Actors Who Refused Massive Video Game Roles
Video games have grown so much since the old days of blasting space creatures, gobbling pellets, and hopping on mushrooms. What began as a form of entertainment with simple and fun objectives has evolved into a fully cinematic medium. Emerging as a new form of storytelling right up there with film, video games have become a respectable art, delivering immersive tales in dynamic worlds where gamers can easily lose themselves. And as the divide between cinema and video games has faded, recruiting voice and acting talent for games has become an increasingly big piece of the production pie.
But sometimes things don't always line up when actors are approached for a project. Sometimes these talents are big Hollywood stars who simply have too much going on, or have no interest in video game roles. Other times they're seasoned voice actors who, for one reason or another, aren't interested in taking on the job. Regardless, the show tends to go on, with or without them. These are the actors who refused massive video game roles.
Troy Baker had to turn down Borderlands 3
Telltale Games is well known for its narrative-driven gaming experiences. Much less action-oriented, it delivers stories that call for compelling and interesting characters. As such, when news broke that Troy Baker, the voice of Rhys from Telltale's "Tales from the Borderlands," would not return to portray the character in "Borderlands 3," fans were bound to be disappointed.
When questioned why Baker wasn't returning, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford said on social media that he was told the actor declined the part. Baker has since rejected Pitchford's claim that it was entirely his decision.
Speaking with VG247, Baker confirmed that they initially approached him to voice Rhys in "Borderlands 3." Despite his eagerness to revisit the role, he had to turn it down. Baker explained, "they made it impossible for me to do the role. It had nothing to do with money ... it was simply a matter of they wouldn't go union." As a loyal member of SAG-AFTRA, Baker eventually said no to the gig. Gearbox reportedly pinned the decision on Texas' status as a right-to-work state, though this claim was also challenged by SAG-AFTRA. Although Baker said he did not totally resent the recasting decision, he stressed the importance of bringing back the talent who first voiced these returning characters.
Troy Baker also turned down the role of Joker before ultimately accepting it
Troy Baker is a name that pops up a lot when it comes to video game voice talent. With an impressive resume that includes "The Last of Us," "BioShock Infinite," and "Uncharted 4," he is a veteran of the gaming industry. But even someone with his qualifications would be intimidated to take on such a prestigious part as the Joker.
A character with so much history, so much backstory, such complexity, and portrayals by some of Hollywood's most legendary players, the Joker is a role not for the faint of heart. For this very reason, Baker actually turned down an offer to play the Joker not just once, but twice. Regardless, he eventually accepted the part. He wound up doing it so well, he's since entered the ranks as one of the greatest Joker voice actors, becoming a regular vocal performer for the infamous Batman villain.
Michael Ironside wanted to back out of playing Sam Fisher
Michael Ironside is known for his performances in hit films such as "Starship Troopers" and "Total Recall." What you may not know is he was also the voice of Sam Fisher in the "Splinter Cell" series. In 2014, Ironside participated in a Reddit AMA in which he answered eager fans' questions about his career, including his work as Sam Fisher. Following one user's question regarding how he felt about Ubisoft recasting the part for "Splinter Cell: Blacklist," Ironside revealed that he almost rejected the role.
As Ironside told it, he was admittedly not a gamer and initially accepted the job without much thought, figuring he would simply play a host or narrator. Upon receiving the script, he was shocked to learn that he would be playing (in his view) a brutal, violent, one-dimensional character. He immediately lost interest and tried to back out, but the team at Ubisoft wouldn't have it. Ubisoft wanted him to play Sam so badly that those behind the game honored his wish to develop a more compelling protagonist.
Ironside worked with the creators to bring some depth to Sam Fisher until the actor was satisfied with the part. More than just a voice, Michael Ironside helped create the Sam Fisher fans know today, a character "who [has] an empathy ... not just a 2 dimensional killing machine."
David Eddings didn't come back to play Claptrap
Fans of the "Borderlands" series might think their ears are deceiving them when they play "Borderlands 3," though it's not just Rhys who sounds different. The character of Claptrap was also given a new voice.
David Eddings refused to continue voicing Claptrap in "Borderlands 3," claiming he was never actually paid for any of his previous voice work to begin with. Working as vice president of business development at Gearbox for 12 years, Eddings also lent his voice to Claptrap during his tenure without any additional compensation. In a post to X (formerly Twitter), he implied that Gearbox wanted him to continue playing Claptrap in "Borderlands 3" for free, even though he no longer worked for the company.
No. For the first time, I insisted on getting paid for my performance and all of a sudden they couldn't afford me. Now I'm not telling them how to run their business but maybe next time they should put the $12M payment from 2K in the Gearbox bank account instead. Just sayin'...
— David Eddings (@davideddings) May 2, 2019
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford rejected this allegation, and in an official statement to IGN, a company spokesperson echoed Pitchford's claim that Eddings was in fact offered a fair rate to reprise the role. Eddings also posted that that he'll "continue to do VO work for fun on games [he] and [his] friends make." He further accused Pitchford of physical assault in an interview with Newsweek, which seemed to permanently close the door on his return to the franchise. Whatever really happened behind closed doors, it's a good bet that Pitchford and Eddings probably don't call each other on the weekends.
Ashly Burch had to let go of Chloe
Sometimes an actor can grow very attached to a character whom they portray. In such cases, it can be quite painful for the performer to say goodbye to said character. Ashly Burch knows how this feels, as she had to move on from a role that was close to her heart.
Burch played Chloe in the highly successful "Life is Strange" and was asked to reprise the part for the prequel, but there was a hitch — development was happening during the SAG-AFTRA strike that started in 2015. Because Square Enix was not aligned with union interests, she had a very difficult decision to make: She could either uphold her loyalty to SAG-AFTRA or accept the opportunity to continue voicing Chloe, which, in an interview with Kotaku, she had described as "an almost cathartic experience."
Ultimately, Burch had to turn down the chance to voice Chloe for most of "Life is Strange: Before the Storm." In her conversation with Kotaku, she compared the decision to putting a child for adoption. Though the experience may have been difficult, she was at least able to continue being a part of Chloe's world through a writing and consulting position, and was able to briefly return for one last vocal hurrah following the strike.
Van Damme said no to what became Mortal Kombat
Since the first Mortal Kombat, Johnny Cage has been gracing gamers with his smug smile and his signature crotch punch. And considering his appearance — his status as an arrogant Hollywood martial arts actor, and his below-the-belt attack that's achieved through a perfect leg split — it may come as no surprise that the character was modeled after real-life action star Jean-Claude Van Damme. But did you know JCVD was actually approached to be in the game that would become Mortal Kombat?
Originally, the creators of Mortal Kombat wanted to make their own version of Street Fighter 2 that featured Jean-Claude Van Damme. Unfortunately, the actor was not interested in working on the project, so they had to shift gears and find a fresh angle to approach this new fighting game, and thus Mortal Kombat was born.
In a conversation with MEL Magazine, Daniel Pesina, who originally played Johnny Cage, denied that his character was based on JCVD, comparing him to Iron Fist alter ego Danny Rand instead. Even so, the team was not above firing a few shots at the martial arts star. Pesina later recounted how the crotch punch was meant to be a slight jab at JCVD for refusing the Mortal Kombat team's offer. More than two decades later, JCVD would finally join the fun as an alternate version of Johnny Cage in "Mortal Kombat 1."
Kurt Russell had no interest in playing Snake
When playing the Metal Gear Solid series, it's hard not to see similarities between Solid Snake and Escape From New York protagonist Snake Plissken. Despite what you may think, MGS series creator Hideo Kojima has denied any ties between the two characters. When you learn that Kojima at one point wanted Kurt Russell to replace David Hayter in Metal Gear Solid 3, however, you may be inclined to believe otherwise.
News that David Hayter was replaced in Metal Gear Solid 5 came as a shock to many fans, though he revealed in an interview with IGN that it was not the first attempt to give his part away to another actor. Despite his success as the voice for Solid Snake, he had to re-audition for the part of Naked Snake in Metal Gear Solid 3, since Kojima had his eye on Russell instead. The Escape From New York star was not interested, and Hayter was able to continue his legacy in MGS3.
It's quite a shame that such a beloved actor had to fight to keep his part in the game. Though Kojima may have wanted Kurt Russell, even Snake Plissken himself is no substitute for David Hayter.
Sean Connery wouldn't join the other Bonds in GoldenEye
As the role that launched him to superstardom, James Bond is forever tied to Sean Connery's public persona. The actor played Ian Fleming's super spy a total of six times in live action, and he's still the definitive Bond for many movie lovers. With that in mind, it's no surprise that the developers behind the definitive James Bond game tried to add him to the game. While developing "GoldenEye 007," Rare wanted to add virtual avatars for previous Bond actors Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Timothy Dalton for the game's revolutionary multiplayer mode — no love for one-time Bond star George Lazenby, apparently. Despite being fully built, these character models were scrapped shortly before the game's release, all thanks to Sean Connery's lawyers.
"GoldenEye 007" director Martin Hollis explained to The Irish Independent, "We were asked to take out the four Bond mode with Sean Connery," says Hollis glumly. "I think [Nintendo was] worried about him getting litigious." Appearing in the making-of documentary "GoldenEra," character designer Brett Jones claimed that it was Connery himself who vetoed his inclusion in "GoldenEye 007." The actor would end up providing his voice and likeness for a video game adaptation of "From Russia with Love" nearly a decade later, seemingly implying that Connery was totally cool with his Bond appearing in adaptations of movies he was actually in.
Matt Damon wanted a less-violent Bourne game
The "Jason Bourne" films starring Matt Damon, with their mix of espionage and breakneck action, seem like a natural fit for video games. However, when Robert Ludlum's fictional assassin finally made his video game debut in 2008's "The Bourne Conspiracy," the effort was met with middling reviews. The game was also conspicuously lacking the likeness and voice of the film series' leading man. According to Matt Damon, this was due to his reluctance to put another first-person shooter out in the would.
In an appearance on "Hot Ones," the actor said that he'd hoped to make a game more like 1993 puzzler "Myst." Damon explained, "They offered me a bunch of money. But I was like ... a little more thought had to go into it. You know, like Myst. I love that game. So I was like, 'More like Myst.' They were like, 'No,' and they just went and made it without me."
While "Myst" probably isn't the first game most people would think of in relation to the "Bourne" mythology, Damon had dreamed up a concept that made a good bit of sense, which he explained in a 2008 interview with The Boston Globe (via MTV): Much like in "Myst," Matt Damon's ideal "Bourne" game would see the title character solving puzzles to unlock his hazy memories of his past. The devs behind "The Bourne Conspiracy" didn't see eye-to-eye with Damon on these points, which led to the game proceeding without his involvement.
Alec Baldwin objected to a mobster character in Grand Theft Auto
The "Grand Theft Auto" series has often cast Hollywood stars in prominent roles, lending the crime series an extra bit of gravitas and legitimacy. "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" featured the talents of Ray Liotta and Tom Sizemore, for instance, while "San Andreas" boasted big names like Samuel L. Jackson and William Fichtner. Alec Baldwin, known for having one of the coolest voices in film history, nearly joined the pantheon of movie stars in "GTA," but was concerned about how the series might impact his reputation.
He explained to IndieWire that Rockstar Games "came to me to do a voice of some mobster, many years ago, for Grand Theft Auto 2 ... And they offered me a pile of money, this ridiculous amount of money to just come in a record this voice for one or two days. And I turned them down because [the character] was a cop killer ... I have enough problems with the press as it is. I said no."
It's unclear which role this might have been, though it's worth noting that Baldwin may have been mistaken about which "Grand Theft Auto" game he was offered. The series really started going after Hollywood talent when it entered its 3D era with "GTA 3." It's entirely possible that Baldwin might have been the first choice for Sonny Fiorelli in "Vice City," but neither the actor nor the studio have confirmed this point of speculation.