It has been a while since I’ve done one of these.
Mass Effect is a role-playing video game trilogy developed by Bioware, the first installment being released in 2007.
It has humanity discovering ancient alien technology on Mars that they use to achieve faster-than-light interstellar travel, discovering that the galaxy is rife with intelligent life and bustling civilizations that are more or less getting along. The galactic community is overseen a council representing the dominant races of the galaxy, and centered around an ancient space-station called the Citadel.
The games follow Commander Shepard, an officer of the Systems Alliance Navy –basically humanity’s space military- as he flits around the galaxy in the
Normandy, an advanced stealth spaceship carrying a ragtag crew of humans and aliens, as he tries to thwart the return of an ancient, monstrous race known as the Reapers.
I’m going to cover the first game for now, might do the other later. I’m going to focus on the human and human-looking characters, because picking actors for roles that would be are either CGI or heavy prosthesis feels weird. Much of the games’ cast are voiced and often modeled after known actors, but I’m going to cast someone else, because where’s the fun otherwise?
Director: Guillermo Del Torro
In two words,
Pacific Rim. It didn’t light the world on fire, and a lot of people dismiss it as dumb popcorn flick, but I love. And I thought it was made with plenty of the themes that Mass Effect shares at heart.
Tony Todd as
David Anderson
A veteran of the Systems Alliance Navy, a war hero and Shepard’s mentor.
Giancarlo Esposito as
Donnel Udina
A shrewd politician and humanity’s ambassador to the Citadel Counsil.
Liam Neeson as Steven Hackett
A highly ranked officer in the Alliance Navy and superior to Anderson and Shepard.
Zane Holt as
Kaidan Alenko
An Alliance Navy officer and one of the original Normandy crew, Shepard’s defacto right-hand man.
Maya Stojan as
Ashley Williams
An Alliance Marine NCO with reactionary views of the aliens races of the galaxy.
Michelle Dockery as
Liara T’Soni
A member of the asari race. Liara is an archeologist and expert on Protheans, the disappeared alien race thought to have created much of the technology used by the galaxy, including the Citadel.
Jessica Walter as
Karin Chakwas
The medical officer aboard the Normandy.
Aaron Paul as
Jeff “Joker” Moreau
The Normandy’s sarcastic pilot, touted as the Alliance Navy’s best pilot, despite suffering from brittle bones disease.
Olivia Wilde as
Miranda Lawson
An operative of Cerberus, a rogue human supremacist organization.
Bruce Greenwood as
The Illusive Man (cameo)
Leader and founder of Cerberus.
The two later character didn’t appear in the first game, though Cerberus did in a fairly minor role. I’d include both as fairly minor roles to set up bigger roles in prospective sequels. I imagine Miranda acting in Barla Von’s stead, helping Shepard gain evidence against Saren.
Speaking of which, I choose to refrain from casting Shepard, because there’s no shortage of actors who could play the customizable character, and I have no real favorites. Idris Elba could do it, so could Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, Anthony Mackie, Cate Blanchett, Antje Traue, Charlize Theron, etc…
Hope you liked it. Sound off below.