Speaking with the New Sam Fisher

Mat Paget & Myles Milligan

Mat and Myles recently got the chance to sit down and ask Eric Johnson, the new Sam Fisher, a few questions about his experiences of being the new voice of Splinter Cell. He is best known for his role as Whitney Fordman in the television series Smallville, as well as playing the titular character in the Flash Gordon television series. He has also been in such films as Legends of the Fall, and Bang Bang You’re Dead. 

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is his first venture into videogames when it comes to acting, but he is no stranger to the Splinter Cell series, having played previous titles in the highly popular stealth-action series, as well as being a fan of sports games and first-person shooters.

All answers have been transcribed exactly as Eric sent them, unless otherwise noted.

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How different is acting in mo-cap compared to acting on stage?

“Performance capture is like a combination between live theater and film and TV.  You still have to be aware of camera angles and have a basic cinematic understanding of how the scene is going to be shot but at the same time you also want to nail the scene in one perfect go to allow the animators to only have to use the one take.  

Honestly it’s sort of its own beast.  It has technical demands that far exceed TV and FILM and also requires even more imagination that traditional theater.  

One of the biggest hurdles is getting used to the camera and light mounted on your head and the array of technical gear strapped to your back.  These things become increasingly cumbersome as the physicality of the scenes increase.  Obviously for [Splinter Cell] we can get quite physical.”

How does it feel to be taking on the role of such an iconic character? The James Bond of videogames, if you will.

“It’s a huge thrill for me.  I’ve always been interested in working in video games and to get to be a part of a franchise like Splinter Cell is a huge honor.  Obviously I expected a backlash to my overtaking the iconic role of Sam Fisher.  I see that backlash as a positive sign.  It means people are fans and invested in the brand and honestly care about Splinter Cell.  I for one was not overly impressed with Daniel Craig when he was announced as the new James Bond but he certainly won me over and I can’t wait to be able to do the same for the fans of [Splinter Cell].”

What kind of choices did you make in terms of bringing the Sam Fisher character to life?

“Sam is in a class of soldier all by himself.  He’s seen everything.  So Sam is calm, cool and collected.  He also has balls of titanium, so even when faced with a life threatening situation he has confidence he’ll figure a way out of it.   The best analogy I have for Sam is that he’s a Panther.  Quiet, stealthy and by the time you know he’s there you’re already dead or knocked out.”  

Michael Ironside was the previous voice for Sam Fisher. Did you look at his portrayal of the character for inspiration?

“Michael and I had discussed the character but both of us felt it very important to not do an impersonation of Michael Ironside being Sam Fisher, but to interpret the words and character and make it my own.  It just adds to the authenticity of the performance.  The whole point of doing the voice and physicality at the same time is authenticity.  The subtle ways we move when we talk, mannerisms etc, can not be fully realized by animation alone so messing with it’s authenticity would be compromising the whole process.  The great hing is I had already played the Splinter Cell games and the Internet is a vast resource in [Splinter Cell] info.”

What was it like interacting with Michael Ironside?

“Michael was kind enough to loan his time and come and visit us while shooting.  A ceremonial handing over of the goggles if you will.  I was fortunate enough to have worked with Michael years earlier.  He supported me early in my young career and I’ve always held him in high esteem.  To be able to take over the role from him was a huge honor.  Michael can be an intimidating figure, Splinter Cell fans will know what he can do with just his voice.  But beneath an outwardly gruff exterior is a very kind and generous man.  I’m very grateful for his involvement in Splinter Cell.  It wouldn’t be what it is without his influence.  There is no replacing Michael Ironside, so all I can do is follow in his footsteps and continue to try and make Splinter Cell Blacklist the best [Splinter Cell] game yet.  Anything less than that is a slap in the face to both Michael and all the fans of the game.”

Who are some of your biggest influences when it comes to acting? Voice acting?

“My influences for acting are numerous.  It doesn’t matter what age the performer, anytime I see something honest and real on TV, Screen or stage it influences me.  As for voice acting, as a kid I always admired the actors on the Simpsons in particularly Hank Azaria.  I hope the show goes another 25 years, maybe by that time I’ll have [guest starred] on it.”  

Do you have anything you’d like to say to the fans of the Splinter Cell series?

“I can’t wait for you to play this game.  Everyone is working tirelessly to make this the best Splinter Cell game yet.  The attention to detail and story, as well as the multiple ways you can play, from all out stealth to more all out action AND the inclusion of some amazing co-op and multi player options?  This game is going to rock your socks off.  Fans of the game will be excited and I guarantee flocks of new fans will be joining you.  It’s going to be fun.”

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You’ll be able to hear Eric in Splinter Cell: Blacklist when it releases in 2013 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.