Best Black Celebrity Video Game Voice Acting Roles

The new age of gaming has gone in the big-budget blockbuster route when it comes to gameplay, graphics and choosing an ensemble cast of voice actors.

The new 007 First Light game feels every bit like a Hollywood premiere, complete with rock legend Lenny Kravitz joining the cast to voice main antagonist, Bawma.

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Not too long after the game was first announced last December, Kravitz sat with IGN to give some insight into what it was like channeling a villain as one of the most beloved musicians on the planet. He tells the outlet, “I’ve met some folks that are… similar to his character. I grew up in the Bahamas as well as New York City and there were guys who had [Bawma’s] vibe and were doing similar things in the islands.” In reference to locking down on the voice acting, he adds, “It took a moment, but eventually we found the sweet spot.”

Of course, it got us thinking about the many other celebrities of our culture who also brought their cinematic prowess to the console world. Many of them went all out by not just lending their voices but also scanning their full likeness. The results are uncanny in every detail, giving the cutscenes between gaming way more emphasis from a viewing perspective. With graphics steadily increasing and more stars lookin for their next big franchise, we could be seeing a future where interactive cinematography becomes the norm.

Take a look below at a BLERD ALERT! breakdown of our favorite Black celebrities who voiced characters in video games:

Keith David as Captain David Anderson, Mass Effect Trilogy (2007 – 2012)

Rosario Dawson as Lawan, Dying Light 2 Stay Human (2022)

Phil Lamarr, Mr. Sunshine, Saints Row 2 (2008)

Gina Torres as General Kirkan, Immortals of Aveum (2023)

Cree Summer as Tandi, Fallout (1997)

Lance Reddick as Sylens, Horizon Series (2017; 2022)

Terry Crews as Commander Isaiah Jaxon, Crackdown 3 (2019)

Debra Wilson as Cere Junda, Star Wars Jedi Series (2019; 2023)

Idris Elba as Solomon Reed, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (2023)

Angela Bassett as Regalla, Horizon Forbidden West (2022)

Samuel L. Jackson as Officer Frank Tenpenny, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)

Jeffrey Wright as Isaac Dixon, The Last Of Us Part II (2020)

Dennis Haysbert as Irving Lambert, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (2004)

Michael K. Williams as Kimble “Irish” Graves, Battlefield Series (2013; 2021)

Ella Balinska as Frey Holland, Forspoken (2023)