It's not every day you get to speak with a Chief, And not your average Chief, But the Master Chief himself. You Know You're A Spartan were lucky enough to speak with Steve Downes, The voice actor of the Master Chief for an exclusive interview...
How were you first approached by Bungie to become the voice of the Master Chief?

 IN 2000, Marty O'Donnell approached me about doing the voice of a character in a game they were working on called "SepteraCore". About a year later, he came back and suggested I do the voice for  a character they were working on for XBOX called "Halo, Combat Evolved". Marty described Master Chief as a Clint Eastwood type character. A man of few words, but very devoted to his soldiers and the cause.
Do you find it easy to get into and play the character of Master Chief?

It was pretty challenging in the beginning, because I didn't even have a sketch of the character to work off of. As I got more familiar with the game, and the Chief's back story through the Halo books, John felt more like a second skin to me.


Did you expect the Chief to become one of the most famous gaming characters of all time?

 Absolutely not. It wasn't until almost a year after HALO CE was released that I realized what a phenomenon  HALO was becoming. The realization came when I was visiting some friends in Florida. Their kids were playing the game. When I told them I was the voice of Master Chief, they flipped out. Within 15 minutes there had to be 50 kids at the front door wanting me to sign their copy of the game! I was stunned!

Halo has become a huge franchise with such depth, and an outstanding community fan-base, what do you think captures and keeps the fans wanting more from the Master Chief?

 The genius of Bungie's developers, to keep John's face hidden, let each player immerse his or herself in to the character. It allowed them to fully inhabit Master Chief. Because John does not speak a lot, he doesn't overwhelm the player.  
Chiefs relationship with Cortana has been one of the most powerful stories captured in a game. What has been your most memorable Chief & Cortana moment?

 Without a doubt, the last scenes with Cortana in HALO 4.  I think it was the most emotional moment I've ever had  as a voice actor. It was difficult to try capture the emotions of a character who always had struggled expressing his emotions.
As some may know, Yourself and Jen Taylor didn't meet in person until Halofest 2011, How was that meeting for the very first time? and do you keep in-touch?

 It was great to finally meet. And we have remained good friends ever since. She is a very talented actor, and it's an honor to work with her.
With numerous rumors floating around for some years, i feel the demand is certainly there, Do you think Halo will ever make it onto the big screen?

Well as you undoubtedly know by now, there is a TV series in development with Stephen Spielberg producing. I'm sure it will be a while before it sees the light of day. 
Do you get the chance to play much Halo yourself? And if so which has been your favorite so far?

 I've made no secret of the fact that I am not much of a gamer. I leave that to the professionals.  What has always attracted me to HALO is the story. Having bee a sci fi fan since I was a kid, I was immediately drawn to that aspect of HALO.

Chief and Cortana's final scene in Halo 4 was gripping, powerful and very emotional, how was it creating those scenes?

 As I mentioned, that was very challenging for me. When we were recording those final scenes, I asked that only the essential people be in the studio with Jen and I. It took me a while to recover from that session.
  

 With Halo 5 in the making, and Halo 6 to follow, are you excited for the future of Halo, And the direction 343 industries have taken it?

 VERY excited. The future of HALO could not be in better hands as far as I'm concerned.


@KrazyGamerXD asks - Do you find any similarities between you and the Chief?

 I can identify with John's struggle to really express himself emotionally, and to really let that side of himself go.
@Appotamox asks - Do you enjoy stepping into the character of The Master Chief?

 I Love it. What kid didn't fantasize at playing the role of  a super hero. And now  I get to do it!  It is a boyhood dream come true
@KilledByMuppets asks - If you wasn't selected to be the voice actor of the Master Chief. Which celebrity would you choose?

 Wow. That's a good question.  I guess I would  say either  the late Steve McQueen, or Clint Eastwood who was my inspiration for this role.
@KirstyCoulton asks - How do you perceive the relationship between Cortana and Chief?  

 I'm often asked that. The genius of the way this story and the characters are written is that it could go so many different ways. It could  be Mother- son, because Halsey really created The Chief, and she molded Cortana in her own image. It could be a sibling relationship. It could be one of friendship, and certainly they, in strange way, could be lovers. How do you see their relationship?