Christopher Judge has had the honor of giving voice to one of the hardest individuals in gaming that’s ever been created, and it’s past time that many people just decided to give the kind of appreciation that he deserves for it. The God of War games managed to come out to a very receptive audience and it seems as it should be since the tale that’s being told is one that is epic in a way that is both grand and heartfelt since it’s about a man that has lost pretty much everything and goes about challenging the gods and Titans in numerous battles that sees him finally becoming the new God of War. While the first-era games were all about Greek mythology, in a loose sort of way at times, this new era adds in Norse mythology as Kratos and his son Atreus must enter a new realm to combat different monsters and anger new gods that they have not yet seen.
The game is, simply put, awesome. And Judge is perhaps one of the few people that could give the true feeling to a being such as Kratos.
Judge is a live-action actor as well.
If you take a rundown of his credits you’ll see he’s done plenty of stuff on screen and his voice roles kind of pale in comparison to what he’s done as a live actor. He’s been in Stargate SG-1 for a while and even wrote four of the episodes. Judge has appeared in several movies either as an extra or with a small role to play. For some he might be easily forgettable since extras kind of come and go, but he’s been a solid addition to most projects that he’s been a part of and his slightly imposing stature has been used in a very convincing way to make him stand out even as he’s blended into the background. He’s been known for his voice a lot more than his acting but throughout his career he’s still become well-known for his many contributions.
His motivation for acting was pretty unique.
A lot of us can probably relate to having the TV as a babysitter, which was Judge’s experience as well, but instead of just staring mindlessly at the tube and dreaming of being a part of the fantasy or zoning out and enjoying the story and bright colors Judge found himself wanting to be a part of the world inside the screen. He wanted to be an actor that would inspire the same feelings in people that he felt when watching the stories, which is pretty unique when you really think about it. A lot people that watch TV might get into the story and become somewhat invested in an emotional way, but usually once the program is over that’s it, they go back to their lives and find that while it’s not as satisfying as the TV world it’s real and they can do something about it. Judge wanted to be the person to give people those feelings of empowerment and hope, and this is what spurred him on to become an actor in the first place. He decided to use sports as a springboard to acting, attending the University of Oregon on a scholarship and playing for the Ducks while majoring in telecommunications and film with a minor in psychology.
It was after winning a contest to host a West coast show that he finally got an agent and his career started to roll along. From that point on he started acquiring small parts in various shows and projects that allowed him to build a reputation while he continued to look for ongoing work and parts that would allow him to build his career even further. Stargate SG-1 was one of his biggest roles, but the moment he found himself reading for the part of Kratos was a big turning point since this was a role that allowed him to really turn on the talent.
When the game first came out, God of War was thought by many to look pretty awesome, but it was just another game until it became proven that it was something special. Judge’s voice wasn’t really the driving force behind Kratos until it became known that Kratos was in fact someone worth watching and the game was something worth investing some serious time in. Over the years the God of War saga has had it’s high and low points, but the overall character has never really gone out of style since he’s one of the most imposing and awesome characters that’s been created in some time. Giving someone like Chris Judge the ability to lend his voice to such a character is a masterful stroke since now Kratos is easily remembered as a man that not only challenged the gods of not one but two distinct mythologies, he he’s also the guy that, when he speaks, is meant to be listened to.
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