Even if you don’t recognize Troy Baker’s name, active gamers will likely recognize the sound of his voice. Breathing life into disparate characters like Agent Jonesy in Fortnite to Joel Miller in The Last of Us, few people in the industry remain as booked and busy as Baker.
One of his breakthrough acting roles came in 2013 when Baker played Booker DeWitt in the beloved BioShock Infinite. A couple of other games that he appears in include: Batman: Arkham Origins, Far Cry 4, God of War, Mortal Kombat 11, Death Stranding, and The Last of Us Part II.
We spoke with Baker about his career, working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, what goes on behind the scenes, and his approach to the craft of acting.
As a child, Baker aspired to be a musician. Occasionally, his career path intersects with his music interests, but Baker appreciates not having the stress of relying on music as a primary source of income. “I love the fact that I get to do it recreationally; I don’t have to do it vocationally. It takes a lot of the pressure off. I can sit at my piano or pick up one of my guitars and play and there’s not a dollar figure attached to that,” Baker said.
Photograph: Emily Malan
