The celebrity lookalike generator used on videogame characters

Who should play Nathan Drake? Alyx Vance? John Marston? Alan Wake? Computers have the (surprising) answers!

Words: Charlie Barratt on July 10, 2010

You've read this sort of feature before. Website X points out that Character Y looks a whole lot like Celebrity Z. Readers agree or disagree. Publish and repeat. The articles are always fun, but eventually, the same obvious choices show up again and again.

So what makes mine any different? I didn't decide these matches – an all-knowing, face-recognizing, database-searching, algorithm-crunching computer did! In other words, I simply went to one of those online celebrity lookalike generators (in this case, MyHeritage.com) and started uploading popular game characters.

The results were… unexpected.

LIGHTNING (Final Fantasy XIII)

Surprisingly accurate match:

Grossly inaccurate match:

JOHN MARSTON (Red Dead Redemption)

Surprisingly accurate match:

Grossly inaccurate match:

COMMANDER SHEPARD (Mass Effect)

Surprisingly accurate match:

Grossly inaccurate match:

ALYX VANCE (Half-Life)

Surprisingly accurate match:

Grossly inaccurate match:

Platforms:

Xbox 360, PS3, PC

131 comments

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twin2me - February 18, 2011 9:16 p.m.

Hey, would you be interested in doing this with our celebrity look alike and doppelganger generator? It's called Twin2me it works on the iPhone and iPod touch: http://twin2me.com . If you would be interested I could get you guys some review copies!
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ShokuaHyuga - January 6, 2011 6:17 a.m.

I can actually see the resemblance between Sahz Catzroy and Jim Carrey, and now I'm going to try this thing out for myself.
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ensabahnur - January 3, 2011 12:10 a.m.

Kanye west is perfect as Nathan Drake
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endlyfe2012 - January 2, 2011 12:11 a.m.

I think the guy who played lincoln in prison break would make a good commander Shepard
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nickhh96 - August 10, 2010 1:04 a.m.

your dad in fallout 3 should be played by dicaprio
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nickhh96 - August 10, 2010 1:03 a.m.

i did your dad from fallout 3. leonardo dicaprio should be the actor apparently
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Link555 - August 1, 2010 12:17 p.m.

Great article and the rejects were funny
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BeAtheistItsFun - July 28, 2010 2:17 a.m.

Am I the only one who think that captain price looks like bradley cooper?
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sauronbloom - July 21, 2010 8:16 p.m.

Come on, default male Shepard IS Mark Vanderloo http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/916/markvanderloobn4.jpg
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ombranox - July 19, 2010 11:56 a.m.

Someone should make a petition for a gears movie with William H. Macy as Marcus.
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ombranox - July 19, 2010 11:46 a.m.

I got Jennifer Saunders and Halle Berry as a match for Hope Estheim.
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P0ck3tC1am - July 17, 2010 10:39 a.m.

Lol i know we were suppose to do video games...well i did myself. aparently i bare a stricking rezemblense to robert de niro and robert duvall...lol just did another and i look like DONNY OSMOND LMFAO
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ARCHANGEL999 - July 15, 2010 7:05 p.m.

The mass effect one made me laugh I can't beleive it but Johnny Depp could pull that off!
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Xtra_Tasty - July 15, 2010 4:33 p.m.

Oh man Barak Obama as Cmd Sheperd would be the shit... also Johnny depp as mr marston... i would definatly see that movie for sure.
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Smeggs - July 15, 2010 4:36 a.m.

Solid Snake Pick http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3064/2493162939_6dc12ce47b.jpg the best (ACCORDING TO THE SITE) choice was Kian Egan, the second was Jean Chretian, and my favorite was Ai Otsuka, though Heather Locklear was a close second. LOL For the hell of it I also tried Big Boss from Snake Eater http://ui16.gamespot.com/879/metalgearsolid4coming20041110055234468_2.jpg I think the closest match was Al Pacino, the site however said it was Liv Tyler. Sora from KH2, goes without saying it was mostly females. http://celebrity.myheritage.com/FP/Company/face-recognition-results.php?temp=f4e8e3c48q8bdz12&server=Server26&database=2&startYear=1800&endYear=2005
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Smeggs - July 15, 2010 4:10 a.m.

Alan Norris once roundhouse kicked a taken so hard that he knocked the darkness right off of them. And the funny thing is I can totally see the resemblance between Sazh and Jim Carrey, like someone needs to photoshop Jim's Skin tone, and it'd looks just like Sazh without the 'fro.
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drock1467 - July 14, 2010 3:01 p.m.

Nathan Drake is totally the hurt locker guy!!! and a little gerard Butler
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Strangleme - July 13, 2010 9:11 p.m.

Wow. Sweet fuckin' article Charlie.
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CountZero - July 13, 2010 6:18 p.m.

Oh god, hilarious. Here's to seeing William H. Macy portray Marcus Fenix in the Gears movie! Now THAT'S something I'd pay $12 to see!
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gatornation1254 - July 13, 2010 3:24 p.m.

I'm pretty sure William H. Macy playing Marcus Phoenix would be the funniest thing ever created.
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