The past 10 years has seen a massive increase in movie stars acting on television, as the landscape has shifted where the TV format is now the go-to medium for quality entertainment. But it doesn’t end there, as more and more famous actors are seeping into video games too.
Hollywood actors are being considered for video game roles more and more, and as the graphics become more and more photorealistic, the games are becoming almost like a playable movie. Most actors in games are just there to go through exposition with the character, whether it’s Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk or J.K. Simmons in Portal 2. However, there have been loads of stars who have voiced playable characters, dating all the way back to 2002.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
The Grand Theft Auto series owes a lot to gangster movies, as the series has always been inspired by them - whether it’s the heists in Heat that were borrowed for GTA V, or the sun-drenched 1980s Miami from Scarface that was in GTA: Vice City. But the location isn’t the only thing they borrowed for the fourth game.
Ray Liotta plays Tommy Vercetti, the playable character in Vice City, and if players close their eyes, they would just as easily hear Henry from Goodfellas. And though there are many actors who could Vercetti in a movie, nobody beats Liotta’s Italian-American accent.
Wheelman (2009)
Though there are a ton of Fast & Furious games, that’s surprisingly not what Vin Diesel has put all of his efforts into in the video-games industry. In 2009, Diesel didn’t just voice a playable character, but he was also the face of his very own driving game, Wheelman.
Though it wasn’t loved by critics, it still had some charm. There’s a reason why the actor has done so much voice work, as his gruff voice sounds incredible, especially over chase sequences.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)
Metal Gear Solid is one of the most beloved video-game series of all time, and it’s arguably the best stealth franchise ever made. One of the things that makes the series so great, besides sneaking around in cardboard boxes and biting the heads of snakes, is the main character, Solid Snake.
Though it wasn’t until the fifth entry in the series, the iconic character was voiced by Kiefer Sutherland. And as Sutherland starred in 24 as Jack Bauer for hundreds of episodes, he also voiced the character in 24: The Game too, but nothing beats his performance as Snake.
Crackdown 3 (2019)
The Crackdown series is clearly modeled after Grand Theft Auto, as it’s full of driving and running-and-gunning in an open world. It was even created by the developers, who created the first GTA game. However, it stands on its own as an incredible free-roaming game, as the art direction was completely unique and gave the player superpowers (putting a twist on the open-world formula).
Crackdown 3 made the game even more unique, as Terry Crews, known for his muscular physique and for playing immature characters, is the playable character in the sequel. As Crews has much energy and delivers lines as if he’s shouting at the audience, he was made to voice video-game characters.
The Legend Of Spyro (2006)
In the 2006 reboot of the classic game about the purple dragon, Spyro actually had a voice, and Activision didn’t pull on the purse strings when casting him.
Off the heels of the success of the Lord of the Rings series, Elijah Wood voiced Spyro the Dragon in all three games in the reboot. Not only that, but Wood has made a decent career out of voicing characters in video games, as he has voiced Frodo Baggins in five games since 2002.
50 Cent: Blood On The Sand (2009)
In the mid-2000s, 50 Cent wasn’t just a rapper, he was a brand. From making best-selling albums to starting businesses t0 starring in movies, 50 Cent was a hot commodity.
However, more ludicrous than anything was the fact that he was a character in Blood On The Sand, playing himself. Although the game was clearly developed just to promote the rapper, it did end up being one of the best on-foot combat games of 2009.
Death Stranding (2019)
Being the first game from Hideo Kojima after his split from Konami, the developer knew he had to up the scope of Death Stranding following his tenure on the Metal Gear series. He did that by casting Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges, the playable character in the game.
Between Boondock Saints and The Walking Dead, Death Stranding is one of the actor’s best projects. Death Stranding doesn’t just feature Reedus, but the whole game is packed with incredible actors, including Mads Mikkelsen, and even directors Guillermo Del Toro and Nicholas Winding Refn.
The Kingdom Hearts Series
Being a series that crosses over Square Enix characters with Disney characters, there are obviously a lot of different Disney portrayals in the game. However, there’s still one character above all else who is seen as the protagonist of the series, and that’s Sora, whose main weapon is a giant sword-looking key.
Sora is voiced by Haley Joel Osment, who was a famous child actor known best for The Sixth Sense. The actor has been voicing the character ever since the first game in 2002, and has voiced him in 12 games at this point.
Beyond: Two Souls (2013)
Being a video game where choices really matter, Beyond: Two Souls was one of the most envelope-pushing games at the time. Beyond: Two Souls is an action-packed game that sees the plot mix elements of the supernatural with suspense, as the player has to work out why the government is so interested in Jodie Holmes (portrayed by Elliot Page) and who this invisible entity is.
With the game being decision-based, many fans loved it. Not only did the players’ choices affect the end result, but the dialogue was well-scripted too as Page's delivery helped them to stay emotionally invested in the narrative. And just like with Death Stranding, Beyond: Two Souls has an all-star cast, as it also features Willem Defoe.
Until Dawn (2015)
As the movie takes inspiration from so many movies including Evil Dead II and Poltergeist, it’s no surprise that Until Dawn features a movie star in the driver’s seat. However, there isn’t just one playable protagonist in the game, but eight of them, and three of those are famous actors.
Hayden Panettiere, Peter Stormare, and even Academy Award winner Rami Malek all have their own story arcs in the game, making it possibly the most expensive game ever made when it comes to casting.