Danny Wallace gaming exclusive

Words: Andrew Dickens

There are three ways to gain immortality: drink from the Holy Grail, get frozen in carbonite, or become a character in a computer game. We’re excited (and relieved) to announce that ShortList’s own Danny Wallace has been granted the third option.

On the back of being a hugely successful writer, presenter and thoroughly good egg, our favourite columnist has been selected to play a character in Assassin’s Creed 2, the much-anticipated sequel to the multi-million-selling Assassin’s Creed. And he’s thrilled.

The nutshell explanation of the Assassin’s Creed series, for those who haven’t played the game, is that it’s based on a reincarnation-cum-time travel story in which you eliminate unpleasant types in the past via one of your ancestors. The second game is based in Renaissance Italy and Danny plays Shaun Hastings, a historian who advises the player with various nuggets of information. We went along with Danny to watch him record his informative dialogue for the game and had a chat with him afterwards, over a nice cup of tea.

So, how did this all happen?

Well this all happened when I took an old school friend to the BAFTA video game awards to make him happy. Essentially he’s got all the video game consoles every made, all the rubbish ones like the Game Gear or the Jaguar. I thought take "them there - it’ll be great". And while I was there a friendly fellow came up to me and said, “I’ve got something to ask you, can I email you?” and I said “of course, yeah”. He emailed me and it turned out to be one of the best, coolest questions in the world. Essentially “do you want to be in a game?” and I said, “Yeah, yeah that would be brilliant, which one is it?” He had to keep on the quiet about it and it turned out to be this one. I was a fan of the first one so I was thrilled.

What does the process involve and how have you found it?

Well, weirdly, I’ve been in games before without knowing it. And actually one of them I read about in ShortList. The first I knew about it was when I opened up a copy of ShortList one day and there was a whole thing about a new game and there was a picture of me. I think you could snowboard past me. And when I started my own cult, someone, a video games designer, tried to help me spread the word of the cult. So suddenly I'm on destruction derby online or something, which I’ve still not played, but apparently I’m in.

So with this it was a different process, not just opening ShortList and being in it. They give you a script and you get to kind of ‘know’ the character. I was thrilled when they told me – and it could have been written for me – that it was a nerdy lonely loner. I suppose most loners are, but this one is particularly lonely.

I read the script and went “yeah, this makes sense” and went to a slightly dingy recording studio, which was about as hot as the sun, and they play little lines of other people’s characters, and you deliver your line and try and make it sound natural. So it’s a lot of standing there imagining you’re a nerd, which is easy for me.

Have you modeled your voice on anyone in particular?

I’ve modelled it on the broadcaster Danny Wallace

TV’s Danny Wallace?

TV’s Danny Wallace. I thought “that guy’s got something”.
 
Are you a Method voiceover artist?

Yeah, very much so I’ve been studying this character for about 32 years, I’ve just about got it down pat.

More interview and  images on the next page...