Nowadays, actualactorshave become so commonplace in video game franchises that some even go so far as modeling the characters from their likenesses. For example,Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhandblew gamers away with his effortless cool inCyberpunk 2077, whileDeath Strandingfeatured visually stunning performances from Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, and Margaret Qualley.
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But long before actors started to share their talents in video game form, many fictional characters were already showcasing their acting chops. From unsuspecting fighters inMortal KombatandStreet FightertoPokemongym leaders, there are many characters with anin-game profession as actorsthat players may have been unaware of.
9Johnny Cage (Mortal Kombat)
One ofMortal Kombat’s most popular characters,Johnny Cage is a martial artist and action film starmodeled after Jean-Claude Van Damme perYouTuber The4thSnake. Paying homage to Damme’s character from the movieBloodsport, Johnny entered the Mortal Kombat tournament to restart his failing Hollywood career.
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Johnny aimed to prove his naysayers wrong; the former Hollywood actor shows off his incredible fighting and martial arts skills in the tournament and quickly becomes one of its most accomplished fighters thanks to his mastery of Jeet Kune Do, Shinto-Ryu, and Shorin-Ryu Karate.
8Brycen (Pokemon Black & White)
Brycen isan Ice-type gym leaderintroduced inPokemon BlackandWhite. Before taking on Icirrus Gym, Brycen was an actor. But following an injury he sustained while filming an action movie, he had to retire. It wasn’t until Alder, the Champion of Unova, suggested he become a trainer that Brycen decided to begin his journey to become a gym leader with a team composed of Vanillish, Cryogonal, and Beartic.
OnceTeam Plasma is defeated, Brycen comes out of retirement, and byPokemon Black 2andWhite 2, he’s no longer a gym leader. Instead, Brycen has decided to continue acting. He appears at the Pokestar Studios, where he can be found performing in series likeBrycen-Manand theFull Metal Copseries.
7Al Di Napoli (Grand Theft Auto 4 & 5)
First introduced inGrand Theft Auto: The Ballad Of Gay Tonyand reappearing inGrand Theft Auto V, Al Di Napoli is an Italian-American film and theatre actor. He’s most known for starring in the Dreyfuss Productions filmThe Redeemer, one of the many films that earned him a spot onthe Vinewood Walk of Fame.Judging by his name, he seems to be an homage to Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, with a little Sylvester Stallone thrown in for his choice of movie roles.
InThe Ballad Of Gay Tony, players pick Al Di Napoli up during one of the “Club Management” missions which ends with an escape from a police ambush after a drug deal gone wrong. InGTA V, the actor is a target of the celebrity-obsessed couple, Nigel and Mrs. Thornhill. They employ Trevor Phillips to kidnap him, and he is later given a choice to release or kill him (the latter will result in a gold medal for the mission).
6Fei Long (Street Fighter)
Fei Long is an action film star and martial artistfrom Hong Kong who debuted inSuper Street Fighter II.Fei enters the Street Fighter competition to test his skills and is an obvious homage to Bruce Lee, as noted byYouTuber The4thSnake. Fei’s moveset includes the one-inch punch and oblique kick, both popularized by Lee.
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Fei also carries some of Lee’s mannerisms, like the nose flick and battle cries, and donning some of his most iconic outfits, like the shirtless outfit inEnter The Dragonwith additional claw-like scratch marks. In Chinese, Fei’s name translates to “flying dragon”, with two characters of Lee’s Chinese screen name translating to “little dragon.”
5Diantha (Pokemon X & Y)
InPokemon XandY, players are introduced to the renowned actress Diantha. She is the Champion of the Kalos region’s Pokemon League and the only character to have the trainer class Grand Duchess – the highest rank for females in the Battle Chateau. In both the Pokemon League and the Battle Chateau, she uses a rather theatrical team composed of Hawlucha, Tyrantrum, Aurorus, Gourgeist, Goodra, and Gardevoir.
References to Diantha’s second profession as an actress appears in the anime, with a poster for her movieMy Sweet, Sweet Ladyseen in the episode “The Bonds Of Evolution!”. Diantha can also be seen on a billboard on the Prism Tower stage inSuper Smash Bros.for the Nintendo 3DS.
Zip Toad is a movie star that players meet during Chapter 6 ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Dooron the Excess Express. While helping the penguin detective Pennington investigate mysteries on the train, players come across Zip Toad in one of the carriages. But the twist is that when he’s first encountered, Zip Toad is actually the shape-shifting Doopliss in disguise.
The real Zip Toad sends Mario an email later in the game, revealing that he’s about to film his next movie. “See, when you get to be as big a star as Zip Toad, these sorts of things happen all the time. It’s the biz,” he writes, referring to Doopliss’ disguise. “So, as for me, I’m headed to Toad Town to film my next leading role: The soon-to-be hit filmOn Golden Toad 2. It’ll be huge.” His last wasThe Toad Warrior, likely a spin onMad Max 2: The Road Warrior.
3Annie (Skullgirls)
The 2D fighting gameSkullgirlsrevolves around the “Skull Heart,” an object that grants wishes to those who hold it. But if someone with an impure soul conjures a wish, it will transform them into what is known as a “Skull Girl.” There are various characters on the roster, each with unique personalities, quirks, professions, and backstories.
One such character is Annie, a television actress who exclaims, “Lights! Camera! Me!” when selected, with additional lines in battle like “Hey! Get off the set!” and “That wasn’t in the contract!”Annie stars in the showAnnie of the Stars, the set of which is available to use as a stage for fighting. It features a forest backdrop, with cast and crew behind and beside, including Parasoul, Beowulf, and Peacock.
2Leonora Johnson (Grand Theft Auto 5)
Fictional actress Leonora Johnson doesn’t physically appear inGrand Theft Auto V. Instead, she’s become one of Vinewood’s many mysteries. Leonora was found brutally murdered near the Land Act Dam in 1975, and her unsolved case has captivated true-crime fans across the internet. Described as the “great unsolved murder of the 20th century” on the in-game website whokilledleonorajohnson.com, it eventually falls to Franklin Clinton to discover Leonora’s murderer – director Peter Dreyfuss.
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After collecting fifty pieces of his confession letter during the mission “A Starlet In Vinewood,” Clinton confronts Dreyfuss, and either has the option to let him go or kill him. In the confession letter, Dreyfuss says he killed Leonora to understand the art of “suffering and how I can represent it best as an artist.”
1Zidane Tribal (Final Fantasy 9)
The protagonist ofFinal Fantasy 9, Zidane Tribal is part of the Tantalus Theater Troupe – a group of thieves who cover their occupation by performing as theater actors. Zidane and his allies use their performances as an elaborate ruse to trick audiences while they steal and pull off jobs.
Zidane joined the group when he was four years old, raised by its leader Baku, who founded the troupe in 1771. InFinal Fantasy 9, the game follows Zidane and the troupe as they attempt to kidnap Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, the Princess of Alexandria, on the planet Gaia.
