When production on the film adaptation of Uncharted first began to gain momentum under the direction of Seth Gordon, we listed our picks on which actors we thought could bring Nathan Drake to life. However, Nate would not be the man he is without adoptive father figure Victor “Sully” Sullivan by his side. Let’s take a look at ten actors who could slip into the role and don Sully’s thin, shermanic moustache.
Liam Neeson
Ever since the tragic death of his wife Natasha Richardson, Neeson has found solace by throwing himself into a flurry of action roles, including the Taken trilogy, The A-Team and, most recently, Non-Stop. He is also no stranger to video games, having voiced the father figure in Fallout 3. He brings a sense of gravitas and power to any role he touches, but given that he is heavily in demand and riding a high career wave, he may not wish to play second fiddle in a film when he is usually the star attraction.
Nicolas Cage
As an actor, Nicolas Cage is quite the conundrum, haunted by an insane acting spirit that drives him to succeed in every genre. However, like Neeson, he is a star in his own right, and still remains attached to the third film in the Uncharted-esque National Treasure series, also in development. He may rule out doing this film after doing another one so similar. There is also his baby-faced charm, despite the fact he is in his fifties, which may detract from the fact that Sully is meant to be the wiser, more mature of the pair.
Dennis Quaid
The bright-eyed Texan’s last role was as Sheriff Ralph Lamb in the underrated, ill-fated TV series Vegas, starring opposite Michael Chiklis. He too has a wide range of roles, from blockbusters such as The Day After Tomorrow to Oliver Stone’s dissection of American football, Any Given Sunday. He has a certain charisma to match his cheeky grin, and that could certain work while chomping on one of Sully’s trademark cigars.
Hugo Weaving
The versatile actor, born in Nigeria but raised in Australia and Great Britain, is one of the acting world’s greatest chameleons, from the nefarious Agent Smith in The Matrix to elven ruler Elrond in The Lord of the Rings. He flits between low budget indie hits and massive summer blockbusters, and could very well be attracted to the Uncharted universe, although he has on numerous occasions lambasted certain big-budget films he starred in, namely the Transformers series.
Mel Gibson
The highly controversial Gibson had a four-year career gap, largely due to his anti-semitic rant at a police officer who arrested him for drunk driving in 2006. Although professing he wanted to focus solely on producing and directing, Gibson has been back in the saddle recently, starring in both Machete Kills and the upcoming The Expendables 3. Despite his temper and world views, Gibson remains a strong screen presence, and could offer a counterweight to whichever young actor Sony picks to play Drake.
Jeff Bridges
The Dude! Like most of the men on the list, Bridges manages to juggle tent-pole flicks like Iron Man with critical darlings such as True Grit. He is certainly no stranger to video games, having starred in the early computer-generated cult classic Tron and its sequel. The only question remains is whether he could smooth his bushy beard into a tidy moustache.
Chris Cooper
Cooper is a dark, often brooding presence on screen. He rarely flirts with such big. boisterous films, although he is soon to be seen inhabited the diseased skin of Norman Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The character actor, best known for his roles in American Beauty and The Bourne Identity, is often found in smaller roles, and so Uncharted could prove something meatier for him to tackle, despite the big-budget nature.
Alec Baldwin
The star of 30 Rock is the most prolific of the Baldwin acting dynasty. Although he enjoyed a number of film roles in the 1990s, including the scene-stealing lecture in Glengarry Glen Ross, for the last decade and a half he has flitted between TV and film roles, including Martin Scorsese’s The Departed and The Aviator. With 30 Rock now finished, Baldwin could be free to pursue larger roles in films, and he could kill the role of Sully.
Bruce Campbell
Sam Raimi’s favourite cameo has played a similar role to Sully in TV’s Burn Notice, a friend/father figure to the main character of Michael Weston. Still best known for The Evil Dead series, Campbell may not be as heavyweight an actor as others on the list, but he does embody Sully’s cheek, and if given the chance, could properly nail the role.
Craig T. Nelson
A rank outsider, Nelson is current starring as grandfather Zeek Braverman in TV series Parenthood, although others may recognise him as the voice of Mr. Incredible from Pixar’s The Incredibles. Before that, he was the titular Coach Hayden Fox in 1990s TV series Coach, and the unfortunate father Steve Freeling in Poltergeist and its sequels. Although almost two decades older than most of the actors on the list, Nelson’s large presence and commanding voice could make him a consideration for casting directors.
So what do you think, readers? Could one of these fine actors provide the fatherly pat on the back Nate so often needs? Or is there someone we have overlooked who may be more suitable for the role of Sully?
