Emma Stone – Sleeping Dogs
Released back in 2012 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, then re-released on the PS4 and Xbox One in 2014, Sleeping Dogs is an open-world action adventure game set in Hong Kong. The game puts players in the shoes of an undercover police officer tasked with infiltrating the Triads. The game was praised for its depiction of Hong Kong as well as its combat and, unsurprisingly, its voice acting.
Sleeping Dogs featured a pretty stellar cast, including the likes of Lucy Liu, Celina Jade, Tom Wilkinson, and most notably, Emma Stone. Star of hit films such as Superbad, Zombieland, and Easy A, Stone voiced the main character’s love interest Amanda Cartwright. Stone’s character allowed the player to pursue more normal past times in between, you know, shooting people and engaging in high speed pursuits.
Steve Carell – Outlaw Golf
Years before he became hugely popular for his roles in The Office, Evan Almighty, Despicable Me, and Anchorman, Steve Carell lent his voice to the 2002 golf game Outlaw Golf for the Xbox, GameCube, and PC. Carell put his comedic skill to work as the commentator to this quirky game.
The Outlaw Golf games never really became a big hitter (no pun intended), but it’s undeniable that Carell’s performance certainly helps makes this fairly average golf game very amusing. Who doesn’t want Michael Scott commentating their golf game?
Elijah Wood – The Legend of Spyro
You probably know Elijah Wood as the little Hobbit who destroyed the One ring and saved Middle-Earth, but did you also know that this guy is a big fan of video games and has lent his voice to many game characters? It probably doesn’t come as a shock to learn he provided the voice for Frodo in the official Lord of the Rings games, and the Lego game. Yet many are not aware that he was also the voice of Spyro the Dragon, had a part in God of War 3, and voiced Shay in Broken Age.
From 2006 to 2008, Wood voiced the little purple dragon for three games. In 2010, Wood voiced Deimos in God of War 3, and went on to voice Shay in 2015’s hugely popular Tim Schafer game, Broken Age. What Wood will get up to next is anyone’s guess, but he certainly deserves more recognition for his role in video games.
Cara Delevingne – Grand Theft Auto V
Cara Delevingne has, over the past few years, become a fashion icon, supermodel, and Hollywood actress. What you may not be aware of is the fact that she lent her voice to what was easily the biggest game of 2013, and could possibly be the biggest game of all time. That’s right, Delevingne voiced herself as the DJ of the radio station Non-Stop-Pop FM in Grand Theft Auto V.
You may have tuned in to Cara’s show as you cruised around Los Santos and her upbeat attitude is surely enough to lift the spirits of even Trevor after a long night killing innocent people. There have been many notable DJs in the GTA series, and Cara’s certainly one of them. Be sure to listen out next time you’re on your way to a heist.
Christopher Walken – True Crime
As one of the most respected names in Hollywood, you know a film is going to be good if Christopher Walken’s in it. Walken has starred in many classic films such as The Deer Hunter, Batman Returns, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, and Hairspray. Walken represents a certain old school class and sophistication you don’t often see these days, so you’d be forgiven for not knowing he worked on two True Crime games.
Walken voiced the character George in True Crime: Streets of LA, which also featured Gary Oldman. Walken once again returned to the series in 2005 when he voiced F.B.I. Agent Gabriel Whitting in True Crime: New York City. He was once again joined by a great cast which included Mickey Rourke and Laurence Fishburne. Walken hasn’t worked on any video games since but we’d love to hear his distinctive voice in a video game again one day.
Michael Fassbender – Fable 3
Michael Fassbender is one of the most recognizable actors in Hollywood, and over the last few years he’s appeared in many great films from 300 to 12 Years a Slave. You may think Fassbender’s connection to video games only started recently when it was announced he would play the lead in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed film, but it actually began several years prior.
Released back in 2010, Fable 3 was the much anticipated third installment in the Fable series. The British developers, Lionhead Studios, went all out and put together a stellar cast for the series’ third outing. Both Stephen Fry and Zoe Wannamaker reprise their characters from the second game, while newcomers include John Cleese, Bernard Hill, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Kingsley, Simon Pegg, Jonathan Ross, and, of course, Michael Fassbender. Voicing the villain, King Logan, Fassbender nailed the role and helped players realize that King Logan was a far deeper character than he first appeared.
Carrie Fisher – Dishonored
Like Fable 3, 2012’s Dishonored also featured a pretty great cast. You’re probably aware that Princess Emily was voiced by Chloe Grace Mortez, and Game of Thrones star Lena Headey voiced Callista Curnow, but did you pay attention to the loudspeakers that broadcast messages?
You’d be forgiven for not realizing Fisher is in the game, given that you need to fulfill a specific event to unlock her dialogue. In the mission where you return to Dunwall tower, kill the original P.A. speaker and he will then be replaced by none other than Princess Leia.
Charles Dance – The Witcher 3
You probably know Charles Dance best for his role as the badass Tywin Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones, but he played another badass in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Dance voiced the Emperor Emhyr var Emreis, a powerful ruler who sets in motion the main story of The Witcher 3 when he tasks Geralt of Rivia with finding his daughter.
Die-hard Game of Thrones fans will no doubt have instantly recognized Dance’s voice when they first encountered his character, but it may have passed casual players by. We really can’t think of anyone more suited to playing an extremely powerful character like Emperor Emhyr. Dance’s deep, rich voice has a way of presenting a powerful, but still human character who needs the help of a Witcher.
Peter Serafinowicz – Dark Souls 2
Comedian and actor Peter Serafinowicz is best known for his roles in comedies and films like Spaced, Run Fatboy Run, and Parks and Recreation. He’s also been in several blockbusters including Shaun of the Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the voice of Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
Serafinowicz happens to also be a big gamer and has been a voice actor in several games including Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior, Lego City: Undercover, and LittleBigPlanet 3. He also has quite a considerable role in Dark Souls 2.
As a fan of the Souls games, Serafinowicz was no doubt pleased to be offered the role of Mild-manered Pate, an NPC you meet fairly early on in the game. As you journey on you will encounter this character several times and, depending on your actions, you may end up fighting him by the end. Serafinowicz’s role in Dark Souls 2 doesn’t end there. Serafinowicz voices yet another important character in Dark Souls II: you. If you’re playing as a male, every time your character lets out a noise, it’s Serafinowicz.
Christina Hendricks – Need for Speed: The Run
Those who’ve watched the likes of Firefly, Drive, and Mad Men will no doubt have been surprised when a character named Sam Harper, who looks and sounds just like Hendricks, appeared in Need for Speed: The Run. Well, that’s because the character was voiced by Hendricks and even modeled based on her appearance.
Sam Harper is the player’s ally throughout The Run and spots the player cash to begin a racing career. Hendricks has proven time and time again she’s got acting chops, but it seems she’s also got talent when it comes to voice acting. Need for Speed was her first and so far only video game appearance, but we’d love to see her do more games in the future.
So there you have it, 10 actors you may not have known were in video games. Did we miss anyone interesting, are you surprised by any of these entries? Let us know in the comments!
Check out more:
- Here Are the Voice Actors of The Division Cast
- Battleborn Will Require You to Be Always Connected to the Internet
- Battleborn Open Beta Starts in April, New Missions and Modes Available
- Smite Will Soon Run at 60FPS on Consoles
About the author
