Master Chief Interview

Spencer McFarlane '24
Hello Spartans! Today, I interviewed the voice of one of the most well-known Spartans: the Master Chief. Yes, I interviewed Steve Downes, the voice actor for the video game Halo.
This is the transcript of the interview, but if you would like to listen and hear some exclusive things like him talking about his favorite lines and actually saying them, you can do that as well here ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDrhtjeGYD0)  Anyways, let’s get into the masterful interview!

Spencer: “Hello St. Francis Spartans! In alliance with the 20th anniversary of Halo, we are interviewing Steve Downes, otherwise known as the voice actor of the Master Chief. Mr. Steve, how are you?”
Steve: “Spencer. I need a weapon.”
Spencer: “That is awesome!”
Steve: “Greetings, fellow Spartans!”
Spencer: “It is an honor to meet you, you have been part of my and many other kids’ childhoods, and just talking to you alone is a big highlight.”
Steve: “It’s my pleasure.”
Spencer: “How has the launch for Halo Infinite been?”   
Steve: “It’s been beyond anyone’s expectations. This has been the longest between games, so the anticipation for it was high. We are thrilled that both multiplayer and campaign have been received so well.”
Spencer: “What can we expect of you in this new game? Spoiler-free, of course.”
Steve: “There are 2 things about Infinite that will become apparent immediately. One is that there are things about it campaign-wise and visual-wise that will remind you of the old Bungie games without trying to be nostalgic. It also ties in things from 4 and 5, which makes this the best combination of both the 343 era and the Bungie era that we’ve been able to accomplish. If you’re an old fan or if you’re relativity new or if you’ve never played Halo before, you can still enjoy Infinite."
Spencer: “Have you played Infinite yet, and if so, what rank are you?”
Steve: “I am the worst Halo player ever. I suck at Halo. I don’t have that hand-eye coordination that you guys have. Back when 2 came out, they told me to play Halo, so I bought an Xbox and tried to play the new Halo, and I sucked at it. So, I thought that in my position, I should either play it or not play it at all, and I opted to not play it at all. Very early on, I went to one of my first appearances as the character, and I told them that I don’t play the game and that I don’t dress up. They completed ignored the part about me not playing, and they had a contest -- the winner of which would play me at Halo. They said, 'Don’t worry because we have a pro behind a curtain that’s actually going to be playing, and you’re just going to have a dummy controller.' So this 11-year-old girl won the right-to-play me. So I’m just pressing buttons, and she beat the pro in like 15 seconds. I come to find out she became a professional Halo player years later, so we at least were beaten by someone good.”
Spencer: “Did you notice a difference between the two studios?”
Steve: “Yes. I like Bungie more because they got me into it. But 343, when they took over, involved me more in the process like in the old days to do Combat Evolved, I didn’t know anything about Halo. They just handed me a script. When 343 took over, we met the writers and the directors and got to be more like actors. They both brought different elements into it.”
Spencer: “Did you know that this was going to be this big?”
Steve: “No. I don’t even think Bungie knew. After Combat Evolved was so big, Microsoft came back and asked for Halo 2. I think it was a shock to everyone that the game did well and became what it is now. It was a shock to me as well. I forgot I voiced the character, and I was visiting some friends in Florida whose kids were playing the game. I went up to them and told them that I voiced the main guy in the game. They asked if I was the voice of Master Chief, and I told them that was who I voiced. 20-30 kids knocked on that door, Xboxes and games in hand for me to sign and that’s when I knew that this game was something.”
Spencer: “What was your favorite Halo to voice?”
Steve: “My answer is 4 because the story became more rich, and I had more lines. This was also the first time I got to work together with Jen Taylor, the voice of Cortana, in the same room. Jen and I never met until the 10th anniversary of Halo. That was a tremendous experience for me, and it was a lot of fun for me. I have to say that Halo Infinite is becoming one of my favorite experience because the story broadened. I feel like the story as a whole is very interesting. I just went through and watched all the cutscenes from the game start to finish for the first time. I sometimes get to see a rough cut, or I get to see Bruce Thomas who does the motion capture for Master Chief, but usually I just get the lines. My takeaway from watching was that it looks like a movie when played back-to-back even though it’s not meant to be watched that way, but it's still is a cohesive story which is a complement to the writers and directors. We will see if Infinite becomes my favorite game as it ages.”
Spencer: “Do you get recognized often?”
Steve: “No. The beauty of voice acting and doing radio is that no gets to see me. There are, every once in a while, where people think my voice is familiar but it’s rare. It’s cool because I can sort of pick and choose when I want to be recognized or when I just want to buy a loaf of bread at the supermarket.”
Spencer: “What is your favorite line that you have voiced?”
Steve: “I always say that my favorite lines are your favorite lines or the most iconic ones, like I need a weapon. The one I get asked most is Sir, finishing this fight. That’s probably one of my favorites or Wake me, when you need me is another classic. I do feel that there will be some iconic one’s out of Infinite, but the game needs some time to grow and needs to resonate with the fans.”
Spencer: “What is it like voicing one of the most iconic characters of all time?”
Steve: “It’s mind-blowing in a lot of ways and surreal in other ways. I have been really excited because as a boy growing up, we all had our heroes. For me, it would’ve been Superman, Batman, or Spiderman, and I read all those comic books and would go into that world, fantasizing about being Superman or Batman or whatever. Now much later to be able to portray a character like that is pretty fun. Let me tell you, it is fun to do. My favorite experiences with Halo are when I get to do the character, like when I am in the studio, and I get a script for the first time."
Steve: “I am so excited to see you sink your teeth into the game and see what you think because we’ve gotten a really good response, and I am always curious to see what people think. My interest, of course, is in the story part, but the initial reaction of reviews has been really positive. There was a lot on-the-line for this game, and I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say that the last few outings have been a little rocky. It looks like, initially, that the guys did really good with it. I get to be in the limelight, but it’s the developers behind-the-scenes that have slaved over this thing for 6 years and to see their efforts rewarded in this way makes me excited for them as I am for myself or for anybody else. And the adventure continues, and there’s gonna be some things coming even after the initial release of the game that this is going to be an ongoing affair. We’re not done yet.”
Spencer: “I am so excited to see what comes next.”
Steve: “We all are, man. I hope every enjoys the ride.”
Spencer: “This was awesome. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
Steve: “My best to all the Spartans out there, you certainly have picked a good mascot, and thanks for being a part of the Halo universe. Like I said, the adventure continues, and we’ll see what the future has in store for the chief. I’m certain he has more adventures ahead of him.”

    • Photo: The man himself, Master Chief (MN2S)

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