Charlie Cox: Mo-Cap Artist Deserves Clair Obscur Nomination
Gaming's most prestigious stage, The Game Awards, has recognized actor Charlie Cox with a "Best Performance" nomination for his role as Gustave in the highly anticipated RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. However, Cox himself is quick to redirect the spotlight, asserting that any accolades should truly honor the French motion capture artist who physically brought the character to life.
Speaking at a recent event in Mexico, the star, known globally for his portrayal of Daredevil, expressed his gratitude for the nomination but underscored his conviction: "Any nomination or credit I get, I really have to give to him — I believe that the performance of that character is really down to him, and my voice was just part of that process." This candid acknowledgment shines a light on the collaborative, often unsung, efforts behind modern gaming performances.
Maxence Cazorla: The Unsung Hero Behind Gustave
The individual Cox champions is Maxence Cazorla, the talented French actor responsible for "almost all of the motion capture" for Gustave. Cox specifically highlighted Cazorla's physical embodiment of the role as the true essence of the character's performance, positioning his own vocal contribution as merely one component of a larger, intricate process. This statement powerfully advocates for the recognition of motion capture artists, whose crucial work often goes unnoticed by the wider public.
Clair Obscur: A Record-Breaking Award Contender
Cox's nomination for Best Performance is just one piece of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's astonishing success at The Game Awards, with the title securing a record-breaking 12 nominations. The game will see fierce competition, even among its own cast, as Cox contends for the Best Performance award against co-stars Ben Starr (known for Final Fantasy XVI) and Jennifer English (from Baldur's Gate 3), both also nominated for their work in Clair Obscur.
The breadth of the game's recognition is truly remarkable, with nominations spanning across several major categories:
- Best Direction
- Best Narrative
- Best Art Direction
- Best Score and Music
- Best Audio
- Best Independent Game
- Best Debut Independent Game
- Best RPG
- Game of the Year
This widespread critical acknowledgment positions developer Sandfall Interactive's debut as a monumental achievement, even ahead of its official release on April 24, 2025.
Cox's Candid Humility: A Consistent Stance
This isn't the first instance where Charlie Cox has voiced his humble perspective on his involvement with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Back in June, he admitted to feeling like a "total fraud" when fans praised his role, revealing he had recorded all his lines in approximately four hours. A month later, he confessed to still not having played the game, citing the need to acquire a new console and playfully noting his last gaming experience was "Mario 64." This consistent humility adds a refreshing layer to the conversation around voice acting in video games, emphasizing the collective effort required to create immersive digital worlds.
Critical Acclaim Builds Anticipation
IGN's 9/10 review hailed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as a "modern RPG classic," praising how "developer Sandfall truly understood why those games are special and made the pieces it borrowed its own." With such high critical praise, an unprecedented number of award nominations, and Charlie Cox's heartfelt recognition of his motion capture counterpart, anticipation for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to build to a fever pitch ahead of its 2025 launch.