Gabriel Sloyer on the Experience of Acting in Red Dead Redemption 2
Although it may have lost out to God of War for Game of the Year at the Game Awards, Red Dead Redemption 2 certainly had quite a showing. The game won Best Narrative, Best Score/Music, and Best Audio Design. Plus, Roger Clark won Best Performance for his portrayal of Arthur Morgan in the game. Red Dead Redemption 2 has been widely lauded for its story and performances in particular; indeed, it seems likely that it will further reinforce the new trend towards single-player games which has emerged during 2018.
We recently had the chance to interview one of the actors who lent their talents to Red Dead Redemption 2. Gabriel Sloyer, who also voiced Oscar Guzman in GTA V and has appeared in shows like Narcos and Jessica Jones, portrays Javier Escuella in the newly released game. He took over the role from Antonio Jaramillo, who voiced the character in the original Red Dead Redemption. We spoke to him about his experiences working with Rockstar and how he developed his portrayal of the character.
For people unfamiliar with your work, can you tell us a bit about how you got started as an actor and your professional experience thus far?
“Well, my career got started doing plenty of theater, on and off Broadway. But gamers would know me as the arms dealer, Oscar Guzman in Grand Theft Auto V. Fans might also recognize me from TV shows like Narcos, Orange is the New Black, Power, Limitless, The Blacklist, and Jessica Jones. Or if they’ve seen the recent movies Breaking Brooklyn with Louis Gossett Jr. and Brawl in Cell Block 99 with Vince Vaughn.”
How does acting for a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 compare to the experience of acting for a major live-action series like Narcos?
“Both Red Dead Red Redemption 2 and Narcos are historical narratives trying to capture the spirit of their time. For Narcos we were telling a true story, shot on location, about the rise and fall of the Colombian cartels. My character, Manuel de Dios Unanue, was a real-life investigative journalist, so I was able to research him in preparation for the role. In contrast, RDR2 was shot in an empty warehouse and, while it is based on a specific time period, all the events are fictionalized. The acting couldn’t be more different. On Red Dead Redemption 2 we were performing with no sets, costumes, and minimal context. We were like kids thrown into different scenarios, playing with our imagination while the animators digitized us. “
Do you prefer one particular form of acting over the other?
“I think with gaming it’s so cool that we can be instantly transported into snowy mountains, shipwrecked off islands, or caught in the crossfire of a thoroughfare. To be able to do that with a gang of people you like for five years — in a different era no less — is a wild ride. It isn’t something you get to do regularly in this industry. Having a ‘ride-or-die’ gang like that again, on TV or in video games, would be well worth the journey.”
How did you develop the voice and character of Javier Escuella for Red Dead Redemption 2?
“That’s an interesting question. Since RDR2 is a prequel, longtime fans already knew how Javier’s story was going to end. But I wanted to fight against any ideas they might have had from the first game and see if we could win everyone over. I thought if we really played up how loyal, nostalgic and likeable Javier was, then his eventual break with John in the first RDR would be even more painful. So on a personal note, it means a lot when fans tell me they were surprised at how much they liked Javier, and then regretted treating him the way they did in the first game.”
Did you try to emulate Antonio Jaramillo’s performance as Escuella from the first Red Dead Redemption at all, or give your own distinct portrayal of the character?
“I tried to emulate the legendary bandit Joaquin Murrieta. I imagined him brooding around different camps, singing nostalgic ballads and trying to escape his dark past. For some reason, reading about the tales of this mythic character always put me in the mood.”
Did the role involve motion-capture, etc. or was it purely a voice role?
“Way more than voice. Everything you see on there, the walk, the songs, the facial movements, everything came from us doing it live in the space. So those scenes where Javier gets dragged by a rope through the mud? Yep, that happened. Although I have no proof of this, I’d even like to think the final rendering of Javier’s outfits might have had something to do with me. After all, he is the best dressed man in camp.”
Earlier this year, while speaking about his role in God of War, Christopher Judge said that the perception of video games was changing for the better among actors; “Reading the script for the first time, I thought it was for a big A-list film, […] Now every actor I know is searching for a lead role in a game”; From your perspective, do you agree with his assessment?
“I think they’d be wise to. Video games have always been a staple of popular culture and now as the technology has improved, they are being acknowledged as true works of art. RDR2 can take people places emotionally and experientially that movies can not. It makes sense that games are finally getting their due.”
Given that you also voiced a character in Grand Theft Auto V, what has it been like working with Rockstar Games on two different projects? Were the two experiences similar, or very different?
“In GTAV, I remember after the first shoot thinking to myself, ‘Man, who is this guy and why is he overacting so hard?’ It was my first time in the medium and there was this aggressive, strung out actor going nuts in a pretty basic scene. Then when the game came out and I saw it was the sociopath Trevor, of course it all made sense. As you know, RDR2 is based on a gang, a community, a collective. Because Javier always has a mind toward the betterment of the entire group, it was an entirely different experience.”
Would you want to work with the studio again on their future projects, whatever they may prove to be?
“Yes, definitely. These guys are at the forefront of their industry, passionate about the games they make and committed to innovation.”
As a final question, are there any upcoming projects you’re involved with which you think people should know about?
“Of the projects I can talk about, I’ll be on Alternatino on Comedy Central coming up. And if you’re in New York, come stop by and see me in the play, Actually We’re F**ked, at The Cherry Lane Theatre in February [2019].”