Who Was the Guy on the Beach in Uncharted (& Why is He Important)

For those who aren’t familiar with the video game Uncharted, a lot of things might be confusing if you decide to watch the movie without doing a bit of research. One important character that might have garnered a movie’s goers interest is the person at the beach. Who is he? And why is he important?

The man on the beach is none other than Nolan North. For mega-fans of the game, they would know that this actor provides the voice of Nathan Drake in the hit video game. This onscreen meeting allowed two versions of Nathan Drake to meet.

But other than this mind-boggling cameo, was there importance to Nolan North’s appearance in the live-action film? Did he get to play a specific character other than himself? This article will answer questions regarding North’s appearance in the Uncharted films.

Who is Nolan North?

Aside from being an American actor, Nolan North is a household name when it comes to providing voices for popular video games. He was the voice provider for Nathan Drake in the Uncharted video game series and grew in popularity because of that role. Other notable roles include Prince from Prince of Persia, Dr. Edward Ritchtofen from Call of Duty Zombies Mode, Deadpool in several Marvel-related media, and several other roles.

He also won several voice acting awards, most notably for his Uncharted role. He first won Best Performance for his voice acting skills in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End in 2016 and has been winning and getting nominated for his voice Acting since then.

The Difference Between the Game’s Nathan Drake and The Movie’s Nathan Drake?

Nathan Drake from the film feels different from the one featured in the games. One of the big differences between the two Nathan Drake’s that make them feel like different characters is their ages. The movie is somewhat of a prequel, so it makes sense for Drake to age down in the movie.

Sully’s dynamic with Nate has also changed from the film and games. In the games, Sully met Nate when Nate was just a teenager, and Sully was old enough for his father. The age gap allowed them to have a pseudo-father/son dynamic. However, the age gap was shrunk in the film. Sully, despite being more experienced than Nate in the film, doesn’t impart any valuable wisdom. The two seem to be more friends than family in the movie.

Some of Nate’s backstory has also been changed. Other than his relationship with Sully, his relationship with Sam is also different. Nate and Sam were portrayed as close brothers, even adventuring together for a long time prior to Sam’s “Death.” However, the relationship between the two brothers is played out differently in the movie. It looks as if Sam hardly cared much for Nate, but at least Nate still cared.

In addition, the movie said both their parents had died. However, in the game, Nate’s mother is the only one who has died, and their father has decided to give up both siblings to the state.

The level of experience in treasure hunting is also different. In the Uncharted movie, Nate hardly experiences adventuring out of his job as a bartender in New York City. Sure, he has some experience with theft and fighting, but that’s his only experience. In the games, Nate has been treasure hunting and traveling all around the world since his teens.

What Character is Nolan North Playing in the Uncharted Film?

Nolan North didn’t play any specific character in the film. Instead, he was there for a cameo appearance. Hence his line to Nate when he said he experienced something similar to what Nate has just gone through. It was an allusion to his role in the Uncharted film as he voiced Nate’s animated self in the games. While it didn’t play any heavy importance to the film, it was a nice touch to the film that a lot of fans appreciated.

What Does Nolan North Feel About His Appearance in the Film?

At first, North wasn’t too sure he wanted to make the cameo at all. However, he eventually agreed to be part of the project since he felt the cameo would feel similar to the guest roles Stan Lee would do in every Marvel Movie. It was a quick role that had a significant impact on fans of the films. Many gamers were grateful he agreed to be part of it, even for just a simple scene.

The voice actor said he’d be open to a cameo for a future film. However, even if he won’t be asked to make a reappearance, he said he has high hopes for the movie getting a sequel. According to him, he would like elements of the most recent game to be added if they decide on another film.

How Does He Feel About Tom Holland Playing the Role He Voiced?

North was also quick to praise Tom Holland as the live-action version of Nate. Not only did he praise the MCU star for his acting, but also for being well-mannered and friendly to everyone involved in the project. North recalled an instance where Holland made sure to greet his fans. However, when North tried greeting Holland’s fans, he was not given the same feedback.

How Does Tom Holland Feel About Playing the Live-Action Version of Nathan Drake?

Nathan Drake is definitely someone Tom Holland wasn’t used to playing as. Sure, people may have thought that he’d feel at home due to it being an action-packed movie similar to his MCU films. However, Holland has always felt at home playing the awkward outsider kid in a movie rather than the cool guy he had to portray in Uncharted. 

Tom Holland even told THR that the character was challenging to play because he had to bring in a cool persona to the set. After years of playing as Peter Parker and other similar characters, Holland was now facing a new challenge.

However, despite the hurdle, Holland admitted he did enjoy playing a popular game character from a series he was a fan of. He summarized everything as an amazing experience being involved in a different franchise compared to what he was used to. 

Holland even expressed that hew happy about a couple of the stunts he did himself. As a trained acrobat and gymnast, Holland has always prided himself on being able to pull off some of his onscreen stunts while he was staring as Spider-Man. Now, in uncharted, he was able to do a couple of new stunts as well.