17 Video Games Featuring Famous Actors

Gamers and non-gamers alike can agree that the modern video game has become a true art form, especially when it comes to voiceover work. Casting celebrities as video game voice actors has become increasingly popular in the medium over the past few years; you might be surprised to hear the familiar tones of some of your favorite A-listers in games ranging from shoot-’em-ups to long-form interactive stories. From big-budget to indie titles, here are 15 video games featuring voiceover work by major actors, musicians, and comedians.

1. “The Artful Escape”

Indie media company Annapurna Interactive is the publisher behind this 2021 game, so it’s no surprise it was able to pull in some big names for the project. Developed by Beethoven & Dinosaur, the story follows a small-town teen who goes on a psychedelic trip to outer space, where he realizes his dreams of becoming an interstellar glam rocker. The wonderfully trippy game features Carl Weathers, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Strong, and Lena Headey (aka Cersei Lannister) as, yes, a giant floating head.

2. “Assassin’s Creed”

When she was still filming the original “Veronica Mars,” Kristen Bell began voicing a major character in the long-running “Assassin’s Creed” series. Bell plays Lucy Stillman, a memory researcher who helps the main character access his past lives as various historical assassins.

3. “Beyond: Two Souls”

Game studio Quantum Dream used motion-capture tech to insert lifelike avatars of actors into this PlayStation game, including two Oscar nominees: Elliot Page and Willem Dafoe. Page stars as Jodie Holmes, a hero who has a psychic link to a being with supernatural powers; Dafoe plays a paranormal researcher. “Beyond” was such a big deal that it made its debut at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival.

4. “Cyberpunk 2077”

Keanu Reeves stans lost their collective minds when the “Matrix” star appeared in the 2019 teaser trailer for this hotly anticipated role-playing game. Over 1,000 non-player characters (NPCs) appear in the gritty, futuristic “Cyberpunk: 2077,” but all eyes were on Reeves when he showed up in the game’s teaser trailer as a mysterious man with a robotic arm. How could we not? 

5. “Death Stranding”

This post-apocalyptic action game came out to critical acclaim in late 2019. “Death Stranding” uses motion capture to create photo-realistic likenesses of the celebrities who round out its cast, including Norman “The Walking Dead” Reedus as player character Sam Porter Bridges, plus Léa Seydoux, Mads Mikkelsen, and Margaret Qualley. But the real delight is an absurdist Easter egg featuring Conan O’Brien in hologram form, wearing an otter as a hat.

6. “Dishonored”

Vengeance is the main dish in this 2012 action-adventure game, but the real news is the voice cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Lena Headey, Susan Sarandon, John Slattery, Carrie Fisher, Michael Madsen, and Brad Dourif all made cameos in the post-apocalyptic cityscape of Dunwall. Imagine Princess Leia, Cersei Lannister, Hit-Girl, and Chucky all under one roof.

7. “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim”

The hottest game of 2011 features a sprawling high-fantasy world for players to explore, with plenty of wizards, high elves, dragons, and power-hungry feudal lords. And every so often in your travels, you encounter a beloved celeb: Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Joan Allen, and Michael Hogan (“Battlestar Galactica”) all lent their sonorous voices to “Skyrim.”

8. “Fable III”

The third installment in the “Fable” series has a major one-up on its predecessors (beyond better graphics): It’s packed with big-name actors. The medieval adventure game, about a man attempting to usurp the throne from his wicked brother, features the voices of John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Adjoa Andoh, Michael Fassbender, Naomie Harris, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Kingsley, Simon Pegg, and Zoë Wanamaker.

9. “Fallout: New Vegas”

This 2010 entry in the popular post-apocalyptic series game follows the Courier, a man who’s attempting to carry a package to the city of New Vegas (aka Las Vegas after the nukes drop). Along the way, he meets shady characters voiced by all manner of celebs: Matthew Perry, Ron Perlman, Zachary Levi, Danny Trejo, Felicia Day, Dave Foley, Rob Corddry, Michael Hogan, and yes, Wayne Newton and Kris Kristofferson.

10. “Firewatch”

Indie games are a rich vein for interactive storytelling, so it’s no surprise they’d attract some serious acting talent. “Firewatch,” a 2016 exploration game, features Rich Sommer (“Mad Men,” “GLOW”) as player character Henry, a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness grappling with a sinister mystery as well as his personal demons. 

11. “Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure”

Hip-hop icon RJD2 composed the soundtrack for this game, which centers on Trane, a graffiti artist determined to make a name for himself. Like many other games, this one features a futuristic dystopian city run by a corrupt government. Unlike the others, “Getting Up” features a genuinely diverse cast, including Talib Kweli as Trane, plus Rosario Dawson, Giovanni Ribisi, Brittany Murphy, Adam West, Charlie Murphy, George Hamilton, and Sean “Diddy” Combs.

12. “Grand Theft Auto”

At this point, there are more “Grand Theft Auto” games than there are “Fast & Furious” movies—which is saying something. This big-budget, ultra-violent carjacking franchise has attracted plenty of A-listers since the first installment debuted in the late ’90s, including Samuel L. Jackson, Ricky Gervais, Danny Trejo, Burt Reynolds, David Cross, Phil Collins, Michael Madsen, Dennis Hopper, Ray Liotta, and Cara Delevingne.

13. “The Last of Us: Part II”

When the sequel to the critically acclaimed “The Last of Us” dropped in 2020, it struck close to home with its plot about a deadly pandemic—though this one causes fungus-mutant cannibalism, not COVID-19. The sequel centers on two survivors, Ellie and Abby. And in true sci-fi fan fashion, it also features two actors from HBO’s “Westworld”: Shannon Woodward and Emmy winner Jeffrey Wright. 

14. “Outlaw Golf” and “Outlaw Volleyball”

And now for something completely different: Back when Steve Carrell was a correspondent for “The Daily Show,” but years before his big break on “The Office,” he served as the color commentator in these very odd sports games. “Outlaw Golf” and “Outlaw Volleyball” dropped in the depths of early aughts political incorrectness, as evidenced by the fact that players (in the guise of characters like “the hippie” and “the stripper”) had the option to physically assault their caddy. We’re glad Carrell went on to bigger and better things.

15. “Portal 2”

The “Portal” franchise became equally known for its mind-bending spatial puzzles as it did for its whip-smart sense of humor. 2011’s “Portal 2” sees player character Chell trying to make her way out of an abandoned testing facility with the help of a gun that creates interspatial portals. Along the way, she’s helped (and harmed) by a robot named Wheatley and treated to long-expired announcements from company founder Cave Johnson. They’re voiced by Stephen Merchant and J.K. Simmons, respectively, two kings of dry comedy.

16. “Sleeping Dogs”

Set in modern-day Hong Kong, 2012’s “Sleeping Dogs” follows undercover cop Wei Shen as he attempts to infiltrate an organized crime triad. It also stars some big-name Asian voice talent, including Will Yun Lee (“The Good Doctor”) as Shen, plus Lucy Liu, Yunjim Kim, Robin Shou, James Lew, and Tzi Ma. Oscar-winner Emma Stone and Oscar nominee Tom Wilkinson lend their pipes to the game, too.

17. “True Crime: Streets of LA”

One of the early entries into the open-world video game genre, 2003’s “True Crime: Streets of LA,” sees LAPD officer Nicholas Kang trying to uncover the person responsible for a string of bombings in Chinatown. Though the graphics look shoddy by today’s standards, the voice cast does not disappoint. Future “Westworld” star Russell Wong stars as Nicholas; Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Madsen, Ron Perlman, and Mako also bring their talents to the crime thriller.