“It is so important to do it right.”
If you have playedMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, you will know Hailey Cooper.
Hailey is strong, she is funny, she is kind and she is a supportive friend to Miles.
She is also Deaf.
We start by going right back to the beginning.
All she knew was that this character was called Hailey.
There were no other details.
But, as a Black Deaf actress, she knew she had to go for it.
To her surprise and delight, Ofili was offered the role of Hailey without a call back.
She then found out that she was going to be part of Insomniac’s Spider-Man series.
“I was thrilled and blown away by that for sure…
I was literally jumping for joy,” she beams.
“I couldn’t believe it… it was a really cool opportunity.”
Over email, Kenney tells me there simply would be “no Hailey without Natasha”.
“She brings everything I wanted Hailey to be: warm, passionate, brave, kind.
It was not planned.”
Ofili wrapped up filming for Hailey in Miles Morales after about three sessions.
Insomniac then had plans to hire an additional voice actor for Hailey.
“I was so surprised,” Ofili says.
“That was a real big win for authenticity.
Ofili got a voice coach for the part, who was “very very patient” with her.
When Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales ultimately came out, Hailey went viral.
Many were thrilled to see a Deaf character so naturally represented in a video game.
And come back, she did, with Hailey’s role expanded upon even further.
He was phenomenal,” Ofili tells me.
Castille sat with Insomniac, and provided feedback to the studio around Deaf culture.
“You have a certain swag to Hailey,” Ofili says.
“She’s a New Yorker, so her signing needs to convey all of that.
And [Insomniac was] so open.
The team was extremely open.
They got it right from the beginning to the very end.
They really listened.”
The other 80 percent is listening," Morris tells me over email.
Getting it right was our top priority."
When Ofili returned for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, she was also able to improvise during her scenes more.
“It didn’t feel authentic for a Deaf person.
Typically, we’ll walk slowly as we are talking.
“But then, we did it, and Miles stopped.
But I kept walking, because I was just in the moment and it was a natural thing.
Why would I stop at the same time?
He had just gotten a message on it.
“A lot of our lines are ad-libbed and tweaked right there in the booth in real time.
The scenes are muffled.
Mission Designer Atsina Corrington added gameplay and puzzle elements that made it feel like a true Spider-Man mission.
Brian Mathison made the initial playable Hailey prototype, and I wrote the dialogue and cinematic action lines.
“It took all of us to make it work, and lots and lots of collaboration.”
Some people use hearing aids, some people don’t.
Even though she is Deaf, it didn’t matter.
That part was second to her actual being.
So, yes, representation is very important.”
Something that I had never appreciated before was how many different ‘dialects’ of ASL there are.
Ofili tells me there are many different “accents” in sign language.
“Deaf people from the East Coast sign differently than people from the west coast.
Accents that come through are different from each region.
Some people sign one handed, for example.
“Those accents ring through in their signing.
More specifically, those mocap suits.
It was pretty extensive.
That is what I really love about the company and the game.
They continue to learn and grow, which is beautiful to see.
“They are continuing to evolve, and that is awesome.”
So, what is next for Hailey, and for Deaf representation in video games more generally?
I would love to see that expansion of Hailey for sure, fingers crossed,” Ofili tells me.
“And having other Deaf characters appear in various games.
We can think, what Deafness can be brought to various characters.
This is something Morris also hopes to see in the future.
“Video games are a unique medium in their ability to immerse consumers in someone else’s world.
“We’ve already seen games played entirely from the perspective of characters with other disabilities.
Perception, Beyond Eyes, and The Vale are all played from the perspective of blind characters.
Why not a Deaf character?
“It’s a thrilling time to work in the game industry!”
Our time has come to an end all too soon.
She simply brings so much joy to the screen.
“I am still processing it, you know, but I feel honoured.
I really love the gamers.
I’ve learned a lot about them, and I love how they have embraced Hailey.
“I am really, really grateful.”
