Kojima Productions managed to put together a truly formidable cast for it's latest game, Death Stranding. One of the most highly-anticipated games of the year, Death Stranding is a beautifully designed game set in the near future where the America we once knew is gone and the worlds of the living and the dead are inextricably entwined.
While the world of Death Stranding that has been dreamt up, designed, and brought to life by Hideo Kojima and his team makes for a deeply immersive experience, the game is gaining lots of notoriety for its very cinematic cut scenes. The cut scenes run long but they are steeped in exposition as well as key story points that help add depth to the world of Death Stranding. Part of the magic of these cut scenes is the fact the Kojima and Co. have assembled an extremely skilled voice cast to bring to life a variety of characters that are essential to the story.
The Walking Dead veteran Norman Reedus is the face of Death Stranding because he plays the lead character as well as the sole playable character in the game. But, as previous trailers have revealed, Reedus is not the sole famous face in the games. Death Stranding has brought together a cast filled with actors, directors (one is an Oscar-winner), film and TV vets, and some familiar performers from video games you love. Below is the full roundup of Death Stranding core cast members with a breakdown on the character they play.
For more on Death Stranding, check out the in-depth review of the game from Collider's own Tom Reimann and Reedus' commentary on how he boarded the project.
Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges
Norman Reedus plays Sam Porter Bridges, the protagonist of Death Stranding and the sole playable character in the epic Kojima Production story. Sam's middle and surname refer to his role — Porter — and the company he works for — Bridges — rather than revealing anything about his true identity. Sam is a reputable and respected deliveryman for the Bridges company who has made a number of important deliveries during his time.
Reedus may be best known for his long-running role on AMC's The Walking Dead but he's also known for his performances in The Boondock Saints, Triple 9, and Blade II.
Léa Seydoux as Fragile
Léa Seydoux plays Fragile, the ostensible head of Fragile Express. Her path frequently crosses with Sam's in his journey across America. Fragile has ties to primary Death Stranding antagonist Higgs Monaghan although she is much more of an ally to Sam.
Seydoux is an actor perhaps most recognizable for her film work. You may know her from popular and acclaimed films like Blue is the Warmest Color, Spectre, Midnight in Paris, and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.
Guillermo del Toro as Deadman
Guillermo del Toro plays Deadman, a member of the Bridges company working in the medical division who is something of a modern-day Frankenstein. Why? Because more than half of his body is harvested from the body parts of dead people and has been assembled together to form a new body.
Del Toro is an Oscar-winning director known for movies like The Shape of Water, Crimson Peak, and Pan's Labyrinth.
Nicolas Winding Refn as Heartman
Nicolas Winding Refn plays Heartman with additional work done by Captain Marvel crew member Darren Jacobs. Heartman is a Bridges member who researches the effects of the Death Stranding. The name refers to the fact that every 21 minutes, the character dies and spends 3 minutes on the other side trying to find his dead wife and daughter.
Refn is best known for his work as a director. His credits include The Neon Demon, Only God Forgives, and Drive.
Mads Mikkelsen as Clifford Unger
Mads Mikkelsen plays Clifford "Cliff" Unger, a man with a mysterious connection to Sam who we frequently see through flashbacks. A former member of the United States Special Forces, Cliff is a secondary antagonist in Death Stranding who frequently attacks Sam.
If you don't know who Mikkelsen is by now, what are you doing with your life? The film and TV actor can boasts a stacked resumé, with credits like Hannibal, Doctor Strange, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Margaret Qualley as Mama/Lockne
Margaret Qualley plays Mama and Lockne, twin sisters born with DOOMS (just like Sam) who have the ability to communicate with one another anywhere in the world. The sisters are the ones who created the chiral network that is central to Death Stranding. Mama created the hardware while Lockne created the software. While Lockne oversees operations at Mountain Knot City, Mama is confined to the Bridges compound so she can be close to her daughter, a BT (essentially, a ghost baby but I'm not going to spoil you on the tragic backstory because that's what playing this game is all about!).
Following her breakout performance in HBO's The Leftovers, Qualley has shown up in Death Note, Native Son, and Fosse/Verdon. Her most recent role happened earlier this year in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Lindsay Wagner as Bridget Strand/Amelie
Lindsay Wagner plays Bridget Strand, the former President of the United States. When we meet Bridget early on in the game, she is frail and dying with her final wish being to see her son. Wagner also plays Amelie, Bridget's daughter who was helping Bridget reunite the cities across America and working to bring the nation back together. Amelie is taking prisoner in Edge Knot City on the west coast by radical group Homo Demens, making it one of Sam's goals to free her.
Wagner has been working in film and television in the early '70s. She broke out with roles in hit '70s shows like The Bionic Woman and The Six Million Dollar Man. Since then, Wagner has shown up in shows like Warehouse 13, NCIS, and Grey's Anatomy.
Tommie Earl Jenkins as Die-Hardman
Tommie Earl Jenkins plays Die-Hardman, the commander of the Bridges company and Sam's boss during the game. Die-Hardman also served as an advisor to the late President Bridget Strand. He also has a connection to Clifford Unger.
Jenkins has been appearing in film and television since the mid-90s, with recent moves into the gaming world. Among Jenkins' most notable credits are performances on shows like Netflix's The Politician, The CW series Pandora, General Hospital, and How to Get Away With Murder. He's also lent his voice to video games including World of Warcraft: Battle of Azeroth.
Troy Baker as Higgs Monaghan
Troy Baker plays the main antagonist in Death Stranding, Higgs Monaghan. Also known as "The Man in the Golden Mask" throughout the game, Higgs is the ruthless leader of the militant separatist group Homo Demens. The group seeks to keep America a broken country, popping up to undo the important work of the Bridges company with radical acts of violence and maintain control of Edge Knot City.
Baker is a veteran of the gaming industry with pivotal roles in a number of big games in recent years. Among his biggest credits to date are voice performances in games like The Last of Us, Batman: Arkham Knight, BioShock Infinite, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and the Uncharted series.
Emily O'Brien as Bridget Strand/Amelie
In addition to Lindsay Wagner's performance as both Bridget and Amelie, actor Emily O'Brien has contributed additional voice performances for Bridget and Amelie as well. It's not clear how the performances from Wagner and O'Brien were split up but O'Brien certainly deserves credit.
O'Brien is an accomplished actor with lots of voice acting credits to her name with plenty of work done in the gaming arena. In her decade-plus career, she has done voice work on League of Legends, God of War, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends. appeared in
Jesse Corti as Deadman
Guillermo del Toro may be the face of Deadman, but it's Jesse Corti who provides the voice performance for Deadman you hear while playing.
To the audience at large, Corti may not be instantly recognizable but he's been in this business for so long that you're bound to recognize at least one of his credits from his extensive resumé. Among his most notable credits are the other voice performances he's turned in, which include Lefou in Disney's Beauty & the Beast and guest voice roles on animated shows like Gargoyles, Rugrats, and Handy Manny.