Nolan North

Last updated

Nolan North
Nolan North SDCC 2019 (48378697517) (cropped).jpg
North in 2019
Born (1970-10-31) October 31, 1970 (age 54)
New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, voice actor
Years active1997–present
Spouse
Jill Murray
​
(m. 1999)​
Children2
Signature
Nolan North signature.svg

Nolan North (born October 31, 1970) [1] is an American actor best known for his voice acting roles.

Contents

After his breakthrough role as Dr. Chris Ramsey on the ABC soap opera Port Charles in 1997, North moved into voice acting when the show ended in 2003 and has since become best known for his video game roles as Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series, Desmond Miles in the Assassin's Creed series, Merasmus in Team Fortress 2 , the Prince in Prince of Persia , Dr. Edward Richtofen in the Call of Duty franchise, Deadpool in various Marvel Comics media, the Penguin in the Batman: Arkham franchise, Captain Martin Walker in Spec Ops: The Line , David in The Last of Us , himself as one of the voices for the player character in Saints Row IV , Tony Stark in Marvel's Avengers , and Ghost in the Destiny video game series.

In animation, North voices Smokescreen on Transformers: Prime , Superboy on Young Justice , and the titular character in Blaze and the Monster Machines .

Early life

North was born in New Haven, Connecticut. [2] He was raised in Warwick, Rhode Island, where he attended and played baseball at Bishop Hendricken High School. [3] He majored in journalism with a baseball scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, [4] [5] and spent the next year working as a reporter in New Jersey before moving to New York City to pursue a career in stand-up comedy and acting. [4]

Career

North eventually relocated to Los Angeles, where he was cast as Dr. Chris Ramsey in the General Hospital spin-off series Port Charles in 1997. [5] He worked as a voice actor on a few video games during this time, and began to focus on this career path following the cancellation of Port Charles in 2003. [5]

One of North's most notable voice roles came in 2007, when he voiced and performed motion capture for the protagonist Nathan Drake in the video game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune . Since then, he has continued to portray the character in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009), Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (2011), and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016), [6] as well as the PlayStation Vita exclusive Uncharted: Golden Abyss (2012). In an interview with The Guardian , he said his time as Drake requires "a lot of imagination" because "motion capture is basically theatre in spandex; there's minimal props, and you need a willingness to make an ass of yourself". [7] For his role as Drake, he has twice been nominated at the Spike Video Game Awards in the "Best Performance by a Human Male" category. [8]

North's other notable video game voice roles include the Prince in Prince of Persia and Desmond Miles in the Assassin's Creed series. He also voiced Vossler in Final Fantasy XII , Eradan in Lord of the Rings: War in the North , the male Jedi Consular in Star Wars: The Old Republic and its following expansions, David in The Last of Us , Dr. Edward Richtofen in the "Zombies" mode of the Call of Duty series, Brawl in Transformers: War for Cybertron , and Ghost Rider in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance , as well as Shadow Demon, Lycan, Lone Druid, Brewmaster, Gyrocopter, Ogre Magi, Meepo, Earth Spirit, Troll Warlord, and the Keeper of the Light in Dota 2 . He voices various Team Fortress 2 characters such as the Engineer (partially), Merasmus, Redmond Mann, Blutarch Mann, Zepheniah Mann, and the Bombinomicon. He also replaced Peter Dinklage as the voice of the Ghost in Destiny: The Taken King , and additionally re-recorded all of Dinklage's lines from the base game Destiny . He continues to voice the character in subsequent releases. Following the release of Destiny 2: Forsaken , he portrayed not only Ghost but also took over the role of Cayde-6 from Nathan Fillion. [9]

In the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness , North made one of his few increasingly rare live-action appearances since becoming a voice actor. Director J. J. Abrams had cited North's performance as Drake in the decision to cast him as a starship helmsman, as he and his son are fans of the Uncharted series. [10] In a May 2012 interview, North said, "[Abrams is] a huge fan of gaming and he was telling me how people just don't understand [the medium] yet, but they're going to catch up. They don't understand how amazing this technology is and it doesn't get the respect it deserves, but if it keeps making the money it makes you're going to see more and more people converted. I mean, Gary Oldman, one of the greatest actors on the planet, did Call of Duty . He wouldn't have done it 10 years ago. It's a new age dawning, and I'm just really proud to be part of it." [10]

North's animation roles include the voices of Cyclops in Wolverine and the X-Men , Snow Job in G.I. Joe: Renegades , Raphael in TMNT , both Superboy and Superman in Young Justice , and Smokescreen in Transformers: Prime . He has also voiced Blaze in Blaze and the Monster Machines since 2014. He was honored at a special event hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts during the 2018 EA Expo, where he was given a special award for "outstanding contribution to performance in games". [11]

In April 2018, North began hosting Retro Replay with fellow voice actor and frequent co-star Troy Baker. The show, which featured the two playing games in which they were involved while giving behind-the-scenes commentary on the making of the games, partnered with Rooster Teeth in April 2019. [12] Baker left Retro Replay in April 2020, due to an apparent disagreement on the future direction of the show. [13] The following month, North announced that the show was ending its partnership with Rooster Teeth. [14] He had a brief cameo in the 2022 Uncharted film adaptation and also narrated the audiobook edition. [15] In 2024, he appeared as Gene Campbell in the Peacock television series Hysteria! . [16]

Personal life

North married his Port Charles co-star Jill Murray on June 4, 1999. [4] They have two children together. [4] [17]

Filmography

Accolades

Nolan North has received multiple awards and nominations for his work in the Uncharted series (2007–2016), as well as other video games including Deadpool (2013), The Last of Us (2013), Assassin's Creed II (2009) and the television shows Young Justice (2010–present) and Transformers: Prime (2010–2013). [18]

The Game Awards
YearNominated workCategoryResult
2016 Uncharted 4: A Thief's EndBest PerformanceWon
British Academy Games Awards
YearNominated workCategoryResult
2012Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionBest PerformerNominated
2013Uncharted: Golden AbyssNominated
2017Uncharted 4: A Thief's EndNominated
2018Nolan NorthSpecial AwardWon
D.I.C.E. Awards
YearNominated workCategoryResult
2010 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance Nominated
2012 Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance Nominated
2017 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Outstanding Achievement in Character Nominated
Spike Video Game Awards
YearNominated workCategoryResult
2009Uncharted 2: Among ThievesBest VoiceNominated
2011Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionBest Performance by a Human MaleNominated
Behind the Voice Actors Awards
YearNominated workCategoryResult
2012Nolan NorthVoice Actor of the YearNominated
Voice Actor of the Year, People's ChoiceWon
Best Male Vocal Performance in a Video GameUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionNominated
2013Nolan NorthVoice Actor of the YearNominated
Young JusticeBest Male Lead Vocal Performance in a Television Series, Action/DramaNominated
Transformers: PrimeBest Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Supporting Role, Action/DramaNominated
2014Nolan NorthVoice Actor of the YearNominated
DeadpoolBest Male Lead Vocal Performance in a Video GameNominated
The Last of UsBest Male Vocal Performance in a Video Game in a Supporting RoleNominated
Best Male Vocal Performance in a Video Game in a Supporting Role, People's ChoiceWon
2015Nolan NorthVoice Actor of the YearNominated
2017Nominated
Uncharted 4: A Thief's EndBest Male Lead Vocal Performance in a Video GameWon

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John DiMaggio</span> American actor (born 1968)

John William DiMaggio is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on Futurama, Jake the Dog on Adventure Time, Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War series, Dr. Drakken on Kim Possible, Hak Foo in Jackie Chan Adventures, The Scotsman on Samurai Jack, Brother Blood on Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go!, Shnitzel on Chowder, Fu Dog on American Dragon: Jake Long, Hammerhead and Sandman on The Spectacular Spider-Man, Aquaman on Batman: The Brave and the Bold, King Zøg on Disenchantment, Jocktopus on Fish Hooks, Wakka and Kimahri in Final Fantasy X, Rath in the Ben 10 franchise, Crosshairs, Leadfoot, Nitro Zeus, Transit and Stratosphere in the Transformers film franchise, and Gonza in the English version of Princess Mononoke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Fillion</span> Canadian and American actor (born 1971)

Nathan Fillion is a Canadian-American actor. He played the leading roles of Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds on Firefly and its film continuation Serenity, and Richard Castle on Castle. As of 2018, he stars as John Nolan on The Rookie and is an executive producer on the show as well as its spin-off series, The Rookie: Feds during its run.

<i>Uncharted: Drakes Fortune</i> 2007 video game

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a 2007 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the first game in the Uncharted series. The game follows Nathan Drake, the supposed descendant of explorer Sir Francis Drake, as he searches for the lost treasure of El Dorado with journalist Elena Fisher and mentor Victor Sullivan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troy Baker</span> American voice actor

Troy Baker is an American voice actor and musician. He is known for his numerous roles in video games, including Yuri Lowell in Tales of Vesperia (2008), Joel Miller in The Last of Us franchise, Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite (2013), Samuel "Sam" Drake in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016) and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017), Rhys Strongfork in Tales from the Borderlands (2014), Snow Villiers in Final Fantasy XIII (2010), Kanji Tatsumi in Persona 4 (2008), Vincent Brooks in Catherine (2011), Agent Jones in Fortnite (2017), Talion in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) and Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017), Pagan Min in Far Cry 4 (2014), Revolver Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015) and Higgs Monaghan in Death Stranding (2019) and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (2025).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Pierce</span> American actor (born 1971)

Jeffrey Pierce is an American actor. He is best known for providing the voice and motion capture for Tommy in the video games The Last of Us (2013) and The Last of Us Part II (2020), with the latter earning him a nomination for the BAFTA Games Award for Performer in a Supporting Role. He also portrayed Perry in the game's television adaptation in 2023. His other work includes series such as Big Apple (2001), Charlie Jade (2005), and The Nine (2006–2007).

<i>Uncharted 2: Among Thieves</i> 2009 video game

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a 2009 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the second game in the Uncharted series. Set two years after Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007), the story follows Nathan Drake, Chloe Frazer and Elena Fisher as they search for the Cintamani Stone and Shambhala while battling a militia led by war criminal Zoran Lazarević.

Uncharted is an action-adventure video game series and media franchise published by Sony Interactive Entertainment and developed by Naughty Dog. Created by Amy Hennig, the Uncharted franchise follows a group of treasure hunters who travel across the world to uncover various historical mysteries. The series features historical fiction, elements of fantasy and folklore, and fictional characters alongside real-world historical figures and events. In the main series, players control Nathan Drake; in the expansion, players control Chloe Frazer.

Characters of the <i>Uncharted</i> series Characters in the Uncharted series

The Uncharted series, created by video game developer Naughty Dog, features many characters. The series includes the video games Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, as well as a motion comic prequel, Uncharted: Eye of Indra. It primarily focuses on the exploits of treasure hunter Nathan Drake and his associates as they hunt down various mystical artifacts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Drake</span> Protagonist of the Uncharted series

Nathan Drake is a character and the protagonist of the Uncharted franchise, most notably in the video game series, developed by Naughty Dog. He appears in all mainline games: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, the spin-offs Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Uncharted: Fight for Fortune, the motion comic prequel series Uncharted: Eye of Indra by DC Comics, and other related media. A charismatic and good-natured yet rebellious treasure hunter, the player controls Drake as he journeys across the world to uncover various historical mysteries. He is played through voice and motion capture by Nolan North, who influenced Drake's personality by ad-libbing segments of the character's dialogue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe Frazer</span> Fictional character from the Uncharted video game series

Chloe Frazer is a fictional character in the Uncharted series, developed by Naughty Dog. Chloe, like series protagonist Nathan Drake, is a treasure hunter. Introduced in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, where she has a romantic history with Drake, she later appears in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and becomes the main protagonist in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Chloe is initially depicted as a strong character who aggressively looks out for her own interests, although over the course of The Lost Legacy she evolves into a more heroic and selfless individual. She is portrayed by Claudia Black through voice and motion capture.

<i>Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception</i> 2011 video game

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is a 2011 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the third main entry in the Uncharted series. Set two years after Among Thieves (2009), the single-player story follows Nathan Drake and his mentor Victor Sullivan as they search for the legendary lost city of Iram of the Pillars while battling a secret society led by Sullivan's former employer, Katherine Marlowe.

<i>Uncharted: Golden Abyss</i> 2011 video game

Uncharted: Golden Abyss is an action-adventure game developed by Bend Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Vita. A spin-off of Naughty Dog's Uncharted series, the game was released as a launch title for the console. Golden Abyss is a prequel to the series, taking place before the events of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. The story revolves around adventurer-treasure hunter Nathan Drake as he becomes involved in a search for the lost city of Quivira and is aided by fellow treasure hunter Marisa Chase. Gameplay combines action-adventure with platforming elements, with players solving puzzles and fighting enemies using cover-based third-person shooting.

<i>Uncharted 4: A Thiefs End</i> 2016 video game

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the fourth main entry in the Uncharted series. Set several years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, players control Nathan Drake, a former treasure hunter coaxed out of retirement by his presumed-dead brother Samuel. With Nathan's longtime partner, Victor Sullivan, they search for clues to the location of Henry Avery's long-lost treasure. A Thief's End is played from a third-person perspective, and incorporates platformer elements. Players solve puzzles and use firearms, melee combat, and stealth to combat enemies. In the online multiplayer mode, up to ten players engage in co-operative and competitive modes.

Development of <i>The Last of Us</i>

Naughty Dog began developing The Last of Us in 2009. Sony Computer Entertainment published the action-adventure game for PlayStation 3 on June 14, 2013. The three-year development was led by game director Bruce Straley and creative director Neil Druckmann. In the game, players assume control of Joel, a middle-aged smuggler tasked with escorting a 14-year-old girl named Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a potential cure against the world-ending infection to which Ellie is immune. Set 20 years after the outbreak has destroyed much of civilization, the game explores the possibility of the Cordyceps fungi infecting humans.

Characters of <i>The Last of Us</i> Characters in The Last of Us video game

The Last of Us, a 2013 action-adventure survival horror video game developed by Naughty Dog, deals with the relationship between smuggler Joel, and Ellie. Joel is tasked with escorting Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States in an attempt to create a potential cure against an infection to which Ellie is immune. The relationship between the two characters became the basis of the game's development.

<i>Uncharted: The Lost Legacy</i> 2017 video game

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a 2017 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, serving as a standalone expansion to Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Players control Chloe Frazer, who seeks the Tusk of Ganesh in the Western Ghats mountain ranges of India, with the help of ex-mercenary Nadine Ross, and prevent a ruthless warlord and his army of insurgents from igniting a civil war in the country. It is the first Uncharted game not to feature series protagonist Nathan Drake. Like other Uncharted games, The Lost Legacy is played from a third-person perspective; players use firearms and can use melee combat and stealth to defend against enemies. Players solve puzzles, incorporating several platformer elements to advance the narrative, and navigate the game world on foot or by vehicle.

<i>Uncharted</i> (film) 2022 film by Ruben Fleischer

Uncharted is a 2022 American action adventure film directed by Ruben Fleischer from a screenplay by Rafe Lee Judkins, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway, based on the video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Victor Sullivan, with Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, and Antonio Banderas in supporting roles. In the film, Drake is recruited by Sullivan in a race against corrupt billionaire Santiago Moncada (Banderas) and mercenary leader Jo Braddock (Gabrielle) to locate the fabled treasure of the Magellan expedition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cayde-6</span> Destiny supporting character

Cayde-6 is a character from Bungie's Destiny video game series. He first appears in the 2014 video game Destiny as a supporting non-player character with a leadership role within the player-aligned Guardians, protectors of Earth's last safe city against various alien threats. Cayde-6 is an Exo, a highly advanced robot made by the fictional company 'Braytech', with the mind of a living human being uploaded into its consciousness. Like other Guardians, Cayde-6 is accompanied by a floating robotic companion called a Ghost and wields an otherworldly power called Light granted by the mysterious Traveler, progenitor of the Ghosts. Originally presented as a vendor and occasional questgiver, Cayde-6 is given a prominent role in the series' narrative beginning with the 2015 expansion Destiny: The Taken King. Cayde-6 continued to appear as a major character within series lore, until he is killed off in the 2018 expansion for Destiny 2, Forsaken. Cayde-6 was voiced by Nathan Fillion for the majority of his appearances, and by Nolan North for the character's final chronological appearance in Forsaken. He will be brought back along with Fillion in The Final Shape, the last DLC in the Light & Darkness saga for Destiny 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nolan North filmography</span>

This is the filmography of American actor Nolan North.

References

  1. ↑ Nolan North and Troy Baker aren't Scared in the Scary Silent HiIl. CouchSoup. October 31, 2019. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022– via YouTube.
  2. ↑ "FamilySearch". familysearch.org. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  3. ↑ North, Nolan [@nolan_north] (June 16, 2015). ""@SoSofieFatale: @nolan_north did you go to high school in RI by chance?" Yep! Bishop Hendricken" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022– via Twitter.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Soap Central bio". Soap Central. Archived from the original on March 24, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 Blake Snow (January 14, 2010). "The man behind Nathan Drake". Gamepro. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  6. ↑ "PSX 2014: Uncharted 4 Gameplay Shows Off New Mechanics – IGN". IGN. December 6, 2014. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  7. ↑ Quirk, Justin (November 5, 2011). "Nathan Drake: unmasked". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  8. ↑ Keyes, Rob (December 10, 2011). "2011 Spike Video Game Awards: Complete Winners List". Game Rant. Archived from the original on February 7, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  9. ↑ Kain, Erik (July 17, 2018). "Nathan Fillion Isn't Voicing Cayde-6 In Destiny 2's 'Forsaken' DLC". Forbes . Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  10. 1 2 Dutton, Fred (May 21, 2012). "Nolan North wins part in Star Trek 2 off the back of Uncharted". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
  11. ↑ "BAFTA to Honour Nolan North with Special Award". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. May 11, 2018. Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  12. ↑ Oller, Jacob (April 24, 2019). "Exclusive: Nolan North and Troy Baker take 'convention circuit'-born Retro Replay to Rooster Teeth". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  13. ↑ Hirsilä, Markus (April 23, 2020). "Troy Baker has left Retro Replay". Gamereactor UK. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  14. ↑ North, Nolan (May 7, 2020). Nolan North Live From Quarantine!. Retro Replay. Event occurs at 2:02. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  15. ↑ Moreau, Jordan (February 9, 2022). "'Uncharted' Audio Book to Be Narrated by Voice Actor Nolan North (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  16. ↑ Petski, Denise (February 28, 2024). "Garret Dillahunt, Nolan North, Elijah Richardson Among 6 Cast In Peacock's Satanic Panic Thriller Series 'Hysteria!'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  17. ↑ "The Hidden King: Meet Nolan North, the Biggest Voice in Video Games". September 15, 2015. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Nolan North – Awards". IMDb. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.