Roger Craig Smith

Roger Craig Smith’s Journey from Stand-Up to Gaming Icon

What began with a $75 training video for a dialysis machine in 2005 grew into one of the most recognizable voices in gaming and animation. Raised in Orange County, California after being born in St. Joseph, Michigan, Roger Craig Smith spent years honing his instincts as a stand-up comedian before transitioning into full-time voice work. That comedy background proved more useful than expected – his ability to find nuance quickly, stay organic in the booth, and read a room shaped a performance style that directors kept calling back.

Ezio Auditore and the Assassin’s Creed Trilogy

When Ubisoft approached Smith for Assassin’s Creed II in 2009, his own agent warned him the franchise was on shaky ground. Smith took the role anyway, working closely with dialect coach Ida Darvish to build a broadly Italian accent that felt authentic without alienating Western audiences. The gamble paid off. Ezio Auditore da Firenze became one of gaming’s most beloved protagonists, and Smith returned to voice the character across Brotherhood (2010), Revelations (2011), and the short film Embers – making him the only actor to portray Ezio throughout all three mainline entries. The Assassin’s Creed franchise went on to sell more than 155 million copies globally.

Sonic the Hedgehog – A Role That Keeps Running

Taking over from Jason Griffith in 2010, Smith became the third official English voice of Sonic the Hedgehog – a role that has now stretched across every mainline game, the animated series Sonic Boom, both Wreck-It Ralph films, and SEGA’s official social media presence. A brief public exit in January 2021 was reversed just four months later, and Smith has remained the definitive English voice of the character. His portrayal captures the energy of a fast-talking mascot while leaving room for the quieter, more grounded moments that the franchise began exploring in later entries like Sonic Frontiers.

The Dark Knight, Marvel’s Captain, and Expanding Franchises

WB Montreal chose Smith to voice a younger Bruce Wayne in Batman: Arkham Origins (2013), with Smith describing the recording process as spanning nearly a year of sessions. He returned to the character in Batman: Arkham Shadow (2024), which won Best VR/AR Game at The Game Awards. Parallel to that, Smith has been Marvel’s go-to voice for Steve Rogers across Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Spider-Man, and multiple LEGO productions. Beyond superheroes, he voiced Mirage in Apex Legends, Kyle Crane across the Dying Light franchise, and Claggor in Netflix’s Emmy Award-winning Arcane.

Anime, Narration, and the Commercial Machine

Anime audiences know Smith as the explosive Deidara in Naruto Shippuden and as Shinji Hirako in Bleach. On television, he narrated over 14 seasons of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress and voiced Thomas and more than 170 distinct characters across Cartoon Network’s Emmy-winning Regular Show. For over a decade, he served as the imaging voice for KROQ 106.7 FM in Los Angeles – one of the most listened-to stations in the country.