How one of gaming's best-known actors took on one of film's biggest roles

Troy Baker is a prominent voice actor in the gaming industry, boasting an impressive portfolio of over 400 acting credits. He is best known for his role as Joel Miller in the critically acclaimed video game The Last of Us, which has garnered praise for its compelling storytelling and outstanding performances. In addition to this iconic role, Troy has lent his voice to various beloved characters in popular franchises such as Bioshock, Uncharted, and Batman: Arkham. Recently, he faced a significant challenge by stepping into the shoes of Indiana Jones in the upcoming video game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. This role is particularly noteworthy as Indiana Jones is a character famously portrayed by the Oscar-nominated actor Harrison Ford. Troy admitted that taking on such a legendary character was intimidating, stating, 'I turned it down. I was scared. I felt the weight of what this character meant. ' Despite his initial hesitation, the performance capture team at MachineGames, the studio developing the game, encouraged him to reconsider. However, there was still one more hurdle to overcome. Todd Howard, the head of Bethesda, the game's publisher, had long dreamed of creating an Indiana Jones game and was initially skeptical about Troy's casting. He expressed concern that Troy's previous success might not align with the expectations of players who were accustomed to hearing Harrison Ford's voice. Troy reflected on this, saying, 'I never thought that my success would actually work against me. ' Instead of being handed the role, Troy had to audition alongside numerous other actors. Ultimately, it came down to him and one other candidate, with the final decision resting on a test audience's preference. Troy was pleased to learn that he was consistently chosen, but Todd reminded him that this was a challenge to meet the high standards set by the audience. 'Todd Howard said they picked you every time,' Troy recounted. 'And I thought that was a compliment. He was like: 'No, it's a challenge. That's the standard. ' The anticipation surrounding Indiana Jones's return to video games is palpable, especially since it has been over 15 years since the last installment. Bethesda's parent company, Zenimax, was acquired by Microsoft in 2020, and they are hopeful that this new game will be a major success. Troy shared that the production of the game was lavish, with teams constructing realistic representations of boats, airships, and various locations on expansive motion-capture stages. This level of detail is crucial, as the game needs to perform well to recoup its production costs. Initially, the game will be available on Xbox and PC, with plans to release it on the rival platform PlayStation 5. This decision sparked frustration among Xbox fans, who felt that the game should remain exclusive to their platform. However, Axel Torvenius, the creative director at MachineGames, expressed his satisfaction with the game's wider availability. He emphasized that the team's primary goal was to create an adventure that felt authentic to the Indiana Jones legacy. Unlike other games where characters rely heavily on firearms, Indiana Jones is known for his cleverness and problem-solving skills. The game will feature a first-person perspective, allowing players to immerse themselves in the experience and truly feel like they are Indiana Jones. Axel explained, 'We've been trying to make you feel like Indiana Jones, like literally stepping into his shoes and seeing the world through his eyes. ' Marios Gavrilis, who voices the game's antagonist Voss, also shared his journey in landing the role. While he has experience in video games, this marks one of his first opportunities to be part of an original cast. He noted that many people often overlook the fact that voice acting in video games involves much more than just providing a voice. 'What we're actually doing is full-on acting,' Marios stated. 'It's the entire body, it's the entire performance that's being captured. ' Early feedback on the game's performances has been positive, which is a relief for Troy, who initially worried about being dismissed after Todd's early skepticism. However, an encouraging email from Todd during the recording process helped ease his concerns. 'He said: 'You're doing a hell of a job,' and I was like: 'You have no idea how much I needed to hear that right now. ' Troy is eager to experience the game as a player, looking forward to the moment when he can pick up the controller and immerse himself in the role of Indiana Jones. He expressed, 'If you get to the end of the game and you feel like 'I was Indiana Jones', then I've done my job.