Famous actors in games
Since its birth, the gaming industry has steadily and rapidly grown to be one of the most lucrative industries in the world.
It’s no surprise that, as development budgets grow and with increasing Hollywood interest, famous actors find themselves entering the world of interactive entertainment. Take a look at some of the A-list celebrities who have starred in some of the video game industry’s most prominent titles.
Sean Bean: Martin Septim in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Unless you’ve been living in an unreachable cave on an undiscovered island I’m sure you’ve heard of the award-winning television series Game of Thrones, wherein Sean Bean played the honorable Eddard Stark in the first season. He also starred as King Odysseus in Troy and Boromir in The Lord of the Rings. With his medieval filmography it’s no surprise that he landed a voice acting role in the fourth instalment of the epic Elder Scrollssaga, Oblivion, as Emperor Martin Septim.
Yvonne Strahovski: Miranda Lawson in Mass Effect 2 and 3
You will know her either as the super-hot agent Sarah Walker from Chuck [where she stars alongside hunky chunk of man-flesh Zach Levi – Ed.] or as the poisonously attractive Hannah McKay of Dexter. But she plays an equally tenacious and sexy role as Cerberus Agent Miranda Lawson in Mass Effect 2 and 3. Not only is she the voice actor but the video game character’s face is modeled after hers.
Mark Hamill: Joker in Batman: Arkham Asylum/City
Mark Hamill’s role as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IV, V and VI is undisputedly his most famous. To Star Wars fans he is what William Wallace is to the Scots, the hero of heroes. Who would have thought that he would end up acting the voice of one of the world’s most prolific fictional villains, the Joker? It might not have been expected but neither is it opposed: Mark Hamill plays a mean-ass Joker. Or at least his voice does. He also acted the voice of The Watcher in Darksiders.
Lena Headey: Callista Curnow in Dishonored
She plays as the evil Queen Cersei in Game of Thrones and the courageous Queen Gorgo in 300. You would think with her extensive experience acting as a queen she would fill a similar role in Dishonored. Fortunately she doesn’t as the game’s queen is assassinated pretty much at the start of the game. She acts the voice of stubborn and introverted Callista Curnow, a member of the “Loyalists” in Dishonored.
Martin Sheen: The Illusive Man in Mass Effect 2 & 3
He played Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now, a movie that took a grueling sixteen months to shoot and even ended up giving Martin Sheen a heart attack. This man is no stranger to the art of acting and is ready to suffer for it. This passion shines through in his voice acting role for the mysterious character appropriately known as the Illusive Man.
Lucy Liu: Vivienne Lu in Sleeping Dogs
This Asian-American actress has starred in many Hollywood movies including Charlie’s Angels and Kill Bill Vol. 1.She is an exhibiting artist who dabbles in collages, paintings and photography. She is an avid researcher into the spiritual and meta-physical. She has extensive experience in voice acting, starring in animated roles in Kung-Fu Panda, Afro-Samurai: Resurrection and Futurama. She is a woman of great depth and talent and there is no question as to why she ended up in a voice acting role for Sleeping Dog’s Vivienne Lu.
Mila Kunis: Tanya in Saints Row
This seductively sexy Ukrainian-born actress started out as the stereotypical intellectually challenged and popular teen queen Jackie on That 70’s Show and later starred in many Hollywood films including Black Swan and The Book of Eli. She also has experience in voice acting as Meg Griffin in Seth Macfarlane’s Family Guy. Eventually she landed her gig acting the voice of brothel queen Tanya, member of the Vice Kings gang in Saints Row.
Kristen Bell: Lucy Stillman in the Assassin’s Creed series
I first saw her as the young and cute private investigator Veronica Mars. Then some time later she appeared as the notoriously judgemental Sarah in the insanely hilarious Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It wasn’t until recently that I realised that Abstergo memory researcher Lucy Stillman from the Assassin’s Creed series featured the voice, body and face of the innocently hot Kristen Bell.
Tom Wilkinson: Thomas Pendrew in Sleeping Dogs
He played the bastard of a crime boss in Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla, the exorcist priest in The Exorcism of Emily Rose and the emotionally barren father in The Green Hornet. It is safe to say that Tom Wilkinson is a very versatile actor and he pushed the boundaries of his versatility when he decided to do the voice for superintendent Thomas Pendrew in Sleeping Dogs.
Malcolm McDowell: President John Henry Eden in Fallout 3
Malcolm McDowell is by far the most experienced voice actor on this list. He has lent his voice to characters in several movies and games such as Vater Orlaag in Metalocalypse, Metallo in Superman: Shadow of Apokolips, Dr. Calico in Bolt, Daedalus in God of War III and many more. He is an expert in the world of voice acting and produces great results with seemingly little effort. He secures his spot on this list as the propagandist voice of President John Henry Eden in the gaming masterpiece Fallout 3.
