From his breakout role as Adam Jensen in the critically acclaimed game “Deus Ex: Human Revolution“, to his appearances on popular TV shows, the enigmatic Kenzo Gabriel in the hit show “The Expanse”, and his most recent performance as the villain L’ak in season 5 of ”Star Trek Discovery”, Toufexis has made a name for himself as a versatile and talented actor.
As we began our interview, I am eager to learn more about his creative process, his experiences in the industry, and his thoughts on the future of entertainment. So sit back, relax, and join us as we delve into the world of Elias Toufexis.
Can you tell us about your Greek heritage and how it has influenced your work as an actor?
My father was born in Kavala and was in Athens until he was five or so years old. Then my Greek family came to Canada. I was born in Montreal.
I think that the fun and passion of growing up going to Greek churches and Easter celebrations (full lamb roasting in the front yard!) definitely had an impact on my personality. Which, in turn, informs any performance I give as an actor.
What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about Greek culture?
Are there misconceptions? I think most people think of Greeks as a strong people with a rich history and incredible food. We invented Democracy and souvlaki.
Well, we are also famous for smashing plates at weddings! Do you have any plate-smashing skills yourself? Speaking of Greek food, if you had to choose between eating only souvlaki or only Greek yogurt for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?
I’ve been to my share of Greek weddings with dancing and smashing. I can dance and smash with the best of them OPA! Souvlaki all the way. I pretty much only eat souvlaki and tiropita in my normal life anyway.
Can you walk us through your process for creating a character’s voice? How do you find the right tone and delivery for each character?
It doesn’t really matter if it’s on camera, on stage, or in a voice booth. I approach the character the same way every time. I read into his background, what he wants and how he wants to get it. His background informs the voice and body and his goals inform the performance.
How do you prepare for a motion-capture performance, and what are some of the unique challenges that come with that kind of acting?
There are unique challenges with each form of acting I do. With Performance Capture you have to use your imagination a lot because you’re more or less on an empty stage. So if I’m supposed to be on a field in Greece, I have to imagine being there. But that’s fun. There are a lot of technical things you have to be aware of too. There are hundreds of cameras on a mocap stage. There’s a mic and a camera on your face. These are all things you have to ignore for the sake of your performance. Sometimes you can’t do a move you want because the camera on your face will bump into something or someone. You have to be a little more creative to work around the tech. But that’s the same with anything. On camera you have to worry about hitting your mark so you’re in focus. You have to make sure you don’t block another actor’s light etc… Every medium has its challenges.
You’ve worked on some of the most iconic video game franchises of all time, including “Assassin’s Creed” and “Deus Ex.” Can you talk about your experiences working on these games and what it was like to be part of such popular franchises?
Assassin’s Creed I’ve played four or five characters in and I love when they bring me back. I adore going through history with those games. Their following is also huge and I love meeting fans who know exactly what I’ve done in the games and embrace my work.
Deus Ex changed my career in the sense that Adam Jensen kind of fell into the group of really popular video game protagonists for a while. None of us were expecting that and I just ran with it. So every opportunity to do a Comic-con or meet fans of the game I jumped at. It also led to my name getting out there a lot more than it would have. I love Adam Jensen too as a character. I only wish we finished his story.
How did you land the role of Adam Jensen in Deus Ex?
It was just another audition. For actors, you take any and every audition that comes to you early on. Deus Ex was just another audition that week. I’m glad I went!
You played a major role in “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey,” as King Leonidas. How you approached that role? It must be hard to beat the picture of King Leonidas from ”300”.
I have very fond memories of playing Leonidas. I was very excited to bring our own take on what was a really popular character because of the 300 Movie. I love Gerard Butler too, and I didn’t want to copy him at all. Having a Greek accent helped. That’s not a dig at Butler, because they simply weren’t doing accents int he film. What was a real challenge was doing the performance capture for it, I was rallying my 300 troops and they were actually only about 6 stunt guys standing in. So we had to, let’s say, use our imagination. But like I said above, that’s part of the fun.
The video game industry has changed a lot over the past few years, with advances in technology and the rise of interactive movie games. How do you see the industry evolving in the coming years?
I work as a voice-director in videogames very often so I have an insider vantage point. Every game some new dialogue system has been implemented. Or some new tech where we can record a bunch of actors at once from all over the world. Every time I go in to do Performance Capture the cameras are better, lighter and more precise. It changes weekly.
AI is going to be an interesting part of the video game industry. Actors are worried about that and justifiably so. We have to make sure we keep actors playing characters and not AI.
Do you have a preference for working in television versus working in video games? Or do you enjoy both equally for different reasons?
Voice or Performance Capture or on camera are all just different ways to capture a performance. I like each one.
The only thing that is different for me is the hours. Voice is the shortest day. Performance Capture is a normal work day. Film and TV are 16 hour days and can get pretty exhausting…but I swear I don’t have a preference. Character and project is what I care about.
The rise of streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ has changed the way that people consume content. How do you see this trend impacting the industry in the years ahead?
It’s already impacting the business. You can see it in the Writer’s Strike that’s happening in the US. Writer’s aren’t getting paid what they do for Network television because streamers have a completely different business model. I know I make more as an actor for doing one episode of FBI: Most Wanted than anything I do on Netflix (because of residuals). It’s a new world for entertainment. I hope we can get a handle on it.
Do you have any dream video game or television projects that you’d love to be a part of in the future?
Nothing particularly that’s out there right now. I love being part of the Star Trek family and I love doing the games and animated series I do. I would like to work with Taylor Sheridan. I feel like I fit directly into his style (Yellowstone, Tulsa King etc). And I miss being on the stage, but it simply doesn’t pay enough for the time put in these days. I live in LA and the prices are ridiculous.
Get someone in Greece to give me a long term, well paid gig and I’ll move there in a heartbeat!
Thank you so much, Elias Toufexis, for taking the time to chat about your experiences in the gaming and entertainment industries. It was truly fascinating to hear about your approach to character development, your insights into the future of the industry, and everything in between. We can’t wait to see what you’ll do next!
