Hazbin Hotel‘s Blake Roman, Amir Talai, and Kimiko Glenn discuss joining the series as well as what they love about their characters.
Hazbin Hotel takes place in Hell, where the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith, Charlie Morningstar (Erika Henningsen), is running a hotel where she hopes sinners and demons can be redeemed and earn their way to Heaven. She runs the hotel with her girlfriend, Vaggie (Stephanie Beatriz). Created by Vivienne Medrano, Hazbin Hotel is based on her popular animated pilot released on YouTube in 2019 and quickly gained over 89 million views and a rabid worldwide fan base. The series blends adult humor, unforgettable characters, and catchy musical numbers creating a wholly original and unique world.
Angel Dust (Blake Roman) is an adult film star in Hell and the first sinner the hotel is attempting to redeem, but his selfish actions of using the hotel as a rent-free living space threaten to jeopardize Charlie Morningstar’s dream. Niffty (Kimiko Glenn) is a sinner demon who works as both the maid and cook for the Hazbin Hotel. She was summoned to work in the Hotel along with Husk by their mutual associate, Alastor (Amir Talai), who is also known as The Radio Demon. Alistor is a sinner demon and one of the many powerful Overlords of Hell. He is the wickedly charismatic demon who has offered to assist Charlie Morningstar in her endeavors, albeit, for his own amusement.
We spoke with Blake Roman, Amir Talai, and Kimiko Glenn about Hazbin Hotel, what drew them to the series, and how they felt when they first saw the design of their characters. The first season consists of eight-episodes with four episodes premiering on Prime Video January 19, 2024 and two episodes rolling out weekly through February 2. Hazbin Hotel season 2 is already confirmed.
Blake Roman, Amir Talai, and Kimiko Glenn Talk Hazbin Hotel
Tessa Smith: Thank you guys so much for taking the time. I’m officially obsessed with this show. I’d love to know what drew you guys to want to be a part of this incredible, unique, phenomenal musical masterpiece.
Blake Roman: Right out the gate was the wealth of information that is available on this universe. This just made such a layered and complexity of the characters and the world. But also within that context, the actual storyline, right? We’re in hell, and we’re dealing with the existential question of can someone that seems irredeemable, in a place that seems irredeemable, be redeemed? And are those types of people worthy of redemption? Right? So you have a lot of characters who fall all across the spectrum on that question. I’m always interested in a show that likes to examine more metaphysical questions.
Kimiko Glenn: It’s so unlike anything, ever. I’ve not seen anything like it. There are a lot of animations that are geared towards adults that don’t go nearly as close to the sun as we do. And I feel like it’s just so, I don’t know, that the opportunity for story is endless with it. My mind goes crazy thinking about what’s next. I’m interested to see who ends up getting to Heaven, how they get to Heaven, and what that even looks like. I’m interested in learning more about the characters, and I wonder if we’re ever going to see their earthly lives and understand how they even got there. I’m interested to see what heaven is like in this world. It’s just such a feast for the imagination. I’m so excited for people to see it, and for me to continue to learn more about the world and see what they come up with.
Amir Talai: For me, I just was so excited to play a role that I feel suits me really well. Right? There’s comedy, there’s music, there’s a dark edge, which is so fun. And just working on it with with Vivienne and with the voice director, they’re just so great to work with that after I did one episode, I was like, When am I going to be back? Let’s keep working as much as possible. I’m so excited that we have a season two so we get to keep going.
Tessa Smith: Did you get to record together at all for Hazbin Hotel?
Kimiko Glenn: Separate. In animation it’s very lucky and unusual if you get to have ensemble records. It’s hard to line schedules that way.
Blake Roman: It’s all Richard [the voice director]. The maintaining the cohesion of personalities and expectations of how this next line is going to be said, he was integral to that. So yeah, they did a fantastic job in the room.
Amir Talai: I’m hoping that for season two we get to have some time together, especially when we’re doing duets and stuff like that. It’s just so much better.
Kimiko Glenn: Someone records, not like I sing in the show, but someone records before us so if you are singing with them, you can hear and feel what they did.
Amir Talai: The downside is you have to match up to them as opposed to them to you.
Tessa Smith: I love the design of all the characters in this, but you guys specifically and I’ll tell you Niffty just cracks me up with every single line. I’d love to know how you guys felt when you first saw the design of your characters.
Kimiko Glenn: Instantly in love, Instantly. I was like, she’s so cute. I’m not saying that because I voice her. Their creativity and what they did to animate her and her mannerisms and personality. It’s just so cute. I love her. I think she’s so cute.
Blake Roman: I loved when I first saw the rendering of Angel Dust, which we all got for the auditions. I loved it, because just on a physical front, he has so many facets to his body, and it’s very much reflective of his internal life as well. But something that I didn’t know, even until like months into working on the project, is that he’s got four arms that are out, and his legs, but then he has another pair of retractable arms that sometimes come out and then go back and you don’t see them. I’m like, Well, okay. I didn’t know that at all. So it’s fun because it’s just like the amount of creativity that is inherent within all of these characters, and how they’re drawn, how they’re made, is so fun and exciting to discover.
Amir Talai: Alastor is a Tumblr sexyman. And if you don’t know what that is, there’s another wormhole for you to fall down. So I was very excited to play a Tumblr sexyman. I’ve never played a sexy man before and even a Tumblr sexyman, is exciting.
Tessa Smith: Congratulations again. Blake, Angel Dust has my heart. Especially episode four. I was like, Oh my gosh, I love him so much. I was like getting teary. I’m like, what’s happening?
Amir Talai: It sneaks up on you, right?
Blake Roman: I bawled my eyes out watching that episode. It’s a lot. It’s a lot.
NEXT: Hazbin Hotel Season One Review
About Hazbin Hotel
Created by Vivienne Medrano, Hazbin Hotel is based on her popular animated pilot released on YouTube in 2019 and quickly gained over 89 million views and a rabid worldwide fan base. The series blends adult humor, unforgettable characters, and catchy musical numbers creating a wholly original and unique world.
Vivienne Medrano serves as executive producer and directed all episodes. Joel Kuwahara and Dana Tafoya-Cameron, and Scott Greenberg (Season One) also serve as executive producers. Hazbin Hotel is produced by A24 and FOX Entertainment’s Emmy award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment.
The first season of Hazbin Hotel consists of eight-episodes with four episodes premiering on Prime Video January 19, 2024 and two episodes rolling out weekly through February 2.
Fans who purchased special packages at HazbinHotel.com will receive exclusive Season One merchandise, including early access to the first two episodes available to stream on the A24 App on January 12, 2024, one week before they release on Prime Video.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.