Starfield actor reveals they failed an audition to play their own character in Deus Ex: "I hated what the body actor did"

Deus Ex Mankind Divided — (Image credit: Square Enix)

The actor behind Sam Coe in Starfield has said they once had to audition to play their own character's body when working on Deus Ex back in 2008 - and they didn't get the part.

Elias Toufexis, who is known for his work as Adam Jensen in Deux Ex, has told fans he once failed an audition to play Jensen despite the fact he was already down to voice him due to being two inches too short. Replying to a fan on Twitter, Toufexis shared a behind-the-scenes insight into the development of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and how the character was brought to life with motion capture.

When asked about the actor's motion-capture process for the 2011 Deux Ex game, Toufexis responded: "[For] Deus Ex HR, they actually had me audition to play my own body and I DIDN'T GET IT. They said I'm 5'11 and Jensen is 6'1." Reflecting on the end result in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the actor added: "I hated what the body actor did."

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#DeusEx HR they actually had me audition to play my own body and I DIDN'T GET IT. They said I'm 5'11 and Jensen is 6'1. I hated what the body actor did. For Deus Ex MD I refused to come back unless they let me Performance Capture everything. They did. All cutscenes were PCAP https://t.co/PNjT8HnaXmNovember 6, 2023

When it came time to start development on the game's sequel Deus Ex: Mankind Divided in 2014, Toufexis revealed they actually gave publisher Square Enix an ultimatum: "For Deus Ex MD I refused to come back unless they let me Performance Capture everything," fortunately for the actor, "they did" and all cutscenes in the game were recorded using their performance capture footage.

Clearly surprised to find out that Toufexis did not play Jensen's body in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, another fan questioned why the actor didn't get the role over just a two-inch height difference: "In '08, it was more difficult," the Deus Ex actor replied, "the tech wasn't quiiite there. Also, I'm a little more brawny and Jensen is more lanky. By 2014-ish, it didn't matter."

In case you were wondering about Toufexis' involvement in any future Deus Ex games, the actor has said they "want nothing more than to play Adam Jensen again" However "until [developer] Eidos call" he's busy exploring other characters in beloved games such as Gotham Knights, Death Stranding, Horizon Forbidden West, The Last of Us 2, and more.

Find out more about Sam Coe and the rest of the Starfield companions with our guide.

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After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training. My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.