Why God Of War's Kratos Looks So Familiar

The 2022 Game Awards was a big night for "God of War Ragnarök" and for Kratos' voice actor, Christopher Judge, in particular. Along with "Elden Ring," The "God of War" sequel dominated the nominations and racked up several big wins. Among these was the award for best performance, which Christopher Judge accepted in a long speech that fans absolutely loved. This speech was one of the wildest moments of the night and brought Judge some much deserved attention. 

While Judge may have been known to hardcore "God of War" fans before his speech, appearing onstage as himself and speaking in his regular, slightly less gravelly voice was a great moment and, for many, their introduction to the star. Some fans, both before and after the Game Awards, may also have felt that Judge looked or sounded familiar. This isn't that surprising, as there's much more to Judge than just "God of War." Indeed, he's had a long and successful career as an actor that stretches all the way back to the '90s.

Judge got his start in small roles on some big shows of the early '90s. He began his career in an episode of the popular series "MacGyver" playing Deron, a high school student and football player who just doesn't see the point of learning about physics. In a very '90s scene, MacGyver, played by Richard Dean Anderson, shows Deron just how cool science can be.

Judge went on to land minor roles in other popular shows of the era, including "21 Jump Street" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." He would continue working in smaller roles and lesser known shows through the '90s until finally getting his big break in 1997. This role saw him playing a major character in a hit series. It also reunited him with Richard Dean Anderson, the star of the show that began Judge's acting career.

In 1997, Judge began playing Teal'c, the renegade alien in "Stargate SG-1." The television follow-up to the hit sci-fi movie, "SG-1" developed a significant fanbase and ran for ten seasons. Judge played a major part in developing the character he portrayed, offering insight to the writers and pushing for certain traits.

It was Judge who wanted Teal'c to speak little and appear as a stoic figure (a type of character that Judge would later come back to with Kratos). He also convinced the showrunners to let him wear eyeshadow, arguing that some feminine features would add mystery to the character and show that the Jaffa didn't conform to human views on gender (per Gizmodo). While his character was stern and quiet, Judge was the complete opposite on set. As Judge revealed in an interview, he became the cast prankster, going so far as duct taping another cast member to a tree and "Saran [Wrapping] peoples' toilets."

He was also not afraid to speak up for his beliefs and principles on the show. Judge pushed for greater and more positive representation for people of color on "SG-1." He even wrote several episodes (his only writing credits) after being encouraged to author stories that addressed some of his concerns.

While "Stargate SG-1" was his primary focus from 1997 to 2007, Judge also found time to perform other roles, including breaking into voice acting. From 2000 to 2003, Judge voiced Magneto on "X-Men: Evolution." The cartoon that won over fans by mixing comic book action with teen drama tended to focus more on the relationships of the young mutants under the care of Professor X but there was still a need for good, old-fashioned villains from time to time and Judge delivered.

This wasn't his last voice acting role, of course. Even before "God of War," Judge lent his voice to other shows like "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" and even get into voicing video games with the "Def Jam" series and "Turok." This all led up to the voice acting role that could define Judge's career, possibly even eclipsing "Stargate SG-1."

In 2018, Sony revived the celebrated "God of War" franchise with a new setting and a new take on its protagonist. Christopher Judge got the opportunity to play an older and wiser Kratos in the world of Norse mythology and made the role his own.

Amazingly, Judge almost didn't go after the role, as he lacked interest in returning to video games but the team won him over with a promise that "God of War" would have a real story and well-developed characters (per Variety). Speaking on the red carpet of the 2019 BAFTA awards, Judge explained that, after he took the role, he was more intimidated than anything to "take over" an already established and celebrated persona. Despite all these misgivings, he pushed through and helped create something special.

"God of War" proved a massive hit, winning Game of the Year at the 2018 Game Awards and earning Judge a nomination for his performance. He went on to win the award for his performance in the sequel, giving an acceptance speech that stole the show and cemented Judge in the hearts of gamers.