Oscar Winners' Early Careers in Video Games Revealed
The 98th Academy Awards celebrated cinematic excellence, but two of its biggest winners have surprising backgrounds in the video game industry. Jessie Buckley, who won Best Actress for her role in Hamnet, and Michael B. Jordan, who took home Best Actor for Sinners, both have notable gaming credits that predate their Oscar successes.
Jessie Buckley's Gaming Role with Supermassive Games
Jessie Buckley, the Irish star, previously starred in the 2022 interactive horror game The Devil In Me as Kate Wilder, a role for which she provided both voice acting and motion capture. Following her Oscar win, Supermassive Games, the developer behind the game, congratulated her on social media, highlighting her connection to their Dark Pictures Anthology series. The studio noted that Buckley's award season has been remarkable, as she also collected Best Actress honors at the BAFTAs, Critics' Choice Awards, Golden Globes, and Actor Awards.
Supermassive Games has a history of attracting Hollywood talent, with previous projects featuring actors like Rami Malek in Until Dawn and Will Poulter, Ashley Tisdale, and Shawn Ashmore in other titles. Buckley's win marks another Oscar winner associated with the studio, following Malek's Best Actor victory in 2018 for Bohemian Rhapsody.
Michael B. Jordan's Extensive Gaming Portfolio
Michael B. Jordan, on the other hand, has an even more extensive gaming background. He voiced Jace Stratton in the 2011 title Gears Of War 3 and has appeared in multiple other games, including NBA 2K17, the virtual reality horror game Wilson's Heart, and Creed: Rise To Glory, a VR game based on his role in the Rocky franchise.
In interviews, Jordan has expressed a lifelong passion for video games, particularly first-person shooters. He fondly recalled playing classics like Doom on PC and GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64 during his youth. His involvement in gaming extends beyond acting; in 2020, he invested in the Call of Duty esports team the New York Subliners, which has since rebranded to Cloud9 New York.
The Growing Trend of Actors in Video Games
This trend of high-profile actors taking on video game roles is not new but has accelerated over the past decade. Notable examples include:
- Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077
- Elliot Page in Beyond: Two Souls
- Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen in Death Stranding
These collaborations highlight the blurring lines between Hollywood and the gaming industry, with games offering actors new creative avenues and immersive storytelling opportunities. As video games continue to gain cultural prominence, it's likely that more Oscar-caliber talent will explore roles in this medium, further solidifying the connection between these two entertainment powerhouses.
The successes of Buckley and Jordan underscore how video game roles can serve as valuable stepping stones in an actor's career, providing experience in performance capture and voice work that translates well to film. With gaming becoming an increasingly respected art form, such crossovers are expected to become even more common in the years to come.
