Troy Baker is one of the most prominent voice actors in video games, having voiced Joel Miller in The Last of Us and Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite. Baker was part of Hideo Kojima’s final game for Konami, Metal Gear Solid V, playing Revolver Ocelot. The lead voice actor in the game was replaced by a film actor. When Baker was asked about it, he shared that he wasn’t worried about film actors taking over video game roles.
David Hayter, who played Solid Snake in the previous installments, was removed from Metal Gear Solid V without notice. He was replaced by Kiefer Sutherland as Kojima believed he could also bring the subtle facial movements required for the character.
The Last of Us Actor Troy Baker Wasn’t Worried About Actors Taking On Video Game Roles
Troy Baker was nominated for a record five times at BAFTA for his voice roles in video games, including The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II. He knows his value in the video game industry and isn’t worried about movie actors replacing him in those roles. He had made it clear in an old interview with IB Time UK.
When asked about the unexpected removal of David Hayter from Metal Gear Solid V to make way for Kiefer Sutherland, Baker shared that it was just a case of Kojima choosing the right actor for the right role. He didn’t believe that film actors posed any danger to his profession.
Baker mentioned other actors like Elliot Page and Willem Dafoe playing roles in the video game, Beyond: Two Souls. He shared that these big names didn’t sell video games, but the right actor and role did. He shared with IB Times UK:
We’ve seen that, not only with Kiefer Sutherland but with [Elliot] Page and Willem Dafoe in Beyond: Two Souls. I think it’s the same as anything man, if you have the right actor for the right role it doesn’t matter who the name is. I don’t believe that names sell videogames, I believe that the right role and the right actor does.
Baker added that Sutherland did an incredible job in his role as Solid Snake and he “owned that 100%”. He shared that Kojima had a very challenging process to bring the character to the screen. It made him respect the 24 actor all the more. However, Hayter revealed in a tweet that he wasn’t informed about the decision beforehand.
Major Hollywood Celebrity Roles In Video Games
Hollywood stars have been frequently appearing in video game roles ever since Troy Baker made the comments. ActiVision’s Call of Duty series has brought in big names like Game of Thrones fame Kit Harrington (Infinite Warfare) and Kevin Spacey (Advanced Warfare). Ice Cube and Gary Oldman also played roles in Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Keanu Reeves made an iconic appearance as Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077. Late actor Ray Liotta played the voice of Tommy Vercetti in GTA: Vice City while Samuel L. Jackson and Phil Collins also appeared in other GTA games. Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean voiced the role of Emperor Martin Septim in Elder Scrolls IV.
Other actors in video game roles include Norman Reedus (Death Stranding), Patrick Stewart (CastleVania), Rami Malek (Until Dawn), Matthew Perry (Fallout: New Vegas), Kristen Bell (Assassin’s Creed), Liam Neeson (Fallout 3), and Seth Green (Mass Effect).
