One of the many features that make Valve games stand out is the stellar voice acting. As you make your way through The Orange Box, there is one actor whose voice you hear in every game: the delightful Ellen McLain. She first appeared in Half-Life 2 as the voice of the Overwatch, the authoritarian government. Her voice is also heard during matches in Team Fortress 2 as the announcer. But she takes a starring role as the computer program GLaDOS in Portal, one of the most engaging characters ever to appear in a videogame.
We caught up with McLain at her home in Seattle where she lives with her husband — who is also an actor and has also voiced several characters for Valve. She explained to us how the guys at Valve get such great performances from their actors. Then we explained to her who the Overwatch is.
