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

You might not expect one of the world’s best-known video game actors to suffer from imposter syndrome.
But, as Troy Baker will tell you, no-one’s immune.
His most famous role is Joel Miller, the main character of post-apocalyptic adventure The Last of Us – a game regularly praised for its storytelling and performances.
He’s also appeared in celebrated series including Bioshock, Uncharted and Batman: Arkham.
But stepping into the lead role of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was a different matter.
Troy says taking on the character made famous by Oscar nominee Harrison Ford was daunting, even for him.
“I turned it down,” he tells BBC Newsbeat, thinking back to when he was first offered the job.
“I was scared. I felt the weight of what this character meant.”
Troy says the performance capture team at developer MachineGames convinced him to change his mind, but there was one more person he had to win over.
Todd Howard, the boss of publisher Bethesda, had long dreamed of making an Indiana Jones game and oversaw the project.
But, Troy says, he “rolled his eyes” when the actor was first put forward.
Howard felt it would ruin the experience for players so used to hearing him.
“I never thought that my success would actually work against me,” says Troy.
Rather than walk into the role, Troy says, he had to audition with dozens of others.
It eventually came down to him and and one other actor. The decision was left to a test audience and a “blind taste test” where they had to choose the performance they preferred.
“Todd Howard said they picked you every time,” Troy says.
“And I thought that was a compliment.
“He was like: ‘No, it’s a challenge. That’s the standard’.”