While some (okay, most) are familiar with Paul Reubens because of his portrayal of the iconic Pee-wee Herman in Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the actor has also lent his voice to several animated characters. One of his recent ventures is Ivor, from Telltale Games‘ new episodic game series Minecraft: Story Mode. For those who are unfamiliar with it, the star-studded title takes the same graphic adventure formula made famous by the developer’s previous games (The Wolf Among Us, The Walking Dead, Tales From the Borderlands), and brings it to the iconic world of Mojang‘s Minecraft. In the exclusive video above, Reubens discusses his role in the game, how he got the part, and more. Check it out!
According to Reubens, he was approached about voicing a character for the game while at a party in L.A. during the week of E3. With his acting background, and the vibe Telltale was going for (it evokes a bit of The Goonies and, aptly, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure), Reubens was the perfect fit. “To do those voices and watch the finished show and see your voice come out of an animated character’s mouth is a trip. It’s really cool,” he noted.
But, the curious thing about voice acting is that actors don’t have facial expressions and body movement to rely on. Reubens pointed out, “When you’re doing a voice, all of those other factors are up to the animators, so you try to do as much with your voice as you can.” To Reubens, giving the developer as many takes to play with as possible is really important.
Like Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Minecraft was created to encourage young people to think creatively and celebrate originality, which is a great message if you ask us. Seeing the world brought into Telltale’s stable has been nothing short of thrilling. With the first of three brand new DLC episodes, “A Portal to Mystery,” set to release on June 7, we’re excited to see what’s next.
Have you played Minecraft: Story Mode? If so, what do you think of Reubens’ character? Let us know in the comments below, join the conversation on Facebook, or start one with me on Twitter: @Samantha_Sofka.
And in case you haven’t yet checked out Pee-wee’s Big Holiday on Netflix, here’s the cast chatting about the film, as well as their favorite vacation movies.
