As a writer, I can say that fictional characters are usually based on real-life people. The same goes for video game characters. Have you ever played a video game on your gaming PC or console and wondered why it looked like someone you have seen before? Well, believe it or not, they actually are. Meet some of the popular video game characters that are modeled after celebrities:
Ellen Page as Jodie Holmes from Beyond: Two Souls
The troubled young woman Jodie Holmes from Beyond: Two Souls was modeled after Canadian actress Ellen Page. She was handpicked by Director David Cage for the supernatural thriller game. During the development, Page underwent through a lot to have Jodie Holmes completely modeled after her. Page used motion capture technology for the character’s movement and lends her voice as well to bring life to the character we all now know as Jodie Holmes.
Andy Serkis as King Bohan from Heavenly Sword
We all know Andy Serkis for giving life to famous movie characters such as Gollum from the LOTR series and Caesar from The Planet of the Apes. No doubt, he’s a pro in using motion capture technology. Ninja Theory just knew he would be the ideal actor to give life to the game’s main antagonist and tyrannical ruler, King Bohan. And those who played the game will definitely attest to the fact that no other actor suits the role perfectly.
Camilla Luddington as Lara Croft from Tomb Raider
It took the gaming world by storm when Crystal Dynamics announced the complete redesign of Lara Croft. In June 2012, Crystal Dynamics revealed the actress that would voice and motion capture Lara Croft in the reboot game, Camilla Luddington. She initially went into an audition for a project that was called “Krypted” for a character named Sara. Later on, it was revealed to her that it was actually a project for the Lara Croft reboot game.
Tim Phillipps as Dante from Devil May Cry
Similar to Tomb Raider, the video game Devil May Cry was announced to have a reboot. It was released in 2013 featuring a younger Dante who partnered with his twin brother Vergil to kill the Demon King Mundus, the one responsible for their mother’s death. Unbeknownst to many, the inspiration for Dante and Vergil’s facial appearance was modeled after the voice actor of Dante, Tim Phillips. He also provides the motion capture for Dante in the game. Phillips has starred in ABC’s Once Upon a Time as Prince Thomas.
Johnny Knoxville as Nathan Drake from Uncharted
In an interview with IGN, Uncharted’s Lead Designer Richard Lemarchand said that the main protagonist of the game Nathan Drake was actually based on fearless Jackass star, Johnny Knoxville. He also revealed that he also mixed a bit of Harrison Ford and Bruce Willis with Knoxville to get Drake’s face. If you’re going to ask me, with Drake’s action-pro characteristic, there is no better guy than Johnny Knoxville to inspire his creation.