10 Video Game Acting Performances Worthy Of An Oscar

6. Samuel L. Jackson - Officer Tenpenny (GTA: San Andreas)

From the moment you meet Officer Tenpenny at the beginning of San Andreas you just know he is going to be a thorn in your side. Part of that is down to our familiarity with Jackson and the type of characters he plays (did anyone expect him to be a good guy in a GTA game?) but that doesn’t take anything from this performance.

In fact, it could be argued that this is the most impressive on the list as it is from the oldest game and came at a time when photo-realistic visuals were just a pipe dream. Jackson brings a sadistic joy to Tenpenny that makes him such an effective antagonist that we really want CJ to take him down.

As the game progresses, Tenpenny becomes more and more despicable and Jackson is clearly revelling in the role as he taunts CJ and his gang. It is easily one of the best performances in a GTA game and, in Officer Tenpenny, we have an antagonist that the series has yet to better.