Summary
- Ron Perlman narrates Fallout Games, voicing the consistent theme of greed.
- Notable actors like Jason Mewes, Pamela Adlon, and Tony Shalhoub have voiced characters in Fallout games.
- Fallout: New Vegas featured Matthew Perry and Liam Neeson, with Perry voicing Benny and Neeson voicing the protagonist's father, James.
The post-apocalyptic Fallout franchise details a world ravaged by a war between China and America, which ended with a nuclear holocaust. Many of its games feature a narrator who tells the player that "war never changes." This deep-voiced monologue is about how greed is a consistent motivator for devastating conflicts. It is narrated by Ron Perlman, a famous actor known for frequently collaborating with Guillermo Del Toro, appearing in films such as Cronos (1992), the Hellboy duology (2004-2008), and Pinocchio (2022), among many others. He has appeared in seven Fallout games, nearly always as the narrator.
Although Perlman is perhaps the most famous actor to consistently appear in the Fallout series, he is one of many when it comes to those who have lent their voice to the series over the years. Though the series is now popular enough to have a show that itself includes a number of notable names, the games also include a number of renowned actors among their cast. Here are six recognizable performers you might not have known were in the Fallout series.
Which Fallout Game Has The Best Protagonist?
The Fallout franchise is one of Bethesda's major hits. The games all have some amazing protagonists that players can play and truly learn a lot about them. Each of the protagonists from these games has amazing stories and have their own abilities and talents. I think that The Chosen One from Fallout 2 is the best in terms of strength. However, if looking in terms of who they are, I prefer Nora, The Lone Wanderer, from Fallout 4.
6 Jason Mewes
Mordecai "Mort" McCoy in Fallout 76: Wastelanders Update (2020)
Jason Mewes is a close friend and frequent collaborator of filmmaker Kevin Smith. The duo performs in many of Smith's films, such as Clerks (1994) and Mallrats (1995), typically playing the comedic pair, Jay and Silent Bob. Mewes plays Jay, the more talkative member of the two with a penchant for blatantly offensive behavior. Outside his work with Smith, Mewes has an assortment of appearances in various films and television shows.
Overall, though, being a ghoul, mixed bag. Can't say I'd recommend it as a lifestyle choice.
Mewes voiced the raspy ghoul, Mort, in the Fallout 76 update Wastelanders. Mort is a patron at the Wayward bar in Appalachia. Despite his somewhat goofy demeanor, he is capable of being genuinely helpful towards 76's vault dwellers. His knowledge of subjects such as C.A.M.Ps can be useful for players. He is even helpful to others at the Wayward, as his Ghoul physiology allows him to access irradiated areas that most humans cannot.
5 Pamela Adlon
Nicole in Fallout (1997)
Pamela Adlon is an actress who has appeared in films such as S ay Anything... (1989) and Holler (2020), among others. She is arguably more well known for her voice acting, making use of her distinctive voice to bring iconic characters such as Bobby Hill from King of the Hill (1997-2010) to life. Adlon's voice was also featured in the first-ever Fallout game, which debuted the same year.
Morpheus is the leader of the Children of the Cathedral. He is evil, and that fact must be exposed.
In Fallout, Adlon voices Nicole, the leader of the humanitarian organization, Followers of the Apocalypse. Nicole desires to restore peace to the world in a non-violent way. Her aspirations cause her to be in opposition to the Children of the Cathedral, a cult run by The Master, the game's main antagonist, that disguises itself as a benevolent religious organization.
Fallout is far from the only video game Adlon has lent her voice to, having appeared in others such as the Pajama Sam series (1996-2003), where she often voiced the main character.
4 Tony Shalhoub
Aradesh in Fallout (1997)
Tony Shalhoub is an actor best known for portraying the titular detective in Monk (2002-2009), as well as major roles in Wings (1990-1997) and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023). In addition to his television work, he has also appeared in many plays, films, and voice-acting roles.
Ummm, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Please talk to Razlo. He possesses far more information on these creatures than I.
Shalhoub's first video game role was Aradesh, the leader of the New California settlement known as Shady Sands. Aradesh is a respected leader who focuses on his community, maintaining a largely isolationist policy. However, after being aided twice by The Vault Dweller, the avatar character in Fallout, he changes his point of view. Alongside his daughter Tandi, he later helps form the New California Republic (NCR), which persists as a major organization in later Fallout games. Outside of Fallout, Shalhoub has lent his voice to video games revolving around the Cars series, reprising his role from the films as Luigi.
3 Matthew Perry
Benny in Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
The late Matthew Perry achieved international fame with his role as Chandler Bing in the long-running sitcom, Friends (1994-2004). Perry also had leading roles in comedic films such as Fools Rush In (1997) and The Whole Nine Yards (2000). Unlike the majority of Fallout performers, Perry did little voice acting before or since his appearance in the game. However, Perry made his love for the series known during a guest appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where he gifted an Xbox containing a copy of Fallout 3. It was this appearance that led to him voicing Benny in Fallout: New Vegas.
It's a game, and games have winners and losers. I prefer the former, how about you?
Benny is the traitorous right-hand man of Mr. House, the reclusive ruler of New Vegas. Benny encounters Courier Six, the protagonist of New Vegas, fairly early into the game. He ambushes the courier and has them shot in the head twice, stealing the platinum chip they were to deliver, and leaving them for dead. Benny is the leader of the Chairmen, one of the Three Families, who control the New Vegas Strip. His ambitious nature leads to him having a hard time staying out of trouble. His mannerisms are believed to be inspired by Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, a mobster similarly credited with helping develop the Las Vegas Strip. After his recent passing, Perry was not only mourned by fans of his appearances on television and film but also by those who knew him from New Vegas.
2 Malcolm McDowell
John Henry Eden in Fallout 3 (2008)
English actor Malcolm McDowell broke through with his appearance as Alex DeLarge in the heavily acclaimed film, A Clockwork Orange (1971). He has acted since the 1960s up to the present day. Since the 1980s, McDowell has also had a prolific voice acting career. He voices the antagonistic President John Henry Eden in Fallout 3.
I am President John Henry Eden, and this is my pledge -- no one, NO ONE will take this great nation away from me!
Eden heads the Enclave, a paramilitary organization dedicated to establishing fascistic control over the Wasteland and effectively marginalizing all non-members. Their membership consists of influential pre-war American individuals, described as the rich who refused to give up their power. Eden, however, is not a human being, but an advanced, self-aware AI, with a personality influenced by an incomprehensible amalgamation of previous presidents. Despite its advanced nature, there are various means The Lone Wanderer can use to convince Eden to self-destruct.
1 Liam Neeson
James in Fallout 3 (2008)
Irish actor Liam Neeson is a well-known performer, who first broke through as Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993). Other widely known roles of his include Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) and Bryan Mills in the T aken trilogy (2008-2014). He has also worked with celebrated directors such as Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, and the Coen brothers.
In addition to his film and television work, Neeson has a few video game credits to his name. These tend to typically revolve around characters he played in films, such as Henri Ducard in Batman Begins (2005) and Good Cop/ Bad Cop in The Lego Movie (2014). However, Fallout 3 gave Neeson an entirely new character to originate in the game.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
James is the father of The Lone Wanderer, Fallout 3's avatar character, often given the display name of "Dad." James led Project Purity, a project intended to create a water purifier, that would decontaminate sealed-off irradiated water and make the essential resource more common. After the birth of his child, as well as his wife's death from related complications, James decided to put his child first. He moved to a vault, where he worked as a physician and focused on raising his child. However, James eventually sought to leave the vault. He hoped his child would be safe, but they saw fit to follow him. Although the player can eventually save James, he is later killed in a confrontation with the Enclave, who seek to use his purifier to consolidate their power.
- Video Game(s)
- Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Fallout Shelter, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel
- Creation Year
- 1997
- Developer(s)
- Interplay, Black Isle Studios, Bethesda, Obsidian Entertainment, Micro Forté
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