Did you know that the lead role in Hellblade was given to a very inexperienced actor?

The game has been delayed a number of times, but Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will finally be released soon. The first game, Senua’s Sacrifice, received high praise for its story and also for the acting of the person playing Senua. But did you know that that wasn’t actually an actor at all?

As games become more expensive productions, you increasingly see actors known from film and TV playing roles in games. For example, you can think of Christopher Judge in God of War, or Giancarlo Esposito in Far Cry 6.

It seems like a logical choice: now that the technology is available to turn a real person’s facial expressions into a game animation, it makes sense to hire someone who is used to not only the microphone, but also the camera. But although the acting in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice received a lot of praise, Senua was not played by an experienced actor at all.

Who is available?

The role of Senua is played by Melina Juergens, who is actually a photographer video editor is. But when production of Hellblade started, she was a stand-in for Senua during tests of the motion-capture technology. The idea was to eventually hire a professional actor, but in the early stages it is common to see who has the time and inclination to be a guinea pig.

But after Juergens served as a stand-in for months, it became clear that Juergens could actually just play the role. Thus, she was definitively cast as Senua. Even though she had never acted before, let alone professionally.

Zero money for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

There was also a financial reason why Juergens got the role of Senua. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice had a fairly small budget. Giving the role of the main character to an unknown person was a lot cheaper than hiring a professional actor.

Acting wasn’t the only thing Ninja Theory cut back on. Normally, motion capture is done in a studio, with a crew that can easily be 20 people strong. Ninja Theory did it in a conference room with three people. This also resulted in all cutscenes in the game being presented as one long take: there were not enough cameras for multiple angles.

Hellbade II: Senua’s Saga has more going for it

There is more budget for the sequel, called Hellbade II: Senua’s Saga. In fact, the game, which releases on May 21, is the most expensive Ninja Theory has ever made. The images shown so far also show that the game is visually even more impressive than the first part. But anyone who was very happy with Juergens’ acting need not fear: she will not suddenly be replaced by a more expensive actress and will simply continue to portray Senua.