10 More Amazing Video Game Performances By Famous Actors

There used to be a time where celebrities wouldn’t go near video games, as they were seen as something of a kiss of death for their career. Now, the industry is awash with famous people practically falling over each other for the chance to lend their dulcet tones to the next million-dollar game. We’ve already done a list on this channel about stars who provided killer turns in the voice booth, but there were far too many examples for just one countdown. So today, we’re back with ten more times s

ome of our favourite stars of the big and small screen traded the luxury of Hollywood for the sweaty world of video games. Like last time, we’ve tried to avoid obvious answers where possible, so everyone shouting about Idris Elba in Cyberpunk or Bruce Campbell in Spider-Man 2 can sit down now. Instead, we’re celebrating some lesser-known performances from some very well-known people, all of whom helped legitimise their games in the eyes of grumpy cynics everywhere. Cheers, guys. I’m Ashton from

TripleJump and here are 10 More Amazing Video Game Performances by Famous Actors. #10: Neil Patrick Harris - Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions Neil Patrick Harris - or NPH for short, or just N for even shorter - is many things to many people. He’s an actor, a singer, a magician, but did you know that he was once a friendly neighbourhood superhero? Harris provided thevoice of Peter Parker for the short-lived Spider-Man: The New Animated Adventures in 2003. Though the show only lasted a season, NPH

was once again able to don the famous suit in the 2010 video game, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. His version of the webslinger is fun and quick-witted, firing off sassy one-liners whilst tying villains up in knots. Though Spider-Man is definitely not meant to be cool, NPH walks the line between dorky teenager and action man perfectly, which helps players immerse themselves in the game. Although, he never uttered the words“Heyeveryone” or “Pizza time”, so he’s clearly rubbish. Alongside the

Barney Stinson actor, several other voice artists from different Spider-Man cartoons also reprise their roles in Shattered: Dimensions. There’s Christopher Daniels Barnes as Spider-Noir, Dan Gilvezan as Spider-Man 2099, and Josh Keaton as Ultimate Spider-Man. Wait a second, this is just the Spider-Verse movies in game form! They’ve even got Spider-Ham! I think I’ve uncovered a conspiracy here. #9: John Goodman - Rage If you’re a fan of Monsters Inc., which, let’s face it, you should be - then yo

u’ve probably got a special place in your heart for John Goodman, the voice of Sully. As well as lending his pipes to the big blue monster, Goodman is also known for his roles in The Big Lebowski, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and Bee Movie. Ok, maybe he’s not “known” for that last one, but I just wanted to remind everyone that John Goodman, an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, was in Bee Movie. He was also in 2011’s Rage, a first-person shooter developed by Doom and Quake bigwigs, id Software, in which he v

oices Dan Hagar, survivor of a massive asteroid strike that has turned the world into a wasteland. Hagar rescues the player from bandits right at the start of the game, before filling them in on their predicament. Goodman balances Hagar’s role as an informant and a leader perfectly, treating the situation with appropriate drama whilst also keeping his cool. Though he’s only in the game very briefly, Goodman’s presence brings a level of quality to Rage, and reassures the player that this apocalyp

tic hellscape might just be okay. #8: Linda Hunt - God of War Series Chances are, you’ll know Linda Hunt from one of two roles; as Billy Kwan in The Year of Living Dangerously, for which she won an Oscar, or as Hetty, the badass boss of NCIS: Los Angeles. Very different demographics there, I know. Gamers might be more familiar with her voice, however, as Hunt played the character of Gaia in six God of War titles between 2005 and 2013. That’s right, she was part of the series before its big makeo

ver. What a hipster. As the mother of the Titans, Gaia plays a huge role in Kratos’ never-ending battle with the Gods of Olympus. She is depicted as a gargantuan woman made out of the Earth itself, which is ironic because, in real life, Hunt is four foot nine. Nevertheless, she brings some serious gravitas to the role, effortlessly embodying one of the most ancient and powerful beings in a world full of gods and monsters. Hunt also serves as the narrator of the stories, guiding players through t

he plot with her husky, authoritative tones. Honestly, we’re not sure why she wasn’t brought back for the reboots. Oh, Gaia was killed by Kratos in God of War III? Never mind then. #7: Sam Worthington - Call of Duty: Black Ops There was a time where you couldn’t move for films starring Australian actor Sam Worthington, who’s made appearances in Avatar, Terminator: Salvation, and Clash of the Titans, which were all released within the space of two years. Then, he basically fell off the face of th

e Earth until the Avatar sequel in 2022. Somebody clearly forgot to unplug him from his magical tree. This time period also coincided with Worthington’s first foray into video game voice acting, as Alex Mason in the first Call of Duty: Black Ops game from 2010. As the main protagonist, Mason is who players control on their various covert missions in places like Cuba, Vietnam, China, and… Canada? Why does he go there? Do they even have soldiers in Canada? Mason could easily have been just another

bland jarhead for players to point at enemies, but Worthington did a great job in keeping him interesting. Though far from the deepest character in gaming history, Mason is worth getting invested in, which is good, because players are stuck with him for 13 in-game years. Worthington returned for two more Black Ops games, before presumably signing a contract tying him to the Avatar franchise for the next half-century. #6: Burt Reynolds - Saints Row: The Third Legendary Hollywood star Burt Reynol

ds is an anomaly on this list, as he’s not only the sole entrant to regularly sport a moustache, but he’s also the only person to feature for playing himself. Reynolds, famous for his roles in The Longest Yard, Smokey and the Bandit, and Boogie Nights, turns up in Saints Row: The Third as the mayor of Steelport City. When a character expresses surprise that he’s in such a position of power, the star replies “Who else could keep this town running?”, which is awesome. Before celebrities making fun

of themselves was as commonplace as it is now, Reynolds played up to his own image as a macho lothario. He fits in perfectly with the utterly bonkers world of the Saints Row series, to the point where you have to remind yourself that he’s a real person, not a character invented purely for this game. Sadly, in one version of the story, Reynolds dies towards the end of the game, should the player choose to sacrifice him for their own good. Why anyone would choose to kill this magnificent specimen

is a mystery, but there is the option if you’re so inclined. #5: Steve Carell - Outlaw Golf and Outlaw Volleyball Before he was an incompetent office manager, a child-friendly supervillain, or a 40-year-old virgin, a non-movie star Steve Carell paid the bills by lending his voice to two sports games in the early 2000s. Outlaw Golf and Outlaw Volleyball are golf and volleyball games respectively, but if they were made by a group of randy teenagers in the 90s. Players take turns hitting a little

white egg around a field or smashing an inflatable into each other’s faces, but their characters are strippers, stoners, and bikers, as opposed to professional athletes. Not satisfied with your caddy’s performance? Simply cash-in a “Beating Token” and bludgeon them half to death to feel better about yourself! I don’t think they do that in real golf, or at least, not when it’s being televised. All of Carell’s trademark mannerisms are on display in his turn as commentator; his boundless enthusiasm

, his tendency to yell, and his expert comic timing. Although some of the humour has aged about as well as an unrefrigerated ham sandwich, Carell’s performance is still great; a sign of the very bright things to come in his future. Fingers crossed these games never come back to haunt him in some way. #4: Kelly Hu - Mortal Kombat X & 11 Who? Yes, Kelly Hu. Sorry, that was a cheap joke and I can do better. Beginning her career as a model and TV soap opera star, Kelly Hu broke the big time with app

earances in films like The Scorpion King and X-Men 2. She’s also appeared in shows The Vampire Diaries, Arrow, and, most importantly of all, Phineas and Ferb. Finally, a touch of class on this list. In recent years, Hu has made multiple appearances in the Mortal Kombat series, beginning with 2015’s Mortal Kombat X, and it is x and not 10 according to the devs. No Roman numerals here, thank you very much. She voices Frost, Sindel, and new character D’Vorah, a creepy bug lady with a robotic voice

who there is definitely weird fan art of. When you’re 10 major games into a series, it can be hard to introduce a new character without facing significant backlash. It’s testament to Hu’s performance that D’Vorah not only won fans in this game, but was also brought back for MK11, with Hu asked to reprise her role. D’Vorah is an unconventional and highly disturbing addition to the Mortal Kombat roster, but I mean that in the best way possible. #3: Hayley Joel Osment - Kingdom Hearts Series If a m

ovie or TV show needed a child character in the late 90s/early 2000s, chances are the casting director gave Hayley Joel Osment a call. Or, more accurately, they called his mum. Whether as Forrest Gump Jr., the titular artificial intelligence in Steven Spielberg’s A.I., or as the “I see dead people” kid from The Sixth Sense - spoilers - Hayley Joel Osment’s boyish face was everywhere for a time, and he’s still in high demand to this day, even though he’s not quite as cute anymore. As a voice acto

r in video games, his biggest accomplishment is easily that he plays Sora, the hero of the Kingdom Hearts franchise. That and he was in an NBA game once, though I’m assuming not as one of the players? From the original game in 2002 to its most recent sequel in 2019, Osment has portrayed the key-wielding hero alongside famous faces from Final Fantasy and the world of Disney. In amongst all these stars, Sora has become a gaming icon in his own right, which goes to show just how good Osment is in t

he voice booth. He out-acted Goofy, for crying out loud. How often can people say that? #2: Rosario Dawson - Dishonored 2 Weirdly enough, Ahsoka star Rosario Dawson has also been in an NBA 2K game as a non-basketball person. Is this a clause written into every celebrity’s contract or something? Anyway, we’re not here to talk about that, we’re here to talk about the acclaimed actor’s turn as the battle-scarred ship’s captain Meagan Foster in Arkane Studios’ 2016 action-adventure title, Dishonored

2. Foster is a character with a long and complicated past, one that would take far too long to explain, but her intricate backstory is deftly handled by the highly-talented Dawson, who’s also lent her voice to games like Dying Light 2: Stay Human and the 2016 Ratchet & Clank remake. She plays Foster with a mixture of stoicism, melancholy, and regret, making her far more than just the person who owns the hub area. Dishonoured 2 is still regarded as a triumph of gaming, with its non-linear narrat

ive and stealth-based gameplay often coming in for praise. It helps that the rest of the voice cast was also stellar, involving the likes of Vincent D’Onforio, Jamie Hector, and Pedro Pascal. Hey, Ahsoka and Mando were in a game together! No sign of Baby Yoda, though, I’m afraid. #1: Matthew Perry - Fallout: New Vegas Though he will always be best known as one sixth of the show Friends, to millions of gamers around the world, the late, great Matthew Perry came into their lives as the voice of Be

nny in Fallout: New Vegas. A corrupt casino owner, Benny leaves the player character for dead after shooting them at the start of the game, only for them to survive and hunt him down. Could they be after any more revenge? On the surface, Benny seems little more than a dweeb with an obsession for old gangster movies, but, as the game progresses, you find out that he’s more dangerous than you could have possibly imagined. Perry brings the character’s disarming menace to life beautifully, to the po

int where he’s still one of the main talking points of the game all these years later. This was the star’s one and only video game voice role, which is a shame on one level, but it does make this outstanding turn even more special. When news broke of Perry’s death in October 2023, many gamers returned to New Vegas to pay tribute to the beloved actor; a fitting send-off for a true great.