’m really happy that I have the ability to act and change my voice. I can do pitches, I can do accents, it’s very diverse, and I think that’s what I love so much about voice acting.
Did you have to train or get classes when you were younger, or is this a natural talent?
Yes, I’ve had help learning how to take care of my vocal cords and voice. I learned how to make sure that when I’m projecting, I’m doing it safely so my vocal cords remain healthy.
What was the process like to be cast in Tales from 85?
It was just like any other audition process. We were very excited to learn what it was about, and when we found out, it was very exciting. My whole family and I were ecstatic.
Were you a big fan of the show already going into this?
I was nine years old when it first came out in 2016. It was one of the first shows that was popular, and I loved it. I’ve seen every episode, so I’ve been locked in on this show since a very young age.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 (L to R) Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Benjamin Plessala as Will, Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven and Luca Diaz as Mike in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2026
Before you started working on this project, what was your view on Will as a character? What is the core of his personality that gravitated you towards him?
He’s very gentle and caring. He cares about the crew, he cares about Mike, Eleven, Lucas, and Max. He cares about all these people. I see that in myself. He’s very caring, and I try to care about people as well.
Did working on the show change your view on the character at all? Did you get to explore anything that wasn’t already shown in the series?
Noah Schnapp, whom I’m a very big fan of, did a great job with Will. He created this legacy of Will’s bravery, courage, and outstandingness. I wanted to expand on that and really focus on his gentleness and kindness. I think that’s what the character is all about, and that’s what I try to put into my performance as well.
Was it a case for you of trying to match Noah’s voice, or were you encouraged to put your own spin on it?
Pitch-wise, keeping it similar was definitely something I had in my mind. But I think I can also put my own play on the performance as well. Noah did a great job, so I just tried to recreate the core of the character.
Were you all recording in the same space, or was it separate?
I never recorded with anybody else in the booth, but I’ve met the entire cast. They’re all amazing performers, actors, and people. It’s been great to work with them.
Is that typical for your experience to be recording in isolation?
I’ve recorded with other people in the booth on other projects. It’s the best of both worlds. It’s so much fun to play off of each other and spend time with them, but when you’re doing it solo in the room, it’s still a very fun experience. You get to work with the directors and build the performance. I think that’s what’s so special about voice acting.
Of all the characters you’ve played before Will, was there a particular one that felt similar and helped prepare you for this role?
I’ve done a show called Wild Pack where I play Jack Wild. He loves to explore, he’s very curious, and he loves to make things with his hands. He’s very energetic. I think Will is the same. He loves to explore and spend time with his friends and family. The two characters are very similar in that sense, and that definitely helped me prepare for this role.
Picture Credit: Netflix
Since this show takes place between seasons two and three, what side of the character do we get to see here? Is it a matter of keeping it consistent with what’s already been there?
It’s the same brave, courageous character. What you see in Stranger Things seasons one through five is what you see in Tales from 85. He’s still courageous, brave, cares for his friends and family, and cares about solving issues.
When you’re acting in the booth, what are you looking at? Do you have storyboards or animatics, or do you just read the script and imagine it?
It really depends. I have the script in front of me, and sometimes we’ll have animatics, which are absolutely beautiful. Flying Bark over in Australia did the animation for this, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. It was fun to see it grow, and it definitely helped with the performance.
Is there a piece of advice or direction given to you by the showrunners that really stuck in your mind?
For this show, I think it was focusing on how gentle Will is. He’s very soft and loving. That was a direction given to me that really helped with my performance.
Do you have a dream voice acting role?
That’s a good question. I watch Bob’s Burgers every day. I love Bob’s Burgers, and I think getting to work on that show would be super cool and amazing.
