Skyrim's Todd Howard: Actors come to us

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 21 April, 2011

"You will all be very impressed."

Video games have penetrated "mass consciousness" to the such an extent that Hollywood actors now approach developers asking to do voice over work.

According to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim developer Todd Howard, agents now encourage their clients to work on video games - whereas before they weren't considered "cool" enough.

"Video gaming overall have reached this level of mass consciousness," he said last week at Bethesda's video game showcase.

"And with a lot of these actors, there is a cool factor now to doing a video game. It's not about the money. It's about, 'It's really cool and my agent tells me it's going to be good for me now instead of bad for me.'

"You had an actor say, 'This is great! I want to do it.' The agent said, 'You don't want to be in a video game.' Now the agent goes, 'You should do it. Now everyone plays them. They love them. This is really cool. Let's do it.'

"I notice a lot more people doing it and they come to us."

Bethesda has form when it comes to working with high-profile actors.

Skyrim predecessor Oblivion featured the voices of Patrick Stewart, Lynda Carter, Sean Bean, Terence Stamp, Ralph Cosham and Wes Johnson.

Post-apocalyptic role-playing game Fallout 3 listed Liam Neeson, Ron Perlman and Malcolm McDowell on its VO credit sheet.

"We've been lucky with the game's I've done in particular, where you can say, 'Liam Neeson would be the perfect father, what are the chances?' And he says yes," Howard continued.

"We're fortunate in the games we make and how they're thought of in the industry that actors want to do them a little bit more, honestly."

Now, with Skyrim, Howard promised fans an equally eye-catching cast.

"We've Max von Sydow [Skyrim's narrator], but he is not the only one.

"I think you all will be very impressed. It's not just to put some name for marketing. It's, this person would be great."

Tom saw the game and reported his impressions in Eurogamer's TESV: Skyrim preview.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (37) Latest comment 1 year ago

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  • uknortherner2000 #1 1 year ago

    Hmm... I don't think people were complaining about the quality of the voice acting, but rather the lack of variety of it - only three or four actors for nearly 100 NPCs in Oblivion, and the beggars not even getting a complete voice set.

  • Golgo #2 1 year ago

    Max von Sydow? Oh yes. Please, please just keep Malcolm MacDowell away from the game, unless you want to inflict death-by-ham on the player.

  • StolenGlory #3 1 year ago

    @golgo

    I would much rather have his MacDowell and his ilk than the same three people recycled over and over between the thousands of NPC's.

  • TheEarlOfZinger #4 1 year ago

    I'll echo:

    I'd rather they spent the money on more good, unknown voice actors then we can have a greater variety of voice types of the NPCs

  • Golgo #5 1 year ago

    @Stolenglory: cheaply recycled low-grade actors aren't ideal. But neither is the 'ilk' of MacDowel: i.e., the overpaid and OTT theatrical ham.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #6 1 year ago

    I hope they have a bit more theatrics in the speech segments as well, talking to people nose to nose while there body seems to have been incapacitated from the neck down isn't very immersive.

  • frankfurter209 #7 1 year ago

    It bears worth repeating (yet again): Games do not need validation from Hollywood and celebrities. We should not be grateful that some washed up actor like Sean Bean is willing to perform in a popular game.

    And most high-profile names only distract rather than enhance the experience. You think, "Hey that's Samuel L. Jackson!" and it removes you from the immersion. Bioshocks flawless voiceovers were delivered entirely by no-names. The Wire likewise has better acting than just about anything else seen on TV without a single marquee name to it.
    Edited by frankfurter209 at 21/04/11 @ 11:16

  • CaLeDee #8 1 year ago

    It's McDowell, not MacDowell. I think he was fine in Killzone 3. Anyway it's good to hear that actors are getting past the stereotype that games are only for geeks and basement dwellers.

  • Markusdragon #9 1 year ago

    I like the hams. There's nothing wrong with a massive ham voicing a larger-than-life character.

  • X201 #10 1 year ago

    "Oblivion featured the voices of Patrick Stewart, Lynda Carter, Sean Bean, Terence Stamp, Ralph Cosham and Wes Johnson; although lowly paid voice actors Fred and Doris were responsible for the voices of the other 5000 inhabitants of Cyrodiil"

    Fixed!

  • Augmentation #11 1 year ago

    Billy West would (rightfully) have something to say against this. I tend to agree with Billy about his stance on non-voice actors doing voice work, too.

    I just want to know if the main Hollywood star is going to be in-game for longer than about 15 minutes in total.

  • TheSnotGoblin #12 1 year ago

    Sean Bean is washed up now?

  • TheEarlOfZinger #13 1 year ago

    I agree with frankfurter209.

    His/her comments regarding the wire and bioshock are spot on.

  • Golgo #14 1 year ago

    Thanks for the valuable name-spelling correction, CaleDe. Are you a teachist?

  • StolenGlory #15 1 year ago

    @Golgo

    I guess just some good old fashioned variety would be nice in the VA; regardless of who provides it.

    "We should not be grateful that some washed up actor like Sean Bean is willing to perform in a popular game."

    Washed up? Game of Thrones says 'Hi!'.
    Edited by StolenGlory at 21/04/11 @ 12:05

  • MaybeLater #16 1 year ago

    Sean Bean must be the most prolific voice actor in all the history of voice acting. Still holding out for a 'Sharpe' game. One of these days...

  • YoungPayters #17 1 year ago

    u can really hear the difference of quality in voice acting though. just wish they were more up for it than the current bunch. bring back liam neeson!!

  • agparrot #18 1 year ago

    I may well be very impressed eventually, but to be told at this stage by Todd Howard that I WILL be impressed, sort of rubs me up the wrong way. Make it good, and let me make my own mind up about it, especially given the already mentioned here dichotomy regarding the Oblivion voice talent.

  • CaLeDee #19 1 year ago

    @Golgo, no. He just happens to have the same surname as me so it feels like someone is getting my name wrong when they get his name wrong. I am terribly biased, that's all.

  • Rack #20 1 year ago

    Actors? I would be impressed at that...
    Edited by Rack at 21/04/11 @ 12:53

  • Genome #21 1 year ago

    Considering that it takes place among mountains, I suggest BRIAN BLESSED. After all, BRIAN BLESSED loves mountaineering.

    (I wonder how many negs I'll get from people who don't understand the BRIAN BLESSED gag?)

  • FTM #22 1 year ago

    BRIAN BLESSED loves beer as well

    make him a drunk town crier

    or a king

  • TheEarlOfZinger #23 1 year ago

    Brian Blessed would be fucking awesome.

  • Silvergun-Blue #24 1 year ago

    The idea of BRIAN BLESSED bellowing at me in Skyrim is disturbingly appealing.

    Although I doubt my surround system can take that sort of punishment!

  • CaptainBinky #25 1 year ago

    @MaybeLater: Sean Bean is probably just pleased to be in anything nowadays where his character doesn't get horribly killed within the first act ;)

  • andy10 #26 1 year ago

    Wes: Sorry to be pedantic, but you've got a stray apostrophe ("We've been lucky with the game's I've done in particular...";).

    I'd agree with those who say big-name talent is largely irrelevant to the gaming experience - it's the quality of the voice-acting that ultimately matters. However, if the involvement of Hollywood A-listers is lending the medium some legitimacy, then great.
    Edited by andy10 at 21/04/11 @ 14:18

  • Golgo #27 1 year ago

    "However, if the involvement of Hollywood A-listers is lending the medium some legitimacy, then great."

    Why would gaming need to be lent legitimacy by association with an industry that it outstrips both in terms of revenue and, as far as I'm concerned at least, artistically as well? The legitimacy is being accrued the other way around, I think, hence the desperate actor-stampede Howard mentions.

  • jonfon #28 1 year ago

    Oh we've had the BRIAN BLESSED suggestion then? Darn, I'm too late.

    More surreal moment of the last few weeks was hearing him SHOUTING from the TV one Saturday morning at 8am on Nick Junior.

    Turns out he's a semi-regular on Peppa Pig now (whomever though of that is a genius)

  • Kaminari #29 1 year ago

    "For the billionth time... I accept. I have NO CHOICE."

  • gstaff #30 1 year ago

    @gamesprogrammer -- Matt from Bethesda here. Yes, that's been addressed in the game. See here

    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-04-18-the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-preview?page=2
    ]http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-0...[/link]

    "There's a new conversation system in Skyrim. You still listen to someone and then choose options from a list, but the selections are nicely arranged and you can look around the shop while you listen, rather than staring intently into each other's eyes in the tunnel-vision fashion of Fallout. (There's no persuasion wheel, although a speech skill remains.)"
    Edited by gstaff at 21/04/11 @ 16:40

  • Dr_Wadd #31 1 year ago

    I always assumed that Lynda Carter was doing these as a favour for her husband. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she turned up in Skyrim again.

  • Caimbeul #32 1 year ago

    Get Patrick Stewart and Terrence Stamp back on board.

    Also Jeremy Irons would be cool + Vin Deisel and maybe sam Niel.

  • Dannyboy1100 #33 1 year ago

    Oblivion had sean bean O.o

    Awesome

  • intpleeus #34 1 year ago

    Now if only we could say the same thing of writers.

  • RandomTerrain #35 1 year ago

    I hope they don't go too mad with the celebrities. If one of the main characters is a famous actor, then I tend to find it's nowhere near as immersive. I'd like to see one common guard being different to the next common guard. One can be snotty and arrogant, the next kind and helpful, although of course differences can be more subtle than that. Maybe I'm asking too much I don't know. I realise it's a lot to ask for such a big world.

    Fallout 3 was much improved over Oblivion I found. People seemed to have a lot more emotion when they spoke and appeared more real. So I'm hoping this is more so. The less recycling of speech between different characters the better. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to it. :o)

  • Phishfood #36 1 year ago

    Oprah should be the final boss

  • Unnstopable #37 1 year ago

    11.11.11 seems very far away.