🎙️ Role: James Deacon (28, male)

Voice Type: Mid to low register, emotionally weathered

Accent: American (neutral to rural/suburban; not overtly southern)

Tone: Guarded, cynical, haunted

Style: Naturalistic performance, minimal melodrama

Character Summary:

James Deacon is a loner living on the fringes of a small American town. Scarred by the traumatic disappearance of his friend Danny in 1981 and the suspicion that followed, James has spent his adult life dodging attention. He’s not hostile, but he’s deeply mistrustful—wary of being used, pitied, or misrepresented.

This role requires emotional restraint with buried volatility. He doesn’t scream; he simmers. His voice should carry years of isolation, defensiveness, and quiet fear. When Laura begins to chip at his walls, the performance should subtly shift—hesitation, tension, and that flicker of humanity he’s tried to bury.

Key Vocal Traits:

• Flat, almost monotone delivery at first—controlled and measured.
• Bitter sarcasm and defensiveness when provoked (but don't overdo it).
• Moments of sharp intensity—not yelling, but a voice that suddenly hardens or drops to a whisper when old pain surfaces.
• Soft vulnerability in rare pauses—hesitations, sighs, or emotional cracks he quickly hides.