You may not recognize Baker in live-action, but anyone who’s been near a video game or animated series in the last decade or two will surely recognize his voice. The actor’s IMDb page lists an astoundingly prolific 399 titles (an upcoming game called “Fort Solis” is set to mark an even 400), including hundreds of roles in video games. When he’s not voicing Joel, he plays Batman, The Joker, and assorted other Gotham characters in games like “Batman: Arkham Knight” and “Batman: The Enemy Within.” Baker has been nominated for four BAFTAs for “The Last Of Us” and his roles in “Uncharted 4” (another Druckmann-made game in which he played Nathan Drake’s older brother Samuel) and the popular 2019 apocalypse game “Death Stranding.”
Baker’s turn in the eighth episode of HBO’s “The Last Of Us” is a far cry from deadly but loving Joel Miller: as villainous David’s second in command, he’s cold and calculating, attempting to talk his boss into simply killing Ellie (Bella Ramsey) instead of taking her captive. But it’s also clear that, while James is in David’s inner circle, he doesn’t know everything about the man he follows. He may be an active participant in the cannibalism, but he seems to also be a man of misguided faith, and he’s pretty clueless about ulterior motives David might have for focusing on Ellie. Regardless, James catches a meat cleaver to the face in the episode’s climax, but not before Baker puts in a great, surprisingly in-depth performance in what could’ve been a simple cameo role.
