God of War: Ragnarok has just been released to overwhelming universal acclaim, and TIME Magazine has already rated it as one of the best games of 2022. The game’s mechanics and story are so immersive, and it’s also perfectly voiced , because Christopher Judge plays Kratos . But Judge didn’t start out in voice work, as he is best known for his role as Teal’c in the sci-fi series Stargate SG-1.
However, Judge isn’t the only well-known actor to play characters in video games, as there are even more famous actors who have given their all, whether as playable characters or as NPCs. support. Between Jeff Goldblum playing a terrible magician, Terry Crews playing a super-soldier, and Burt Reynolds playing a stoic mayor, these roles totally play to their strengths.
Terry Crews – Repression 3 (2019)
Crackdown and Crackdown 2 sees players take control of a super agent who must take down all crime syndicates in a vast open world with unique weapons. The series has an interesting premise, as it is non-linear in having fully explorable worlds at the player’s fingertips, and players can choose in which order to eliminate gangs. Besides that, it also has a unique animation design, as it is completely cell-shaded.
So between the nonlinear layout, detailed open world, creative animation, and fun gameplay, it’s hard to bring anything more to the table, and that’s when it time to bring out the real big guns – Terry Crews. Sadly, Crackdown 3 was a step backwards for the franchise, but there’s no denying how perfectly Crews’ charisma and charm fit the game. The comedic actor’s little dialogue as players control him is hilarious .
Samuel L. Jackson – Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
Where so many big-name actors are the face of gaming, like Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077, the Grand Theft Auto franchise uses movie stars for the smaller roles, be it Dennis Hopper, Burt Reynolds or Pete Fonda. But the biggest surprise came when Samuel L. Jackson played the villain in GTA: San Andreas, Officer Frank Tenpenny.
Jackson doesn’t play outright villains very often, so Tenpenny has a standout role in the prolific actor’s filmography, even if it’s just a voice performance in a video game. And the corrupt Los Santo cop is the show’s most iconic antagonist.
Vin Diesel – Wheelman (2009)
Vin Diesel isn’t just in Wheelman, but he’s the very face of the Grand Theft Auto clone, as he plays Milo Burik, an undercover CIA agent, and while so much money has clearly been poured into the game , it seems to have become completely forgotten. But it was definitely the start of something much bigger, as the game is almost like a precursor to the current iteration of Fast and Furious and the character of Dominic Toretto.
Wheelman is a third-person action video game that sees Diesel play an open-world action hero inspired by Barcelona. As the Fast and Furious films became high-octane action flicks the world over, Wheelman might have had some influence on the direction of the billion-dollar franchise in the early 2010s.
Burt Reynolds – Saints Row: The Third (2011)
Interestingly, the late, great Burt Reynolds starred in a few games. In addition to playing Avery Carrington in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the actor also had a role in Saints Row: The Third. And ironically, his role in the Grand Theft Auto clone is far more entertaining than his role in Vice City.
It might be hard to catch the actor among all the bombshells in the game, as the 2011 version sees players controlling the Saints’ gang leader and using sex toys as weapons. However, if players pay close attention, they’ll notice that the actor plays Burt (the mayor of Steelport) and is generally stoic, intimidating, hard to please, and a ladies’ man.
Kristen Bell – Assassin’s Creed (2007)
Considering the astronomical scale of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, it came from relatively humble beginnings, starting out as a mere spiritual successor to Prince of Persia. However, that doesn’t mean the original game didn’t have phenomenal production value behind it.
Kristen Bell featured in the original Assassin’s Creed, and she also had a significant role, as she played Lucy Stillman, who is the reason Desmond Miles escaped Abstergo. Bell even reprized the role for the series’ first two sequels, and the character became more layered with each. It’s a wonder why Bell wasn’t cast in the film adaptation, as she’s proven just how great she is in live-action roles in big movies. Bell’s bubbly, exciting presence is just what the lackluster adaptation needed.
Matthew Perry – Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
Matthew Perry has been making a lot of headlines lately because of the controversial comments made in his new book. However, sandwiched between Friends and its current moment in the spotlight is its almost forgotten feature in the epic post-apocalyptic first-person RPG, Fallout: New Vegas.
Perry plays Benny in the game, and the cast came from Perry being a true fan of New Vegas’ predecessor, Fallout 3. Perry hilariously brought Ellen DeGeneres a signed copy of Fallout 3 on her show. The actor said on the show, “I played this video game so many times that I injured my hand so badly that I had to see a hand doctor and give my hand injections. because I love this video game so much. (via EnGadget).
Snoop Dogg – True Crime: Streets of LA (2003)
Although best known for his music, rapper Snoop Dogg has built a surprisingly illustrious filmography over the years, starring in cult classic comedies from Half Baked to Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. And in 2003, the actor starred in True Crime: Streets of LA
The early 2000s was a time when developers swept up rappers for their third-person open-world games, and 50 Cent even got his own game. Being as entertaining and funny as he is, he’s not surprising that Snoop’s appearance in the 2003 game is better than any other rapper’s appearance in the video game. On top of that, Streets of LA is one of the greatest Grand Theft Auto clones.
Elliot Page – Beyond: Two Souls (2013)
While video games are becoming more and more movie-like and in some cases have even better narratives, Beyond: Two Souls is the game that comes closest to a cinematic experience. The game has a gripping plot, there is drama and it features a powerful performance from Elliot Page, who plays Jodie a character with mysterious supernatural abilities.
Page isn’t the only movie star to play a major role in the game, either, as Willem Dafoe plays Nathan Dawkins, a researcher into paranormal activity. However, the immersive cinematic experience is also what might put off some viewers, as its pacing is extremely slow and the gameplay mechanics leave a lot to be desired.
Elijah Wood – The Legend of Spyro (2006-2008)
In 2006, the classic platformer series about a sprinting purple dragon was rebooted with The Legend of Spyro series, which consists of three games: A New Beginning, The Eternal Dragon, and Dawn of the Dargon. Elijah Wood plays Spyro in all the games, and his young, lively voice is a perfect match for the game that people of all ages love.
The games must have huge budgets for their voices, because not only does Wood play the titular dragon in all three games, but they also feature Gary Oldman, Christina Ricci, Mark Hamill, and David Spade. And since Spyro would make a great movie franchise, Wood could even voice the character in a major animated movie, and that would certainly be less controversial than the reaction of Super Mario Bros. Movie to Chris Pratt voicing Mario.
Jeff Goldblum – Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 – Zombies (2017)
It’s almost become an annual tradition for Call of Duty games to feature a movie star, whether it’s Michael Keaton or Jason Statham, but one of the most surprising is the always weird and confusing Jeff Goldblum. The actor appears in “Shadows of Evil”, the first map of Black Ops 3 – Zombies.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t play a zombie, because it would be nice to see a zombified Goldblum. Instead, he plays wealthy magician Nero Blackstone, but he’s still a fascinating character, and the game details his story. Blackstone was even crowned worst magician of the year by the fictional magazine Magician’s Weekly.
10 Actors You Didn’t Know Voiced Video Game Characters | Pretty Reel