If Not for Nolan North, Uncharted’s Nathan Drake Would Have Been Based off 1 Jackass Star

Uncharted is one of Naughty Dog’s biggest franchises. Alongside The Last of Us, the action-adventure inspired by Indiana Jones put the studio on the map during the PS3 era. 

Nolan North, who portrays Nathan Drake throughout the series, is one of the many reasons for the franchise’s success. His charisma and overall performance is loved by fans around the world. However, North wasn’t the original face to dawn our main protagonist. During the original pitch for the game, it was a Hollywood star known for his work in Jackass. 

Before Nolan North, Who Was Nathan Drake?

Long ago, when Naughty Dog only had Jak & Daxter and Crash Bandicoot under its belt at PlayStation, the studio wanted to go in a different direction. Putting a heavier emphasis on story and characters that are relatable and entertaining.

During the early stages, the face of Uncharted’s main character was based on Johnny Knoxville. The Jackass star had facial animation that worked as silly and serious when needed. 

Josh Scherr, who co-wrote nearly every Uncharted game, auditioned about 20 to 30 actors before North entered the picture. Scherr said:

When Nolan came in, it was fairly clear that he was going to be the one. He had that right kind of devil may care feel to his voice, but he could also get serious when he needed to. And most importantly, as we discovered, is that the guy was hilarious.

Not only did North bring his voice acting talents to the table but he was able to perform the motion capture too. Scherr did not want to have two separate actors performing each role as there would be a disconnect. 

What Did Uncharted Look Like in 2005?

Pitched as Project Big, this was Naughty Dog’s big franchise for the PS3 generation. One of the scrapped ideas was a high-tech underwater station before BioShock was announced a few months later.

Because the team went for a more realistic approach as opposed to the fantasy worlds of Jak & Daxter and Crash Bandicoot, the animations had to be improved too.

Introducing additive animations which would change the facial expression of characters depending on in-game events.

Technology like this is standard for 2024, but at the time, this was revolutionary for gaming. This made 2007’s title more interactive and realistic than any previous Naughty Dog game before it. The franchise would go on for a decade with the latest installment titled The Lost Legacy in 2017.

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