While all “Metal Gear Solid” fans enjoy playing as Snake in the famous game franchise's installments, voice actor David Hayter reportedly didn't enjoy the process he went through in not voicing the beloved character in its latest installments.
Hayter revealed in a recent interview with Game Informer that although he was able to voice the iconic legendary character in almost all of the games, it didn't come easily for him. Hayter said that game maker Konami and Kojima Productions tried to replace him with other voice actors before.
Hayter became famous for voicing Snake since many years ago, but was unable to voice the famous protagonist since two years ago, reports Polygon. In the interview, Hayter said that game creator Hideo Kojima wanted to get Kurt Russell to voice Snake in “Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater,” but was rejected by the actor. He then re-auditioned for the role.
"They made me re-audition to play Old Snake, and the whole time, they were trying to find somebody else to do it,” Hayter said. “I heard that Kojima asked one of the producers on Metal Gear 3 to ask Kurt Russell if he would take over for that game. He didn't want to do it."
Hayter also learned that he was out for the role of Snake in “Ground Zeroes” and the latest installment, “The Phantom Pain,” in which Snake was voiced by “24” actor Kiefer Sutherland.
"'We're going forward [with “The Phantom Pain], but it looks like they are going to try and replace you,'” Kris Zimmerman, Metal Gear English casting director, told Hayter after the latter bumped into Zimmerman and asked regarding the role.
Although Hayter loved the role of Snake and wants to take on the role “forever,” he said he wished that replacing him could have been done a lot better, notes GameSpot.
"The whole thing could have been handled better and a little more respectfully, but I'm not going to cry about it,” said Hayter.
