2024-03-22 19:37:06
There is a stream of well-known Hollywood actors making their digital presence felt through video games, a medium that was once treated as unserious, and is increasingly seen as a unique storytelling platform with the ability to reach a large audience.
Some actors do voice acting for games, using skills honed through their participation in animated films or television shows.
Last year, actor Cameron Monaghan participated in the game “Star Wars Jedi… Survivor”, and star Megan Fox portrayed a character in the game “Mortal Kombat 1”, and British star “Idris Elba” and actor “Keanu Reeves” presented the main characters in the game. “Cyberpunk 2077… Phantom Liberty.”
British star “Idris Elba” in the game “Cyberpunk 2077… Phantom Liberty”
In this month’s new version of the 1992 horror game Alone in the Dark, actress Jodie Comer, who won an Emmy Award for the series “Killing Eve” and a Tony Award for “Prima Fassi,” stars in the series. With David Harbour, known for his work in “Stranger Things”, he experiences participating in video games for the first time. “I hope people will still be watching two-hour movies decades from now, but I know they will be playing video games,” Harbor said in an email. In a behind-the-scenes video by the game publisher, Comer said that working on “Free Guy,” a film set in a fictional video game, gave her a new appreciation for the industry. “It’s incredible to be able to kind of step out of what you’re doing and explore something new, and challenge yourself to some degree,” she said. In “Alone in the Dark,” Comer’s character and the private investigator she hires, played by Harbor, explore a psychiatric hospital to uncover the truth behind a recent disappearance.
Jodie Comer and David Harbor in the horror game “Alone in the Dark”
“Everyone has a level of semi-social relationship with celebrities, where they probably feel like friends,” said Michael Hedberg, the game’s creative director.
The shift to video games occurs for many reasons, including technological leaps that have reduced the disconnect between real life and digital performance. Comfort is another factor. Filming live scenes in a film like Dune… Part Two may require actors to spend weeks in the deserts of Abu Dhabi. Video game motion capture sessions can often be completed minutes from the actor’s home in Los Angeles. Using well-known actors also enables studios to engage with people who may not be interested in games. “If you see that David Harbor and Jodie Comer are starring in a new horror movie called ‘Alone in the Dark,’ you’ll probably watch it,” says Michael Sorekes, the game’s casting director and sound director. A known presence can greatly increase a game’s reach. “The presence of a celebrity definitely tips the scales,” Sorex said.
Actors from Hollywood were involved in video games before this notable trend. In 2008, actor Liam Neeson portrayed the father of the protagonist in the game “Fallout 3”. American actor Martin Sheen played the voice of the Illusive Man, a paramilitary alien leader, in the game “Mass Effect 2”, which was released in 2010, with a sequel in 2012.
Actor Abu Bakr Salem played Beck in the game “Assassin’s Creed” (Ubisoft)
Although it is interesting to see the blurring of the boundaries between acting for video games and acting for regular media, it only happens in one direction. It is easy for well-known actors to work in video games, but actors who only work in video games, such as Yuri Lowenthal and Troy Baker, They struggle to appear in live-action stories.
“I was in the biggest game,” says Lowenthal, who played Spider-Man, as well as other characters in the “Saints Row” and “Diablo and Prince of Persia” series. You know, it came out last year. But you will not find your way to participate with the stars in a TV show.”
This shift comes following movie studios and streaming services began investing in games. Netflix has a free game library built into every subscription, and Annapurna Pictures has published many popular games, including “Kentucky Route Zero” and “Outer Wilds.” Director James Gunn, who now runs the DC Comics universe for Warner Bros., has said he wants to cast actors who can play the same role in television, movies, video games and animation. “When you try to pigeonhole or define art in an exaggerated way, it’s inherently limited and boring,” said Monaghan, who was a lead actor in 11 seasons of “Shameless” before wielding lightsabers in two popular “Star Wars” games.
David Harbor plays a private investigator in the video game “Alone in the Dark” (THQ Nordic)
Actors describe the experience of filming on a motion capture stage as somewhere between theater and movies. With at least a dozen cameras in an empty white room with minimal objects, the actors wear tight suits covered in dots that help the system capture their movements. Crew members watch from a distance, often giving real-time performances. Some actors found the experience liberating, including actress Shannon Woodward, who was Ellie’s girlfriend in the post-apocalyptic game The Last of Us Part II. “I’m not worried if he takes my chin at a bad angle,” said Woodward, who has built her career on TV dramas such as “Raising Hope” and “Westworld.” “I can fully focus on how to represent this story and be in the moment.”
Despite the challenge long-time gaming actors have faced, many encourage more established actors to enter the field. Lowenthal said that he would not have gotten the opportunity to do voice work in the miniseries and the movie “Afro Samurai” if the star Samuel L. Jackson had not been behind this project.
* New York Times service
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