Christopher Judge, the actor who plays Kratos in God of War, shared how the role in the game completely changed his view of the world.
During a recent panel with the cast to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series (thanks GamesRadar), Judge was asked how his experience with God of War was different from his previous work. He explained that it was an interesting experience because, on other sets, he often encountered very strict hierarchies. However, on the God of War set, “there was none of that.”
“There was no hierarchy. Everyone treated each other with respect, and talked to each other like adults, and respected the work that every individual was doing,” Judge explained. The same was true for the game director, Cory Barlog. “When it came time to shoot, people would come up to Cory and have different ideas, and he listened to them. And I was just watching like ‘He’s listening to everybody. He’s not looking at his watch’ […] ‘Wow, that’s crazy.”
A Personal Change
Judge also reflected on how this experience was personally valuable to him. He said he joined the role of Kratos at a tough time in his life, after quitting drinking and starting therapy following two DUI charges. During that period, he began thinking about “what it is to be a man,” realizing that it wasn’t about overpowering others, but about empowering people, truly listening to them. The God of War set was the first place where he saw this in practice.
“Every morning it looked like everyone wanted to be there, which was something really weird for me. There was no-one complaining. People were happy to be there. It was such a collective. It really was the first place that I had ever been that was that supportive, and nurturing, and caring, and loving. And it really changed my whole perspective on the world, and what it really means to be a man.”
This positive atmosphere contributed to the creation of a masterpiece, God of War.
