When Rockstar Games developed their third entry in the Red Dead series, Red Dead Redemption 2, it followed the exploits of outlaw Arthur Morgan. The game hired the perfect actor for the role, Roger Clark, an Irish American actor with a few films and series roles to his name. Clark worked on the project for years and he was grateful for how Rockstar protected him all that time. But it did come at a cost.
According to Clark, Rockstar had strict NDAs for the game, which were more stringent than those enforced by Disney or Marvel. This level of confidentiality meant that Clark couldn’t tell his close friends about the project he had been working on for years.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Actor Thanked Rockstar For The Role Despite The Strict NDAs
According to Arthur Morgan actor Roger Clark, Rockstar Games enforced very strict NDA measures to protect their game Red Dead Redemption 2. He revealed to The Gamer that the studio specifically looked for quick learners as the game mostly worked in a fluid environment. However, unlike other studios, Rockstar didn’t keep him in the dark.
Clark shared that he was grateful to the studio because they answered all his questions about the role. He added that the measures to ensure confidentiality are necessary since actors often make blunders on social media. However, they trusted him and provided him with the necessary information despite the strict NDAs. He shared with The Gamer:
Rockstar always answered all questions I had to the best of their knowledge and I was very grateful for that.
Working in a contained environment had its benefits for Clark as well. He was able to maintain his focus in the tunnel atmosphere. Rockstar’s protective measures also meant he didn’t have fans hanging around the set or disrupting the filming process. Clark also added that concealing his identity helped with his performance as well.
He didn’t have to deal with the speculations surrounding his abilities or people judging him before seeing his work. He shared:
People [would be] starting to think, ‘Who is this Roger Clark? He’s shite.’ If I’m reading that, and I’m still a year out from finishing my work, who knows what impact that would have had? I’m glad we had the tunnel vision we had, but again, at the same time, I don’t run a game studio.
In the game, Clark’s Arthur Morgan is an enforcer and veteran member of the Van der Linde gang. The gameplay has Morgan dealing with government forces, rival gangs, and other enemies in the wake of the decline of the Wilde West.
Roger Clark’s Role In Red Dead Redemption 2 Came At A Cost
Roger Clark found the secrecy of the video game to be on a different level from movies or series. He had to keep his Arthur Morgan role a secret for a long time. He revealed that the NDAs were stricter than the ones Disney or Marvel actors had to sign on. He shared with The Gamer:
The secrecy for a video game seems to be on a completely different level. I mean, I know for a fact our NDAs were more strict than Disney’s or Marvel’s.
He shared that he wasn’t able to talk about the role with anyone, including friends or family. Clark shared that all the secrecy could have easily created paranoia, especially because fans were highly anticipating the game. Some people even doubted this prolonged secrecy, thinking that he was being dishonest about his role. Clark shared:
And it got to the point where like, three or four years in, people were saying to me, ‘Oh, you’re still working on that video game, Rog.’ They were starting to think I was full of shit.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is considered one of the greatest video games ever made. Popular Mechanic ranked it 24th in the publication’s 100 greatest video games. It ranked 28th in GamesRadar‘s Top 50 Video Games, 8th in IGN‘s Top 100 Video Games, and 15th in GQ‘s Best 100 Video Games.
