What The Cast Of Split Fiction Looks Like In Real Life

With so many fantastic co-op games to play with friends, a recent standout is 2025's "Split Fiction." The game has writers Mio Hudson and Zoe Foster invited to try out an experimental simulation machine that lets them live out their stories in an immersive virtual reality environment. With their simulations accidentally colliding, the duo alternate between Mio's science fiction story and Zoe's fantasy tale. The two women must learn to work together to escape the experiment and return to the waking world as the sinister reason behind the procedure comes to light.

Directed and co-written by king of co-op games Josef Fares, "Split Fiction" continues Hazelight Studios' winning streak after previous successful titles like "It Takes Two." With an emphasis on character relationships and their development, much of the story's appeal lies in its cast. For several actors, "Split Fiction" was their first video game gig, playing their parts spectacularly both with voiceover and motion capture performances. Here is what the cast of "Split Fiction" looks like in real life compared to their characters in the game.

One of the protagonists in "Split Fiction," Mio Hudson starts out as the more closed-off of the game's central pair. Played by Hong Kong actor Kaja Chan, Mio has a deep love of sci-fi, especially cyberpunk, which is reflected in her writing career. Mio accepts the offer to participate in the simulation experiment purely for the money and is revealed to need the finances to care for her gravely ill father. Also symbolizing Mio's personal interests, she usually wears a futuristic exosuit and has a variety of high-tech weapons and gadgets while in the simulation.

Kaja Chan has acted in a number of live-action and video game roles across her career. Chan's television work includes live-action performances in the Netflix original series "Bridgerton" and "1899," as well as the Prime Video series "Absentia." Coincidentally, given her character in "Split Fiction," Chan's first video game role was playing Emma Lee in the DLC expansion "Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty." Chan's other video game roles include playing Valby in the online looter shooter "The First Descendant" and Soa in "Foamstars."

Joining Mio on her strange adventure through dual worlds is Zoe Foster, played by Elsie Bennett. Much more outwardly cheerful than Mio, Zoe hails from the countryside and has a deep love of fantasy, which is reflected in her writing. As the game progresses it's revealed that Zoe blames herself for the death of her sister Ella when they were children. While working together with Mio, Zoe is finally able to forgive herself and overcome her longstanding trauma.

Elsie Bennett's first video game role was playing various roles in 2016's "Hitman," including Sister Yulduz, and continued her association with the franchise through its next two sequels. Beyond the "Hitman" series, Bennett provided additional voice work for video games like "Control" and "Ghost Recon: Breakpoint." Though not on par with "Split Fiction," Bennett's next biggest video game role was playing Danielle Valenti in "Subnautica: Below Zero." Meanwhile, Bennett's most prominent live-action work includes playing Kariel Seldon in the Apple TV original series "Foundation."

The primary antagonist of "Split Fiction" is J.D. Rader, the CEO of Rader Publishing, the corporation behind the shared simulation device. Played by British actor Ben Turner, Rader is secretly using his company's simulation machine to steal story ideas from the writers who are unaware of his true intentions. Desperate to harvest creative concepts from his subjects, Rader ignores his superiors and the scientists overseeing the experiment to push the participants to their limit. As Mio and Zoe work together to destroy his machine, Rader decides to confront them inside the simulation himself only to be defeated by the two writers.

In addition to his extensive theater work, Turner has worked steadily in television and film for years. This includes supporting roles in "Doctor Who" and the epic prequel "300: Rise of an Empire," playing the villainous General Artaphernes in the latter. Among Turner's more prominent television work is recurring roles in "Casualty" and "The Ipcress File." Turner's first video game role was playing Ahewann in "Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker" and has gone on to appear in video games like "Assassin's Creed Mirage."

To keep the simulation machine up and running, Rader employs a pair of technicians, one of whom is named Harry. It's through overhearing Rader's conversations with his technicians that Mio realizes the CEO is out to steal her and Zoe's creative ideas. When Mio and Zoe begin noticeably working together, foiling Rader's plans within the simulation, Rader tasks his technicians to regain control of the situation. As Rader grows more desperate and unstable, Harry becomes more wary of the lengths his boss goes, eventually resulting in his firing.

Dario Coates not only plays Harry but several other minor roles in "Split Fiction," including the game's parking attendant. One of Coates' most prominent live-action projects was playing Alex Neeson in the nigh-eternal British television series "Coronation Street" and Connie in "You." Coates has also built up an impressive catalog of video game roles over the years, providing additional voicework in "Cyberpunk 2077" and performing as Astoundo the Lesser in "Baldur's Gate III." Among Coates' video game roles after "Split Fiction" are playing Eli in "Dying Light: The Beast" and Wiegraf Folles in "Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles."

Joining Harry as a technician working the machine for Rader Publishing is Julia, played by Nneka Okoye. Just like Harry, Julia tries to keep the simulation running as Mio and Zoe try to fight back and escape from its virtual reality. This leads to the pair actively trying to foil Mio and Zoe's efforts in order to keep the simulation stable. When Harry and Julia grow uneasy with the increasingly unhinged efforts Rader takes to keep Mio and Zoe in the simulation, he fires them.

Nneka Okoye has been working steadily in television, film, and video games for over a decade, both in voiceover and live-action roles. Okoye's work in video game-related projects extends to a supporting role as Djanka in the "Halo" TV show. Okoye's first video game role was in the 2017 online game "Brawl Stars," playing the part of Juju. Other popular video game roles for Okoye include Tammy Booker in "Alan Wake II," Bobula Hanvers in "Baldur's Gate III," and Litakka in "Horizon: Forbidden West."