Summary

Nolan North had input in shaping his cameo scene with Tom Holland in the Uncharted movie, changing the original script to create a more meaningful interaction between their characters. Video game adaptations are paying respect to their origins by including cameos from original voice actors, such as North in Uncharted, as a way to acknowledge their contributions to the games. The decision to have Holland’s character accept a drink from North’s character instead of taking it himself was crucial in creating the right tone and passing the torch between the two generations of Nathan Drake performers.

Uncharted video game voice actor Nolan North reveals how he changed the dialogue for his cameo scene with Tom Holland in the series’ big screen adaptation. Holland took on the role of North’s beloved adventurer Nathan Drake in the 2022 adaptation of Naughty Dog’s celebrated Playstation third-person adventure games. In the movie, Holland’s Drake finds himself swept away in a globe-spanning search for the lost fortune of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, facing rival fortune hunters, wealthy but morally bankrupt billionaires, and future allies.

When speaking to ComicBookMovie.com, North revealed how he played a part in shaping his cameo with Holland for the Uncharted movie. Originally, the script saw Holland’s Drake take North’s unnamed hotel guest’s drink, though the voice actor believed following a few takes that it would feel like more of a “passing of the torch” if he instead offered the drink to Holland. Check out North’s full explanation below:

It was fun. When we did the scene, the original idea was a waiter brings me a drink and as I go to grab it, Tom grabs it, and I’m like, ‘Hey, that’s mine!’ and he says, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,'”. We did it a couple of times, and I looked at it and said, ‘I don’t think this looks very good for Tom.’ It looks like he was taking it instead of me passing the torch. We did a couple of takes with me saying, ‘You look thirsty, kid,’ and it ended up being what it was.

Cameos Help Video Game Adaptations Pay Respect To Their Origins

With video game adaptations becoming box office successes and television hits through productions including Castlevania, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Halo, more viewers are curious to see if it could spawn a new trend in Hollywood. As such, many pre-existing fans are hoping to see those behind the original games receive proper acknowledgment for their contributions. As seen with North in Uncharted, one such way is video game voice actors reprising their roles or being cast in new ones.

Returning cast members have been seen in projects, including original Mario actor Charles Martinet being cast as the titular hero’s father in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey reprising her role of Tails across the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. Another Naughty Dog live-action production saw further nods with The Last of Us voice actor cameos, as Laura Bailey, Troy Baker, and Jeffrey Pierce portrayed other characters, while the original Ellie, Ashley Johnson, portrayed Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) mother Anna, and Merle Dandridge reprised her role of Marlene. Much like Uncharted, these choices paid tribute to those who helped craft these tales.

While an Uncharted sequel is in early development, Nolan’s cameo remains a loving tribute to the original games. However, as seen through the voice actor’s recollection, it is clear the passing of the torch could have had an entirely different tone that may have been bitter for some. However, through Nolan’s comments, it is clear that care was taken so Holland’s handover would be the perfect interaction between two generations of Nathan Drake performers.

Uncharted is currently available to stream on Hulu.

Source: ComicBookMovie.com

Uncharted Release Date February 18, 2022 Director Ruben Fleischer Runtime 116 minutes Writers Art Marcum , Matt Holloway , Rafe Lee Judkins Franchise Uncharted Story By Mark D. Walker, Jonathan Rosenberg Characters By Amy Hennig Cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung Producer Alex Gartner, Avi Arad, Ari Arad, Charles Roven Production Company Arad Productions, Atlas Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Playstation Productions Sfx Supervisor Uli Nefzer, Juan Ramón Molina