Actor Matt Ryan, who lent his voice and likeness to Edward Kenway in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, revealed that he initially had no idea he was auditioning for a video game. According to Ryan, his agent presented the project as a "pirate TV series."
In a new interview, the actor recalled that only after a successful first audition was the truth revealed to him. Casting director Amy Hubbard invited Ryan for a follow-up meeting, where he was informed that it was for a new installment in the Assassin's Creed series from Ubisoft.
I played the first Assassin's Creed, so I immediately thought, "Great, this is a cool game."
Ryan was particularly impressed that working on the character involved full motion capture. He initially thought it was just about voice acting, but the opportunity to literally "become" the hero turned out to be a huge plus for him.
Ryan also admitted that he is glad about the renewed interest in the character more than a decade after Black Flag's release. He said he is pleased to see how beloved Edward Kenway remains to fans.