How Troy Baker Perfectly Captured the Voice of Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones

Several years ago, when the team behind Indiana Jones and the Great Circle first began sketching out the backbone of their game, I can only wonder if they fully understood the challenge they were taking on by choosing to go all-in with Indiana Jones’ likeness. They weren’t just crafting a character named “Indiana Jones”; they aimed for him to look, act, and sound exactly like Harrison Ford’s unforgettable portrayal from the iconic 1980s trilogy. This was Indiana in his rugged prime, far removed from the older version we’ve seen in the more recent installments.

Creating a game is no small feat, but pulling off something of this magnitude is nothing short of a miracle—an achievement largely credited to the talents of Troy Baker. Known for his standout performances as Joel in The Last of Us and Sam Drake in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Baker faced the immense task of bringing one of pop culture’s most treasured heroes to life. Anything less than a flawless rendition of Ford’s voice simply wouldn’t do.

Thanks to a recently released video from BAFTA, we gain some fascinating insights into how Baker nailed this daunting task. As described by the game’s cinematic producer Mitra Ashkan Far, Baker embraced his role with a bit of method acting. He rolled into the initial table read—conducted over Microsoft Teams amid pandemic restrictions—donning his “Indiana Jones” display name and sported the signature fedora and bullwhip during the session.

Ashkan Far and Emily Hesler, the voice-over designer, attribute much of their success to performance director Tom Keegan, whose impressive portfolio includes numerous entries in Wolfenstein and Star Wars franchises. Hesler notes how Keegan had a knack for getting actors fully into character. At around the 7:20 mark of the 27-minute peek behind the scenes, Hesler shares clips of Baker as Indy, complete with grunts and cries as he endures beatings—a testament to his masterful, Ford-like performance.

“What you hear there is so distinctly Indy,” Hesler exclaims, amused and amazed at the authenticity of it all. “There’s more to it than him just getting punched.”

To Hesler, even the way Baker grunts captures Indy’s sense of frustration and determination, a cue that Indy’s ready to turn the tables on his attacker despite the current predicament.

“It needs to have a bit of breathiness,” Hesler elaborates. “There’s this underlying tone that suggests he’s a bit annoyed too. Troy nails that balance perfectly, adding layers of personality and attitude.”

After countless hours immersed in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, I’m still in awe of Baker’s portrayal, which earned him a share of the 2025 DICE Award for Outstanding Achievement in Character. This exciting title is set to release on PlayStation 5 this coming spring.