Nolan North

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Lore & Background

Nathan Drake, the wisecracking treasure hunter at the heart of the Uncharted series, is voiced and physically performed via motion capture by Nolan North. North's portrayal spanned five games: *Uncharted: Drake's Fortune* (2007), *Uncharted 2: Among Thieves* (2009), *Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception* (2011), *Uncharted 4: A Thief's End* (2016), and the PlayStation Vita title *Uncharted: Golden Abyss* (2012). North famously described the motion-capture process as "basically theatre in spandex" with minimal props, requiring a willingness to make an ass of himself. His work earned him two Spike Video Game Awards nominations for "Best Performance by a Human Male." Director J. J. Abrams, a fan of the series alongside his son, cited North's performance as Drake when casting him as a starship helmsman in *Star Trek Into Darkness*. North also made a brief cameo in the 2022 *Uncharted* film adaptation and narrated the audiobook edition.

In Their Own Story

One of North's most defining roles arrived in 2007, when he voiced and performed motion capture for Nathan Drake in *Uncharted: Drake's Fortune*. He reprised the role in *Uncharted 2: Among Thieves* (2009), *Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception* (2011), *Uncharted 4: A Thief's End* (2016), and the PlayStation Vita exclusive *Uncharted: Golden Abyss* (2012). In an interview with *The Guardian*, North revealed that the role demands "a lot of imagination," noting that "motion capture is basically theatre in spandex; there's minimal props, and you need a willingness to make an ass of yourself." His portrayal earned him two nominations at the Spike Video Game Awards in the "Best Performance by a Human Male" category. Director J. J. Abrams, a fan of the series alongside his son, credited North's performance as Drake when casting him as a starship helmsman in *Star Trek Into Darkness*. North also had a brief cameo in the 2022 *Uncharted* film adaptation and narrated the audiobook edition.

Reader's Guide

North's performance as Nathan Drake required full-body motion capture in addition to voice work, a process he likened to "theatre in spandex" with minimal props—demanding a willingness to make an ass of himself. The role earned him two Spike Video Game Awards nominations for "Best Performance by a Human Male."

Did You Know?

• North was twice nominated at the Spike Video Game Awards in the 'Best Performance by a Human Male' category for his role as Nathan Drake.
• Director J. J. Abrams cast North in Star Trek Into Darkness because Abrams and his son are fans of the Uncharted series.
• North described the motion-capture process for Drake as 'basically theatre in spandex' with minimal props.
• North had a brief cameo in the 2022 Uncharted film adaptation and also narrated the audiobook edition.
• North's first Uncharted role was in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, released in 2007.