“I Have A Fear Of Ledges”

Roger Craig Smith has a fear of being on a ledge, which is ironic considering he’s renowned for featuring in Assassin’s Creed, a gaming franchise that makes players climb around on very high rooftops.

Since the early 1990s, the versatile actor’s voice has featured in films, television and video games, but it was his performance as the iconic Ezio in 2009’s Assassin’s Creed II that shot him to notoriety.

The Michigan-born 49-year-old has gone on to be a series mainstay, reprising his role as the Florentine nobleman a further seven times in various guises. Beyond that, he’s also taken up the mantle as Sonic the Hedgehog in titles like Sonic Frontiers and Batman, most recently appearing as the Caped Crusader in 2024’s virtual reality thriller, Arkham Shadow.

Smith was in London recently to play the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows ahead of its launch on March 20. For this edition of My Life in Games, he sat down with me to discuss everything from the first console he fell in love with to the performance that inspired him to become a gaming actor.

What is the first game you fell in love with?

The first memory I have of gaming is playing Astrosmash on Intellivision in the early 1980s. I was lucky enough to get that for Christmas one year and I played it all the time with my family, but the first console game I fell in love with was the initial Halo. I remember getting excited about finishing work, just to go home and play that game.

What was the first console you fell in love with?

I remember thinking the Sega Dreamcast was a really solid console. I liked the implementation of cartridges that could go into your controller; there were a lot of unique things that they did with the system. I was obsessed with playing Virtua Tennis, but there were so many games back then that I have a fond memory of playing on the Dreamcast.

Which video game performance made you want to act?

One of the first times I became aware of how good voice acting [in gaming] could be was in Half Life. The vocals elevated the storytelling and created a more immersive environment. I remember being struck by how chilling and theatrical the performance of the antagonist was. At that time, I hadn’t considered acting in video games as a career option, but they took it seriously in Half Life. It was grounding and one of the first awakenings for me.

Is there a gaming memory in your life that stands out?

Climbing to the top of a tower in Assassin’s Creed II and synchronising so the map unlocks for you; that iconic and sweeping entrance [to the game] always gets me. I have a fear of ledges and this game would give me the heeby jeebies moving around up there. I’d get butterflies in my stomach, but it’s such a beautiful moment. Getting to be a part of it and seeing what everyone had worked so hard to create was just such a wow moment for me.

Which games are you currently playing?

I have an Xbox Series X and an Oculus Quest 3 which is phenomenal. Virtual reality is starting to get very exciting. The latest game I played was Batman: Arkham Shadow, for obvious reasons, but I’ve not been doing a ton of gaming of late. I’m too focused on working and getting stuff done which is no way to live. I need to turn my gamer card in.

If you could play just one game for the rest of time, what would it be?

I’ll cheat and say the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise. That’ll give me at least a lifetime of gaming there. Aside from the fact that I got to be a part of the franchise so early on, I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed playing all of the games. The music, storytelling, visuals, gameplay; it all works so well and that’s rare to have everything fire off and hit the way those games do.

Are there any characters in other video games that you would have loved to have played?

Lightning has struck so many times in my life and career. I’ve been able to look people in the eye and tell them that I’m the voice of Ezio, Batman and Sonic. In all honesty, I just look forward to the next project. It’s amazing to think that there’s somebody out there who loves games and storytelling and is creating something we can’t even imagine that could become the next Assassin’s Creed.