Wes Holloway (The Ghost Guitarist)

Character Name: Westley "Wes" Holloway

Role: Lead
Age: 24 (Spiritually stuck at this age since 1989)
Gender: Male
Accent: Standard American (slightly 80s metalhead/rockstar vibe)

Character Description: Westley Adam Holloway was a 24-year-old American guitar virtuoso taking the Tokyo underground music scene by storm with his metal band ExRazor, until his life was violently cut short in 1989. For the last 14 years, his spirit has been bound to the very room he died in.

Wes is the ultimate eccentric rockstar. He carries himself with the languid, predatory grace of a stray cat—confident, slightly arrogant, and always watching. He has a dark, dry sense of humor and a smooth, condescending demeanor that he uses as a shield to hide his deep-seated trauma and fear of vulnerability. His ego is massive, and he would rather believe the lie that he died by suicide than admit he was brutally murdered and lost his control.

When an obsessive superfan named Kenneth moves in to solve his murder, Wes actively sabotages him to protect his ego. However, as he grows attached to the boy, his arrogant facade begins to crack.

Attached is a link to Wes's character sheet/concept art: file:///C:/Users/Annyk/Downloads/Weixin%20Image_20260915224813_836_1.pdf

Voice Direction / Tone:

• Tone: Smooth, low, and languid. He speaks with the unhurried cadence of someone who knows he's a virtuoso. Slightly condescending but with a dark, eccentric charm.

• Range: The voice needs to reflect a massive emotional shift. For most of the film, Wes is cool, flirty, and mocking. But by the climax, his cool persona shatters entirely, and the voice must break into desperate, vulnerable, terrified pleading. (When Kenneth comes close to finally bringing the truth of his murder to light)

• Reference/Inspiration: I have included a short audio clip of an interview with legendary guitarist Marty Friedman. Wes’s character is heavily inspired by him. Do not just do a straight impression of him. Instead, use Marty's interview as a reference for Wes's cadence, eccentricity, and smooth pacing. https://youtu.be/XhPSZfNJPGc?si=zpiYN4wEsDmx5a6Y&t=32