Video games are no stranger to the world of celebrity, with a host of actors and stars lendingboth their voices and their likenessesto the medium since the 1980s. From Bruce Lee’s self-titled C64 opus, through to rapper 50 Cent’s third-person shooters, Hollywood’s elite are more than happy to get involved in the ever-evolving world of the video game.
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Sometimes, these can be a little more unusual than the typical “game based on a sports person/movie/musician”, where the acting talents would be more obvious. Digging a little deeper into the world of the video game, there are some real eccentric gems to unearth.
10Jack Black In Brutal Legend
Centered around the concept of a bunch of human headbangers doing battle against hordes of hellish demons,Brutal Legendis surely one of the most metal games ever made, with akiller soundtrackto back it up.
Jack Black is perfect as the main character Eddie Riggs(the “greatest roadie in the world”), surely a shoo-in after his work onSchool of Rockand performances as one half of Tenacious D. The cast is bolstered by a host of heavy metal luminaries including Rob Halford, Lemmy and Ozzy Osbourne.
9Danny Trejo In Far Cry 6
Starting back in 2004, Ubisoft’sFar Cryfranchisehas become hugely popular in the gaming world, with each installment set somewhere new.Far Cry 6takes place on the fictional island of Yara, and features a fun little side-mission starring none other than Danny Trejo…as himself.
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In this piece of DLC, players join forces with Trejo to help him move out to Yara, so that he can make his “world-famous tasty tacos to feed the hungry”. Cue explosions, shoot-outs and some hilarious quips from the man himself.
8Rik Mayall In Hogs Of War
Hogs Of Warwas basicallyWorms 3D, but with pigs. Featuring a variety of ridiculously OTT weaponry, combustible landscapes and all the swine puns you never knew you needed, it was an absolute riot to play.
Of course, the ludicrous nature of the game was cemented by the vocal talents of the outrageous and much-missed Rik Mayall. A comedic actor, famous for portraying a host of grotesque characters on film and television, he was a perfect fit for the bumbling army of pigs and their silly bantering.
7Cameron Monaghan in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
TheStar Warsuniverse has no shortage of fine actors at its disposal, andJedi: Fallen Orderadds Cameron Monaghan to its expanding repertoire. Known for his dual roles as Jerome and Jeremiah in Batman prequel seriesGotham, here Monaghan takes on a very different character.
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Monaghan portraysCal Kestis, a Jedi who escaped the notorious “Order 66”, and imbues the Padawan with a great deal of personality and depth. It’s no wonder that Kestis quickly became a fan favorite, and many hope that Monaghan will bring the role to live-action in the future.
6Gary Oldman In Legend Of Spyro
The Dark Knightseries wasn’t the only reboot trilogy that award-winning actor Gary Oldman was a part of. In the mid-to-late noughties, Activison revived theirSpyro the Dragonuniverse for three new games, with an impressive cast to carry on the story.
Oldman portrayed Ignitus, the Guardian of Fire and leader of the other Guardians. Oldman’s rich, velvety tones suited Ignitus perfectly, cementing the character as a fan favorite. Oldman was joined by Elijah Wood, who voiced Spyro across the trilogy.
5Keeley Hawes In Tomb Raider
Keeley Hawes is an English actress and producer, who rose to fame in the BBC’s then-controversial dramaTipping the Velvet. She has appeared in a wealth of acclaimed television shows, includingIt’s A SinandDoctor Who, and was the perfect choice forLara Croft.
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Hawes began her career as Lara in the 2006 rebootTomb Raider: Legendand continued to voice the adventurer in a further five games. Her take on Croft is well-spoken, witty and absolutely no-nonsense when it comes to dealing with undesirables.
4Ray Liotta In GTA: Vice City
AfterGrand Theft Auto III’s silent protagonist, Rockstar decided to try something different for the follow-up. Who better to lead a game then, than the lateRay Liotta?
Grand Theft Auto: Vice Citywas a bright, vibrant game with a genuinely gripping story and plenty of references to classic gangster films. Liotta brought everything to the role of the game’s main character,Tommy Vercetti, imbuing him with a wise-cracking charm whilst retaining that ruthless edge. No wonder then, that he won several awards for the performance.
3Phil Collins In GTA: Vice City Stories
Phil Collins holds the unusual honor of being the first celebrity to appear in theGrand Theft Autouniverse as himself. More than just a singing cameo, he even gets alittle storyline of his own(titled, rather amusingly, “Kill Phil”) inGTA: Vice City Stories.
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Collins is due to perform a concert in the City, but his manager owes a lot of money to one of the dangerous local families. Assassination attempts, exploding helicopters and a computerized rendition of the hit Phil Collins song, “In The Air Tonight”, all followed.
2Stan Lee In Spider-Man
A genuinely good game for its time, 2000’sSpider-Manwas a comic-book adaptation worthy of the franchise. It paved the way for future superhero games, giving players a solid storyline and a host of memorable villains to fight.
The narrator of the game was none other than the legendaryStan Lee, who introduced the adventure at the beginning and kept gamers up-to-date on the unfolding drama. How big a seal of approval, to have the creator ofSpider-Manchatting to you as you scaled the rooftops of New York!
1Conan O' Brien In Death Stranding
Death Strandingwas a hugely popular game upon its release, selling over five million copies and winning the much-coveted Game of the Year award back in 2019.
Death Strandingfeatures a very amusing easter egg, starring the iconic talk show host Conan O’Brien. He has a cameo as himself, in hologram form and wearing an otter on his head. Really. In fact, a large chunk of his two-minute speech is made up of otter puns, offering some light relief in an otherwise dark game.
