The Best Voice Actors in the Video Game Industry
Finding high-quality voice-over for a video game character can be challenging. However, there have been several times in the industry where characters have been paired with the perfect voice actor to capture their characteristics. This article will look at some of the best voice-over actors in the video gaming industry and some who have provided a voice for the most popular and iconic roles.
Mark Hamill
Not only has Mark Hamill played some iconic roles in live-action films, but he is also an incredibly gifted voice actor for animated tv and video games. Mark Hamill has actually been doing the voice of the Joker for almost thirty years, much to people’s amazement. He also gives life to the Joker in the Batman: Arkhamseries. Mark Hamill even provided the voice for Wolverine in X2 – Wolverine’s Revenge,Maximus in Fantastic Four, Gargoyle in The Incredible Hulk animations, Klaw in Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and many more.
Nolan North
The voice for the iconic Nathan Drake from the Uncharted game series is the talented Nolan North. He has been doing voice-over work for the Uncharted game series for nearly 10 years; the series has become so popular that a movie was also released, Uncharted, with Tom Holland playing Nathan Drake and Nolan North appearing in a cameo. In addition to Nathan Drake, North has also provided the voice for the Penguin in the Batman: Arkham series and Desmond Miles for the Assassin’s Creed series.
Jennifer Hale
Jennifer Hale is another voice actor that has played some iconic roles in video games and is most widely known for providing the voice for female Shepherd in the Mass Effect game series. However, that’s not all. In 2012, she also provided the voice for Leah in Diablo III. Another outstanding vocal performance was when she voiced the character Rosalind Lutece in Bioshock Infinite. Her performances have truly given life to many popular characters in major games throughout the years, with an impressive list of credits.
Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart is probably rated as one of the best actors of our time. He is most known for playing the role of Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies franchise and Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. It might also be surprising for some to learn that he actually voiced one character in one of the most iconic and genre-changing RPGs of all time, Oblivion; Uriel Septim VII, who was the Emperor of Tamriel.
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves, whose first name means “cool breeze over the mountains,” is definitely living up to the name, being one of the coolest actors and most popular video game voice actors in the industry. The actor is most famously known for his role as Neo in the iconic Matrix movies, Constantine, Point Break, and the more recent John Wick films. Keanu Reeves also voiced the equally cool character Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077.His voice acting has recently moved past video games and into animated movies, specifically voicing Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4.
Felicia Day
The next actress on this list, who has portrayed a few popular television characters, including in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural, has also provided voices for characters in popular video game titles. She provided the voice for Veronica, a Brotherhood of Steel member in the iconic Fallout: New Vegas, and Tallis in the first Dragon Age game. While she might not have as many roles in video games under her belt, the characters she has voiced have been in major titles, and we will surely hear more from her incredible voice in the future.
Troy Baker
Having a list of big-name voice actors in video games just wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Troy Baker. Troy is most widely known for providing the voice for Joel in the iconic and widely acclaimed video game, The Last of Us. What many don’t know is that he also provided the voice for Pagan Min in the triumphant Far Cry 4 and has also given life to Two-Face, the Joker, and even Batman. He has voiced characters in games like Infamous: Second Son, the protagonist Booker DeWitt in Bioshock Infinite, Talion in The Lord of the Rings games, and Tales from the Borderlands. That’s quite an impressive resume.
Keith David
Another voice actor with a distinct sound is Keith David. In addition to being a fantastic actor who has played over 300 roles across television, stage, and film, Keith David has also provided the voice-over for some great characters in video games, such as the Arbiter in Halo 2, the Vice President in Saints Row IV, and Captain Anderson in all of the Mass Effect games. In addition, he brought life to Sergeant Foley in the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
Tara Strong
Just as the Joker is on this list, it would be a cosmic crime not to include the person who voiced his counterpart, Harley Quinn, which is the exceptionally talented Tara Strong. Tara Strong voiced Harley Quinn in the Batman: Arkham series, as well as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Batgirl in Batman: Vengeance, Rachel in Ninja Gaiden, Rikku in Final Fantasy, Keira in Jak X: Combat Racing, Raven in Injustice: Gods Among Us, and more. She is undoubtedly one of the best voice actors in the video gaming industry.
John DiMaggio
Finally, the list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the voice actor who provided the voice for one of the most badass characters in the video gaming industry; Marcus Fenix, in the Gears of War series. That’s not all, though. He also provided the voices for Heidegger in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Banshee 44 in the popular Destiny games, and most notably, although not a video game, Bender in Futurama and Finn from Adventure Time. What’s incredible is the contrast between the characters’ voices he has done. Like many of the voice actors on this list, DiMaggio has enough range to bring different voices to each of the characters he plays.