Mass Effect: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Shepard

10. The Standard MaleShep Face Exists In Real Life

Somewhere in the world, someone will have walked past someone else and thought to themselves, "Boy, that dude doesn't half look like Commander Shepard from Mass Effect."

Well, there's a reason for that.

Commander Shepard really does exist in real life. Well, the standard version of Commander Shepard's male model does, anyway.

In the real world, Commander Shepard keeps busy not saving the galaxy, but instead is a male Dutch model named Mark Vanderloo. Bioware used Vanderloo as the basis for Commander Shep's standard model.

Despite looking exactly like a well-known gaming character, Mark has shown no enthusiasm for reprising his role outside of the Mass Effect universe. He's been contacted for conventions many times over the years and has respectively declined, and has never commented on his role as Commander Shepard.

It's widely believe that Bioware simply paid Vanderloo a flat rate to use his face in the game, and as someone not interested in games (the heathen!), Mark simply moved on and continued with his career, not knowing that Commander Shepard would become one of the most popular gaming characters of all time.