Ilkka Villi (born 4 August 1975) is a Finnish actor and writer, best known internationally for his work in the Alan Wake video games as well as the crime drama series Bordertown. He has played a variety of roles in theatre, television, and film.

Ilkka Villi
Villi in 2010
Born (1975-08-04) 4 August 1975 (age 49)
Helsinki, Finland
Occupations
  • Actor
  • writer
  • radio journalist
Years active2004–present

Early life

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Before proceeding with an acting career, Villi worked as a radio journalist and writer.[1]

Career

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Villi plays one half of the titular character in the Alan Wake video game franchise. In the role, Villi provides virtual reference for the character model, motion capture, and facial expression capture for Wake, while Matthew Porretta voices the character both in-game and during live-action cutscenes.[2]

In 2016, Villi was cast as one of the lead police investigators in the crime drama series Bordertown, which was picked up by streaming service Netflix.[3]

Selected filmography

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Film

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List of film appearances, with year, title, and role shown
Year Title Role Notes
2004 Pelicanman Businessman
2005 Promise Lieutenant Veikko Vuori
2007 Tali-Ihantala 1944 Corporal Olli Taponen
2009 The House of Branching Love Marco
2011 Dirty Bomb Roba
2011 Body of Water Julia's ex-husband
2012 Imaginaerum Mr. White / Theodore Whitman

Television

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List of television appearances, with year, title, and role shown
Year Title Role Notes
2002 Kotikatu Pena 4 episodes
2008–09 Married to a Lie Luttinen 4 episodes
2010 Bright Falls Alan Wake 3 episodes
2013 Nymphs Erik Mann 12 episodes
2014 Lovemilla TV-Aimo 1 episode
2016–19 Bordertown Niko 31 episodes

Video games

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List of video game appearances, with year, title, and role shown
Year Title Role Notes
2010 Alan Wake Alan Wake / Mr. Scratch 3D model, motion capture, live action performance
2012 Alan Wake's American Nightmare
2016 Quantum Break Live action cameo
2020 Control Alan Wake / Thomas Zane 3D model, motion capture, live action performance, voice (Zane only)
2023 Alan Wake II Alan Wake / Mr. Scratch / Thomas Zane

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2024 British Academy Games Awards Performer in a Leading Role Alan Wake II Longlisted [4]

References

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  1. ^ "Ilkka Villi Official Site". Archived from the original on 29 April 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  2. ^ "Alan Wake Credits". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  3. ^ "TV: Bordertown". christopher-east.com. 27 March 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  4. ^ "The 60 Best Video Games of 2023". BAFTA. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
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