Best Leading Performance of 2021 - Article
by Lee Mehr , posted on 17 January 2022 / 2,383 Views
In today's age, the demands for a lead voice actor can range from scripts weighing the same as a TV show season to something much more modest. The expectations for talent are likewise high. It's becoming less and less surprising for high-tier Hollywood actors to take on video game roles - even from indie teams. Regardless of their main vocation, or how many lines they've read, the following nominees were among the best to inhabit their respective roles in 2021.
The Shortlist:
Steve Downes as Master Chief (Halo Infinite)
James McAvoy as the Husband (12 Minutes)
Richard Horvitz as Razputin (Psychonauts 2)
Jen Taylor as Cortana, The Weapon, & Dr. Halsey (Halo Infinite)
Steven Cree as Elvis (Bravely Default II)
The Winner:
Jen Taylor as Cortana, The Weapon, & Dr. Halsey (Halo Infinite)
Runner-up: Richard Horvitz as Razputin (Psychonauts 2)
One of the few 2021 titles to have two co-leads, Halo Infinite's story owes a lot to Jen Taylor's euphonious voice acting. Having to harness three disparate tones for essentially the same person (Cortana & The Weapon are AI based on Dr. Halsey) is no easy task; and yet, Taylor pulls it off with grace. Even though some of The Weapon's quips don't land, there's an innocent winsomeness to her that makes her feel like a genuine companion – reviving some of Chief's memories in the process. Oftentimes, performance winners net gold by capturing one personality to pitch-perfect accuracy; this year's winner managed it for three.
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When I watched a bunch of reviews of Halo Infinite I was worried about her character in the game, but I actually thought she did such a great job I loved it anyways. She carried the game's story. Tough job.
2 halo characs talk about bias haha
Wait two Halo characters? wouldn't that make one a supporting character? If multiple characters can be listed we should have had the main 10 characters of Persona 5 Strikers in the running.
It's called having co-leads.
