Neil Druckmann confirmed Troy Baker’s return in a leading role for the Naughty Dog’s game. Read on to learn more about their long-standing collaboration and what’s next for Baker.

Troy Baker’s Strong Work Partnership with Neil Druckmann

Returning for Naughty Dog’s Upcoming Game

Neil Druckmann confirmed that Troy Baker will return with a leading role for Naughty Dog’s upcoming game, according to a November 25th GQ article. While specific details about the game are still under wraps, Druckmann's confirmation underscores his confidence in Baker's talent and their longstanding work relationship.

Troy Baker has signed on once again for a leading role in Druckmann’s new project at Naughty Dog. In a heartbeat, I would always work with Troy, Druckmann said. The two share a long history, with Baker voicing Joel in the critically acclaimed The Last of Us series and Samuel Drake in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, most of which were directed by Druckmann.

Their work relationship was rough at the start, as Baker and Druckmann have different views regarding how a game character should act or behave. For instance, Baker would watch his performance and have a go again if he thinks his acting is unsatisfactory. At one point, Druckmann intervened with his work.“This is my process. This is what I need,” he said. “No, you need to trust me - it's your job to be viewed, not to view.”

Despite the tension between them, they became close friends and Druckmann cast Baker in most of Naughty Dog’s games. Though the game director described him “as a demanding actor,” he praised Baker’s performance in The Last of Us II. “Troy’s trying to stretch the limits of what thing is, and often he succeeds at making it better than it was in my imagination.”
Though there is no additional information about this upcoming game, aside from Baker’s voice acting role, fans will surely be happy with this exciting news.

Troy Baker’s Voice Acting History

Troy Baker is not only admired as Joel in The Last of Us I and II or Sam in the Uncharted series. He also starred in various popular video games and animated shows. For instance, he voiced Higgs Monaghan, the overarching antagonist in the Death Stranding series, including the new Death Standing 2: On the Beach. Baker also takes on the lead role as Indiana Jones in the upcoming and one of the most-awaited games this year, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

On the animation side, Baker voiced Schneizel el Britannia in Code Geass and multiple roles in Naruto: Shippuden, like Yamato and Pain. He also played the antagonistic role of Shockwave in Transformers: EarthSpark. In addition, he voiced characters in shows like Scooby Doo, Ben 10, Family Guy, Rick and Morty, and more. These examples are just tip of the iceberg since Baker has a long list of voice-acting roles throughout the years.

Due to his outstanding performance, Baker received multiple nominations at game awards, such as the BAFTA Awards, the Golden Joystick Awards, and several others. He won the Best Voice Actor award at the Spike Video Game Awards in 2013 for his role as Joel in the first The Last of Us game. With numerous nominations and awards to his name, Baker has established himself as a prominent figure in the voice-acting community, particularly in video games.