Chad Michael Collins

Chad Michael Collins’s Path from PR Publicist to Video Game Icon

The road to voicing one of gaming’s most recognizable CIA operatives ran straight through a Hollywood public relations office. After graduating from Ithaca College with a journalism degree, Collins relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment PR. The acting bug caught him mid-career, and he made the switch – a decision that would eventually land him at the center of one of the most commercially dominant video game franchises in history.

His gaming debut came with the 2017 Sony Interactive Entertainment thriller Hidden Agenda, where he voiced Jack Calvary. Two years later, Infinity Ward cast him as Alex in the 2019 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot – a CIA operative who quickly became a fan-favorite across the Modern Warfare trilogy. Collins reprised the role in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023), and continued lending his voice to Alex in Call of Duty: Mobile. Beyond voice work, his performance involved full motion capture, meaning his physicality is embedded into the character at every level.

The Call of Duty Trilogy and Alex Keller

Alex Keller sits at the intersection of two things Collins knows well: military action and character-driven storytelling. The character debuted as a playable operator in the 2019 reboot’s campaign, operating alongside Farah Karim and Captain Price in a storyline grounded in contemporary geopolitical tension. When Modern Warfare II arrived in 2022, Alex returned as a multiplayer and co-op operator. By Modern Warfare III in 2023, the character had cemented a three-game arc that spans the entire rebooted series.

Collins has spoken publicly about his connection to the fanbase – an avid gamer himself, he has played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare online with fans via Twitch, blurring the line between the actor and the character he voices. That kind of direct engagement is rare, and it has made his presence in the franchise feel genuinely personal rather than transactional.

On Screen and in the Booth: The Sniper Series Connection

Long before the Modern Warfare trilogy put his voice in millions of gaming headsets, Collins was already a recognizable face in the Sony Pictures direct-to-video Sniper franchise. His role as Gunnery Sergeant Brandon Beckett – introduced in Sniper: Reloaded (2011) – carried through multiple sequels including Sniper: Legacy, Sniper: Ghost Shooter, Sniper: Ultimate Kill, Sniper: Assassin’s End, Sniper: Rogue Mission, and the 2024 Sniper: G.R.I.T. The on-screen and voice work reinforce each other: the same physical and vocal performance that drives Brandon Beckett in live action also grounds Alex Keller in the game engine.

Audiobooks, Commercials, and the Broader Voice Work

Outside of gaming, Collins narrated the audiobook edition of The Power of the Dog for Hachette Audio – a novel later adapted into the Oscar-nominated Netflix film directed by Jane Campion. He also narrated Metal Fury: War’s Edge for Podium Audio and has voiced commercial spots and promotional content. His range as a voice performer extends well past tactical shooters, though gaming remains the domain where his work reaches the largest audience.

Most Known Roles of Chad Michael Collins

• Alex / Alex Keller – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019, Video Game)
• Alex Keller – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022, Video Game)
• Alex Keller – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023, Video Game)
• Jack Calvary – Hidden Agenda (2017, Video Game)
• Alex – Call of Duty: Mobile (Voice)
• Narrator – The Power of the Dog (Audiobook, Hachette Audio)