Hellena Taylor is a British actress widely recognized for her portrayal of the titular character in the English versions of the Bayonetta video game series and its anime film adaptation. Born in West London, her early involvement with the Surrey Youth Theatre and the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain preceded three years of formal training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. This classical foundation led to an extensive career in theatre, with performances in productions such as The Sisters Rosensweig at The Old Vic, Pygmalion, for which she received a Best Actress nomination at the Long Beach Playhouse, and numerous Shakespearean roles including Much Ado About Nothing and Cymbeline.

Beyond the stage, Taylor's on-screen appearances include live-action films such as Barcelona and The Sweetest Thing, as well as television roles in series like Stargate Atlantis. However, she is most renowned for her work as a voice actor. Her most significant and defining role came in 2009 when she was cast as the voice of Bayonetta in the PlatinumGames title of the same name. She would go on to reprise this character in Bayonetta 2, the crossover title Anarchy Reigns, and the Super Smash Bros. series. Taylor's association with the character extended to anime with the 2013 film Bayonetta: Bloody Fate, an animated adaptation of the first game's story, for which she returned to voice the lead role. She also provided the voice for the character Rosa within the same franchise.

In addition to her signature role, Taylor's voice work spans other video games and animated projects. Her credits include voicing Serafina Pekkala in The Golden Compass video game, various characters in Dragon Age, Phiona in Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume, and Veronique in The Saboteur. She was originally slated to voice Bayonetta in the third mainline installment of the series, Bayonetta 3, but ultimately did not participate in the project. In 2022, she publicly detailed the circumstances of her departure, stating that she was offered a flat fee she considered inadequate and subsequently called for a boycott of the game. This public disclosure became a significant moment in discussions regarding voice actor compensation in the video game industry.