The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games
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Video games are fast becoming the biggest artistic industry in the world, with technology making previously impossible stories commonplace while attracting a potential audience of billions. Though Hollywood often struggles with making famous games into successful movies, several A-listers have lent their likeness and/or voice to landmark games of the past. Here’s some names you may not have heard about, either playing new characters or a heightened version of themselves…

By Victoria Luxford

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games.
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Vin Diesel (Wheelman, 2009) – The gravel-voiced megastar doesn’t just star in video games, he produces them! This 2009 driving game, no doubt inspired by his Fast and Furious success, was produced by Diesel’s own video game company, Tigon Studios. Diesel’s protagonist, CIA agent Milo Burik, is pretty similar to his usual movie characters, a fact that didn’t impress critics who gave the game mixed reviews.

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games.
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Jennifer Aniston (Steven Spielberg’s Director’s Chair, 1996) – The ‘90s produced a number of well-loved classic games, but this movie-making simulator from director Steven Spielberg wasn’t one of them. As the title suggests, Mr Spielberg helps you become a director, cutting together pieces of pre-filmed footage and dealing with day-to-day studio troubles. Perhaps the most notable thing about the game is the appearance of Jennifer Aniston, co-starring in short segments with Quentin Tarantino. Hey, the ‘90s were weird!

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games.
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Christopher Walken (True Crime: Streets of LA, 2006) – If you’ve ever played this 2000s open world thriller, chances are you recognised the unmistakable voice of Christopher Walken, who narrates parts of the game and voices the character of elderly desk sergeant George. The game features a number of famous voice actors, but one listen to the intro above should tell you why we think the veteran star of The Deer Hunter deserves a special mention!

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Kristen Bell (Assassin’s Creed series, 2007-10) – Ever actor loves a recurring role, and the Veronica Mars star got just that as part of the first three Assassin’s Creed games. She played Lucy Stillman, a researcher at the Animus Project pivotal to the series’ plot, and a character with a mysterious secret that reaches its conclusion in 2010’s Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. Thankfully, she avoided being involved in the awful 2016 spin-off movie.

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games.
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John Carpenter (F.E.A.R. 3, 2011) – Moving behind the scenes, Master of Horror John Carpenter oversaw the creative vision for the third instalment of the F.E.AR. franchise, working alongside writer Steve Niles (30 Days of Night). The bloody adventure was a success, serving as a prime example of how constant technological innovations are drawing the creative processes behind cinema and video games increasingly close together.

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games.
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Gary Oldman (Call of Duty series) – The recent Oscar winner has appeared in many video games over the years. “They’re acting roles, at the end of the day,” he told vulture.com in 2015. “Each game sets up some particular hurdles that you have to go through.” He’s appeared in The Legend of Spyro games, Lego Dimensions and the forthcoming Star Citizen, but is perhaps best-known for his recurring roles in the Call of Duty franchise.

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games.
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Emma Stone (Sleeping Dogs, 2012) – Four years before she would melt our hearts in La La Land, future Oscar winner Emma Stone played Amy, the love interest of the main character in Sleeping Dogs. Stone’s appearance in the game, which also featured Lucy Liu and Tom Wilkinson, is notable to some fans for how little Amy looks like Stone; however, that also demonstrates the possibilities that the gaming industry offers for actors looking to try something new.

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Mark Hamill (Wing Commander, Arkham) – Most of the world may know him as Luke Skywalker, but Mark Hamill has been involved in video games since long before it was common to do so. From the early ‘90s, he appeared in Wing Commander, Crash Bandicoot and X-Men games, among others. Perhaps his most famous video game role is voicing The Joker in the best-selling Arkham series. Along with the animated performances, it’s considered by many to be the among the best portrayals of The Clown Prince of Crime.

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Ellen Page (Beyond: Two Souls, 2013) – In a fascinating example of how the acting processes for games and for cinema are rapidly merging, Ellen Page starred in this interactive drama which had the rare distinction of premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival. It was a bold experiment in storytelling, somewhat marred by poor reviews but praised by the industry, with the game getting a BAFTA nomination in the UK.

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Elijah Wood (Legend Of Spyro, 2006) – The Lord of The Rings star took the lead as a small purple dragon in a reboot of the popular Spyro games, which also featured comedian David Spade and Gary Oldman (again) in voice roles. Clearly it ignited something in Wood, who has been developing a decidedly darker VR game titled Transference, which previewed at this year’s E3 Conference.

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games.
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Megan Fox (Stormfall: Rise of Balur, 2016) – Mobile games are big business these days, and have been endorsed by everyone from Liam Neeson to Mariah Carey. Megan Fox, however, took things one step further, playing tutorial character Amelia Delthanis in the popular mobile game Stormfall: Rise of Balur. It may not be as complex as some of the other roles on this list, but still adds another facet to the blockbuster actor’s career.

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games.
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Burt Reynolds (GTA Vice City, Saints Row The Third) – The late Burt Reynolds was notoriously difficult to work with, and his video game appearances were no different; the makers of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City have said he was combative when recording the voice of a real estate magnate for the game. Nevertheless, his Hollywood charm shone through, and the character proved popular among fans of the game. Reynolds would portray himself in 2011’s Saints Row: The Third.

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Marlon Brando (The Godfather, 2006) – We’ve intentionally avoided video game versions of roles the actors have already played on screen, but for this, we’ll make an exception. The 2006 game version of Francis Ford Coppola’s classic film featured many of the original cast providing voices, including Brando, who died before the game was released. While purists baulk at the game, it is fitting that Brando’s last role allowed him to reprise one of his most famous characters.

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Mila Kunis (Saints Row, 2006) – The Family Guy actress voiced her character, Meg Griffin, in the game based on the animated series; however she is also noted for providing the voice of Tanya Winters, a brothel owner in the first of the long-running Saints Row games. Far from being a disinterested cash grab, Kunis has often spoken about her love of video games, particularly the online hit World of Warcraft.

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Liam Neeson (Fallout 3, 2008) – Another actor whose voice seems perfectly suited to the medium, Neeson played the role of the player’s father, a significant character in the story and one that required him to record extensive amounts of dialogue. It was a lot more substantial than his other video game involvement: a corny commercial for mobile game Clash of Clans in 2015.

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games.
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David Bowie (The Nomad Soul, 1999) – Ever the innovator, the dearly missed Bowie advised on the storyline and design elements of this futuristic adventure game, as well as creating the score and playing two on-screen roles. The game was ahead of its time and continues to enjoy a cult following, while the singer’s son, Duncan Jones, went on to step into the world of gaming with 2016 film Warcraft.

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Chloë Grace Moretz (Dishonoured, 2012) – Aside from appearing as her Hit Girl character in the Kick-Ass spin-off games, Chloë Grace Moretz played a princess in the star-studded action-adventure game that would see her co-star with Lena Headey, Susan Sarandon and Carrie Fisher. It’s an honour not lost on the 23-year-old, who created a YouTube series focusing on female gamers.

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games.
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Ron Perlman (Fallout series) – The Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy actor has enjoyed a long and varied career, but did you know that career included a stint as the narrator of five instalments of the Fallout franchise? Beginning with the ominous “War. War never changes…” He has also been a part of Halo and Call Of Duty, as well as DC and Marvel games, making his video game career almost as varied as his live action career.

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Michelle Rodriguez (Driv3r, COD Black Ops 3) – The kick-ass actor is known for her tough action roles, and has continued that momentum in the console world. In a move similar to Fast and Furious co-star Vin Diesel, she voiced a character in 2004’s Driver 3, while also voicing a marine in Halo 2. Her most recent role was as a Strike Force Soldier in Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2, and she also has the distinction of appearing in Resident Evil, one of the few video game movies that didn’t flop!

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The Top 20 Movie Stars In Video Games.
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Samuel L Jackson (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, 2004) – Not content with appearing in over 120 films (and counting) in his career, Jackson played the antagonist Frank Tenpenny in the seventh title in the GTA series, which sold over 27 million copies. It’s a foul-mouthed but effective portrayal, and a big part of why San Andreas is considered one of the best games in the franchise.

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