my name is Michael Antonakos. I play
Alexio some assassins create Odyssey I I
was born in Athens and I moved to Canada
when I was about three years old my
father moved back to Greece when I was
about six so I continued to come back to
Greece during the summers throughout my
youth and into my teenage years and I
guess I feel that I've had the
opportunity to feel connected to Greece
growing up as a kid I started you know
school plays and then I continued to
perform with the Rocky Mountains a spear
company into my early teens my mom was a
choreographer and my sisters an opera
singer so I I kind of delved into a
little bit of dance and singing and then
that got me into musical theater I
wanted something to do with cinema when
it's something to do with acting so I
enrolled in the drama school of Greece
national drama school at Greece then I
spent three years at the Royal Academy
of Dramatic Arts in London and yeah
pretty much
I after that I came back to Greece have
done a few jobs here taught English did
a lot of translating work as well on the
sides and just this came up literally
out of nowhere I had done a bit of work
on origins a few characters and origins
and my engine calls me up one day and
says basically that they would also like
to see you for another project that
they're developing and three auditions
later after Athens London and Quebec
that's where we met which is where we
met we met in Quebec and I thank you
though because I wouldn't have done it
without him um yeah basically we ended
up from this great project together
I seem to remember that last week during
the launch event you mentioned that your
studies in London proved more useful for
this kind of job
compared to your initial condition yeah
nothing I guess in a way you could say
like both were very useful in that they
talked to very different types of
approach to acting in general so I'm not
gonna I'm not dissing the Greek drama
school education in that respect but
basically what I'm saying is that there
was no focus on actual voice work in in
London we had the opportunity we had we
had a lesson dedicated to voice acting
they we called it sight reading at the
time so it was basically approaching
text trying to decode text very fast and
being able to portray as much as we
possibly could in the voice within a
very short period of time and we went on
to do some radio plays there were some
competitions with the BBC I think and it
was trying to talk to you dissing it it
stands to reason to be in a way in the
gun I was like a cultural thing yeah
obviously and the reason why I'm saying
that the Greek educated I mean the Greek
education that I had also helped and
contributed in terms of how they they
also teach you how to act which is very
different and I'm saying that it worked
accumulatively but at the end in London
because of exactly what you just
mentioned the fact that they have the
whole culture to support it it was much
easier to practice and to flex that
muscle something in the whole process
that you didn't really expect to be it
weird in any way but it surprised me by
being so well we had to we had to copy
each other's
Orman says in the game which is
something I've never really done before
and it's a unique thing as actress to to
create one character for two different
versions of it and one's a female ones
male and and to work with an actor to
help establish who this who the
character is whether it's male or female
you have to sort of both agree on you
know an idea of who that person is and
then find a balance between the the
sexes so if it because if it comes from
a man it can be different it comes from
a woman it can be different so we really
worked on on finding this balance
between masculine and feminine for
everything we did and it was that was a
really neat experience and and working
together on that front was really really
special we got along very well and we
were both willing to contribute and
willing to be open and take critiques
from each other to help get the best
performance it's a weird thing to have
to watch someone and then good luck okay
and give them a note and hope they don't
get their ego affected by it and then
they get up and do it again and then you
have to step up and and sort of do your
own version but the same way that they
did and that was a really neat it was
weird it was weird but we did it very
well yeah I mean I think what was weird
about it was the fact that in and of
itself basically you know that we had to
do that how we ended up doing it and how
it turned out was not know at all but
the fact that it was the prerequisite
was the weird element I think like we
had to fit in the same timing the same
blocking moments the same everything had
to - the acting had to match because
they creating all the shots and
everything to be the same and we have to
fill it in I've in the seconds I mean
you everything needed to be timed so
that you know we would hit you know
they're the same line at the same spot
in the same location you know it was
interesting yeah and we expected to take
many takes to get
there and I think everyone here didn't
expected it would take many takes to do
it but for some reason I think it was
because we did a lot of you and I
cracked a lot before we got to before we
got to get a rolling action on the day
we did do a homework all the time
together and so we sometimes got it in
one take hmm and majority was two takes
and pushing it sometimes was three and
it was fascinating because everyone even
obviously something we got better at
yeah yeah yeah as the earth yeah
obviously that's yes to begin with but
it's it also I think depends on which
bit so the cinematix I think would have
required a different kind of homework
and then the vo bulk would have required
something very different cinematics were
always much easier correct me if I'm
wrong we're here to just seven yeah
cinematics were always a bit easier
because it was much less that we Oh
script wise yeah so we had maybe three
or four scenes of maybe three pages each
pursued there was some average more
sections of stuff we would be shooting
like give it a different she's saying we
have three scenes or four or five scenes
four to shoot all week maybe ten the
most we had on but they were broken up
and they weren't very long and we had
time to prepare them to break down the
these mentions in the subtext and who
were meeting and I think and the
blocking and we work a lot on that
basically so it was so what did you
think of this scene so what you you know
we had to basically decide on a common
ish approach because obviously were
portraying the same character so we both
needed to agree to a big extent on what
it was that we were bringing yes and how
how the scene would feel
we would individually I would I would
just break down the script of my own
I think you'd break down the script on
your own and then when we met up to
shoot in Toronto we would sit down at
the hotel usually come home or we got to
rehearsal we would compare what we both
had decided about the scene sometimes it
was it was actually a little different
than what the I think the writers
intention might have been and so we had
to make a decision okay can we bring
this to the writers and ask what they
think if they if they like the way we're
approaching it cuz of how we we saw and
they were very receptive when we did do
that I mean on the very very very few
occasions that we actually ended up
saying you know bringing an idea to the
table the next day in the room they were
very open yeah they were good that way
it was really nice and and so from from
there we would just continue to work at
it and once it was on the stage and one
of us was going first and the other one
would follow and we'd be watching and
and literally helping each other
critique each other and then fixing it
take 1 take 2 and then then we'd switch
video was a bit different they all
didn't actually because there was so
much in terms of script what you mean so
much in terms of script I mean a lot in
terms of script every week you get about
a 200 400 one time I thought we got a
900-page I looked at it was like wow hey
so every week you get these two hundred
page scripts let's just start there 200
page script that's a movie that's one
movie yeah not a big movie and then for
the movie you usually have a lot of time
to prep for it but months if you're on a
feature and this was everything you need
to be condensed within one week so so
you can understand that a lot of the
time there were things that were not
addressed maybe as much as I would
personally like to have been able to
address something or analyze it or do
more homework on it so after a while it
started getting easier because you kind
of got into the flow of how
that problem should be dealt with once
you come up against it but in the
beginning it was really tricky because I
felt like I didn't have enough time to
be able to do the work that I mean you
know usually given because but then
again it's like it's a very different
medium voiceover video game so I mean I
think it's part of the process as well
you need to be able to do that yeah
you've got to pick it up quick it was a
County because you would you would only
have enough time to read it yeah that's
about it you have enough time to like
read it once and then you're recording
and so to do real homework and to break
it down and to and then to go into a
room all by yourself and it's all
chopped up and then in different you go
in different paths and directions
sometimes you might go over here and
then ten minutes later come back to the
other choice so having to keep all of
these things in your head I've actually
found that much harder to be honest yeah
then you know because I think that the
prep time you do actually get used to it
a bit so find you're like okay I'm I'm
gonna have to reading it's gonna have to
suffice yeah and you figure out a way to
do that but the bit of bouncing back and
forth is actually very tricky in order
to figure because it's such a big art
it's such a big story arc so in
understanding exactly where you are as
well and when their lines that you have
to rerecords it was it was tricky yeah
you might finish the choice real way
over here and then you'll have to come
back to the conversation way back when
at the beginning and then make choices
in a different direction but you can't
remember exactly how you started that
conversation and you're not talking
anyone so it's it's all in your head and
that was that was one of the biggest
obstacles I found
was was that yeah to keep that honest
this year and try it to know how to
navigate each change of a question and
each choice pattern and and its open
world so your destiny is unknown and
that's a that's a really different
obstacle to deal with other than like a
film where you know the pattern of this
character is going to go this way well
they might not they might go this way so
yeah that was very neat
I suppose this kind of challenge was in
order to you well this was correct me if
I'm wrong game production of this game I
think so yes I think it is yeah are the
video synchronous of video game
production very dynamic very modular
very ad hoc at times so I suppose this
is this messes up with your usual
processes it's a great lesson I've taken
a lot from it it actually makes you more
you know you're not so precious you can
actually no but you can actually you
pick up new skills and you learn how to
deal with that now that's why I'm saying
after a while okay fine this is where we
didn't let's let's make this work let's
make this work and then eventually by
the end of it it's all it's all worked
out for the best you get a big you get
crafty at it you start seeing how things
can move in and yeah yeah I've learned
more on this game I think yeah then I
have on anything in a very long time
it's a school in itself it was a school
in itself uh he said that at times you
had the chance to provide feedback
the scriptwriters and make adjustments
one way or the other
how far did that go
it's a it it's an interesting thing
because sometimes I've experienced
people like things and that's the way it
is we want it like this
that's the and so approaching that in
the beginning was it was an uncertain
thing like how will we will we be
received when we bring our notes to the
table and and see it this way and they
were open to listening and and then we'd
talk through it and once they understood
where our side of it was coming from
they were very receptive to adjusting
and I think it was a good move on them
yeah we wanted to continue to keep the
characters as honest and sincere as
possible and to the culture as well so
you know we brought a lot more humor I
think in the beginning and it continued
to be received well and and we we really
wanted to continue that flow of humor
because Greeks can be really funny even
when they're sarcastic or bitter it's
there's some humor involved and so we
were like this needs a bit of humor and
it's in the language it's in the flow
and the way it colors so the accents
really helped wants you through an
accent on it changed the way it was
delivered then the way was written kind
of funny it was you
you had to use accents you clearly don't
use you know did live we're speaking
English how do you wrap your head around
that it's like doing something
completely out of your norm mmm accents
are fun I love accents
axes are great fun I and also find that
sometimes when you when you speak in an
accent you discover this whole chunk of
vocabulary that you had completely
forgotten that you had which is stored
probably somewhere else in your brain I
love something oh that word I haven't
used that word in months and years but
it's everything's just some luck when
you use a different accent which you
know I don't I don't I find him very
very enjoyable well what an act then it
changes
so much about you everything different
personality different persona different
physicality everything changes yeah it's
really it's really neat I've been
fortunate to do accents for many
different things and and I find it I
find it fascinating how how you just
changed by I throw in on an accent it
makes you more regal that makes you more
just by doing a British accent we're
just showing off this it's simple and it
makes you but it changes you just who
you are so that's like an egg and then
when you do the Greek eclipse it makes
you find it makes it it all has a
different thing and Earl Jones there
somewhere you died with the art yeah so
it for me once I I find a voice and I
settle into it it it brings the
character through me alive I find hmm
as per the changing direction the brunt
of humors in a game I would take it that
that's holy what holy up to you partly
because I don't know I know day one for
me what do you mean when I was doing the
motion capture you weren't there that
day no it's just before you got you got
hired that that test shoot day that
ended up being a real shoot day for me
and I came out and just it's an it's an
Acropolis it's in the apartment on oh no
no no that's the other one that's in the
house of somebody yes in that house and
and I came out with the character I
still just barely knew what I was acting
in at that point but I've had a very
interesting way of approaching the scene
and when they yelled cut everyone was
laughing and they called me sis hacen
because I was so sassy it was just a
type of you know condescending humour
that came out of it and they really
liked it
and there so everything kind of happened
like that and they continued to get
taken in that direction a little more
you started noticing after a while so
that the scripts and the quality and the
type of humor actually started changing
bit by bit every single bulk of text
that we got of script like it was
slightly different there was a bit more
and it was a bit more and a bit more a
bit more much yes yeah I love this it
started more straight a little it's your
fault
Thank You Man oh I'll take the blame huh
assassins
there was clearly different kind of
humor that's what mostly oh so nice yeah
we really wanted to to keep a lot of the
Greek culture and the way people
interact alive in the game that was
really important to us you say they were
like oh yeah a lot a lot I kept trying
to squeeze other things in there as well
especially in the in mocap what they
think
you know we gotta not I want it I want
it I wanted more I wanted more swear
words I was kind of trying it was the
amount of ways we had to save my lockout
which was really fun so we had to always
find really fun new ways to approach it
no say does a question say does an order
say it in shock must believe I would
like to see you to do that we have done
that I know I want to see you this is a
serious interview
I like that idea I'm gonna do it
I like the idea I knew one year we were
hired no but that percentage we can
actually place it but in my vision let's
see Oh real thing you can find out
percentages okay what better way making
it I don't know I really wanna make it
in public
well we this is public oh dear
this could take a while let's get we'll
get back to that one I told her when she
was beginning I was like you have no
idea how important you are as being the
first one I know how to character in the
world I think I was like good luck for
me it's a tough one at the very
beginning she was she was the most
amazing person to have in an audition
because she was I don't know really how
to describe it she was just she took up
all the roles of somebody who would
mediate somebody who had softened
somebody who would take care of you
somebody who would give you the
direction that you needed exactly the
way that you needed to hear it and and
she just removed all element of stress
throughout the initial audition there
she was absolutely wonderful give you an
example some casting experience I have
you come in you walk in a room it's very
cold you say your name took camera and
then a reader starts acting with you and
then you're done you is it thank you bye
it can be a very stressful situation for
actors to be able to just stay strong
and grounded and do their thing and walk
out and feel
so when I went to my first audition or
call back with with Lydia and sure ah no
problem
me and she talked with me she had a
couple other people there Karolina Marc
Marc Andre and she introduced me we
talked
they wanted to know a bit about me we
got him to a place of relaxation she
settled in with us she asked me about
you know questions about me and and and
then we talked about the scene and the
character and then when we've got
another actor to come in it was it was
very very compassionate towards actors
and being there for them and that's rare
and she was a gem and a pleasure to
audition with and and she was like that
for the rest of the period as we began
the game helping us make us feel
comfortable stuck with you friendship
friendship our friendship yeah yeah that
is just a really unexpected thing yeah
you know you usually work on a job you
make friends and you oh oh really
what is life friends it's great maybe
you really understand character there
are a lot of common there's a lot of
similarities actually I went home and
told my wife I was like I met the female
version of myself it is weird
it is weird it is very very weird yeah
it's like it's to the point where it's
like it's like family now yeah that
basically this is what you're gonna
we're gonna take away I'm gonna take
away like a very long time this is like
a life thing that you kind of take away
basically apart from all jokes aside and
everything that game related to the
slide this is you know something really
important there yeah in terms of the
game
God the experience the think it's not an
install even done yeah
so I have no idea what's gonna happen in
the next few weeks because the launch is
what a week from now yeah so that's a
completely different chapter so that's
yeah it's unique it's a we see what
happened the knowledge and skills I feel
like I've gathered I think you have to
in this process over the last year and a
half I'll take that away and it's only
gonna be a benefit as our careers
continue and we can you work on other
projects I feel like my toolkit is very
it has been filled with a lot of useful
things that can only improve us as as
performers and artists I mean any
thoughts creeping in about focusing your
work more towards gaming for any reason
I love video games I've been doing them
for 15 years now so there I'll continue
doing it as long as I can motion capture
is one of my favorite things to do so if
I can continue that I will yeah I'd love
to
I'd love to be able to it's completely
new to me I didn't I didn't have the
experience the Michael did I didn't I
haven't delved into it as much as
Michael has in the past so this is like
brand-new baby for me and I want to I
want to keep exploring it a bit more
thank you yeah thank you very much thank
you guys
