Mainstream actors seem to grow more and more interested in video game work as the years go by. Just last year, Giancarlo Esposito drummed up a ton of publicity for Far Cry 6 through his intimidating performance as Anton Castillo. Before that, Kojima Production's Death Stranding featured a star-studded cast composed of major figures in the film industry including Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, and Guillermo del Toro. Forspoken aims to be another game starring a notable person from film. In Forspoken, players follow the journey of Frey Holland, whose voice and likeness stem from Ella Balinska of Charlie's Angels fame.
Balinska is considerably younger than the likes of Esposito and Reedus, and so she's had less time to establish a film career, but she has seen a rapid rise to stardom in the last few years. Square Enix and Luminous Productions tapping her to lead its mysterious new isekai-style game Forspoken certainly speaks to excitement about her talents, as does word that she'll star in an upcoming Netflix show based on Resident Evil. Between Forspoken and the new Resident Evil show, Balinska has ample opportunity to become a major contributor to the video game industry for years to come.
Balinska's Rise in Video Gaming
Balinska's newfound presence in the games industry comes after only a few years of work as an actress. The 2019 reboot of Charlie's Angels may have received mixed reviews on the whole, but Balinska was praised for her performance alongside fellow stars Kristen Stewart and Naomi Scott. Aside from Charlie's Angels, Balinska has garnered fans from her leading roles in thriller title Run Sweetheart Run and a TV show called The Athena, as well as a number of smaller roles going back to 2015.
Her work in these films and shows has clearly paid off. It's entirely possible that Square Enix plans to make Forspoken the first game in a franchise, which would mean Balinska has a recurring part to play while continuing her work in cinema. Balinska's starring role in Forspoken is no small feat; if a game company as big as Square Enix is so eager to work with her, there's certainly other developers out there who will be watching her performance in carefully. This could be only the first video game character she plays out of many.
Forspoken is Only the Beginning
The ResidentEvil show could help cement that future after Forspoken comes out. Although Netflix hasn't disclosed the role Balinska will play in the Resident Evil TV show yet, it's encouraging to see her associated with brands as major as Resident Evil even before Forspoken has released. Balinska says she's thrilled to be a part of a show as a longtime fan of Resident Evil, and that enthusiasm for the franchise should go a long way in earning her support from the community.
Balinska certainly isn't about to abandon her mainstream acting career in favor of entirely video game related work; in 2022, she's set to star in a new film called The Occupant based on a short film of the same name. Even so, her work on Forspoken is a big deal. If Balinska delivers another strong performance on a high-profile video game role, there's no doubt that other studios will be eager to cast her in games of their own. Using Forspoken as a stepping stone, Balinska has the chance to establish herself as a central performer in a games industry where the same few VAs tend to crop up, which seems like a wonderful opportunity considering how much more of her career lies ahead of her.
Forspoken releases May 24, 2022 for PC and PS5.
