Skip to main content

Long read: How TikTok's most intriguing geolocator makes a story out of a game

Where in the world is Josemonkey?

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Starfield's Sam Coe and Andreja actors recorded lines for the player character

Waxing lyrical.

Sam Coe in Starfield. He is wearing a western-style cowboy hat and a jacket with padding in the shoulders
Image credit: Bethesda

Starfield's protagonist is silent, but that wasn't always the case. Sam Coe's voice actor Elias Toufexis has revealed he recorded lines as the voice of the male lead, while Cissy Jones did so as the game's female protagonist.

In a recent post on X, formerly Twitter, Toufexis said both he and Jones "worked for months" providing dialogue for the main player character.

But, as we all know to be the case, Bethesda ultimately decided Starfield's protagonist should remain silent.

Starfield gameplay.Watch on YouTube

In a welcome turn of events, rather than simply thanking the actors for their time and sending them both on their way, Bethesda instead gave Toufexis and Jones the roles of Sam Coe and Andreja.

Applauding the studio's decision to keep the actors as part of the game, Toufexis wrote: "Games NEVER do this. Once you're out you're out. Good on Bethesda."

In a follow up, the actor stated they will "always work with Bethesda" because of the studio's decision to keep him and Jones employed. "Top tier respect," Toufexis wrote.

Toufexis went on to add that "the player efforts are still mine" meaning the huffs and grunts you might hear from your character. This means that when players are "jumping around with Sam", both characters are making the same noises. So, something to listen out for.

Elsewhere in Starfield news, the game's Steam Beta is now live. This beta will allow players to have a whirl at the upcoming update ahead of other PC and Xbox users.

You can find opt-in details for this Beta, which includes the long-awaited Nvidia DLSS support and the ability to ingest food when it is found in the environment, via the post below.

For more on Starfield, Liv Ngan recently spoke with a group of modders trying to fix the game - something Bethesda isn't making all that easy to do.

Read this next