The Voices of Fallout 4: Matthew Yang King [Interview]

Today’s subject for The Voices of Fallout 4 is a man I can guarantee you have heard before. In fact, you have definitely murdered him. Probably several hundred times over. Matthew King is a brilliant actor, musician, filmmaker….and raider. Yes, Mr. King is the man responsible for the grueling sounds of many of the male raiders throughout the Commonwealth. He is your natural born enemy in Fallout 4. But, trust me, he’s actually a very nice guy!

Beyond Fallout 4, King can be notably known as a very serious player in the hit television series 24, as well as a nice arc in Numb3rs. He has also provided voice over work for several of video games that I am certain you all know and love, including fellow Bethesda favorite The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. He has also worked on very popular series like World of Warcraft, Resident Evil, and provided the voice of Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

In both the voice over world and the on screen world, Mr. King is a damn genius, and we are so honored to have him featured on the site. Even more, Matthew brought to our attention a matter that we were originally pretty ignorant to. He mentions it more in the interview, but we implore you to go to gameperformancematters.com to educate yourself a bit on a matter that more gamers need to know about. We don’t like to preach too much here at Trainwreck’d Society, but we do feel like this is an obvious issue that needs to be addressed. Now, please enjoy some amazing words from the great Matthew Yang King!

How did you start out in your current business? What drew you to the world of performance?

I started off as a concert violinist. I realized that I loved performing but not practicing the violin. I did my first play at age 13 and did everything I could to pursue this crazy profession from then on.

In 2016 you wrote and directed your own short entitled Garbage Day. Can you tell us a bit about this film? Was this your first stab at getting behind the camera?

It was my second stab. I just had this really weird door that looked like a nuclear bomb shelter in the basement of the apartment building I used to live in. It was the trash room, and I wondered why the trash needed so much protection. So I wrote the story of a boy who has a monster in the trash room of his apartment building and how it saves him from the humans that are making his life hell.

You had a nice reoccurring spot on the hit television show 24 during its final season. What was that experience like? How did you enjoy working on a production like that?

Great. I had worked with most of the crew on a pilot called Washington Field. I had done some training at the FBI training center and this character they asked me to play was a natural offshoot. It was really amazing being up at 4 in the morning getting shot at while holding a giant piece of armor protecting Kiefer Suthland’s back. Plus, we were chasing down Remi Malik (Mr. Robot) who’s fun to watch work, and Mido Hamada (Emerald City, American Sniper) who’s become one of my best friends. So to watch Kiefer’s process, which I think taught me more than my last year at NYU, as well as seeing burgeoning talent and gain an incredible friendship… I would say that 24 was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

How was your experience working on the voice work for Fallout 4? What sort of Raider lines are you personally responsible for? All of them?

I’m a lot of them. I can’t play that game without killing myself. However, it’s hell on the chords to scream that much.

What is the process like to record this audio? Is it a long strenuous process, or is it pretty much to the point?

Yes, yes, no. It’s a very strenuous process. It’s not coal mining, and I’m VERY lucky to be able to do it, but it’s basically screaming Cochella-loud for 4 hours straight for days on end. Which can be harmful over time and actually one of the things that we’re currently striking against.

gameperformancematters.com has some very strong information about the whole schmealy deal.

You’ve also done numerous voice over work for several other games as well. In your long career of doing this work, what project truly sticks out in your mind?

I LOVED doing Alpha Protocol because as an Asian American actor, I rarely get to do accents outside of Asia. Playing an 80s-Breakfast Club-loving-psychopath was joyous.

And with that, are there any characters you have done voice over work for in the past that people call you out on the street as being?

Illidan from Warcraft.

What does the future hold for you? Anything you would like to plug here?

Yeah, I’m currently developing The World of Steam (a steampunk television show) with The Henson Company based on a webseries that I kickstarterted in 2012. It’s been this really long process of finally getting this thing off the ground with multiple huge setbacks. So it’s amazing that it’s moving forwards.

What was the last thing that made you smile?

Climbing a waterfall with my kids.

Check out Matthew Yang King being murdered several times over in this video courtesy of YouTuber Jason Dunn: