Brian Bloom
An American actor who successfully pivoted from daytime soap heartthrob to a defining voice in video games, shaping characters in major franchises.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American actor·Birthday: June 30·Generation X
Biography
Brian Bloom first found fame as a teenage actor on the soap opera 'As the World Turns,' but his career trajectory is a story of strategic reinvention. He leveraged his leading-man looks into roles in film and television, but his most significant impact emerged behind the microphone and the keyboard. His gravelly, charismatic voice became a fixture in gaming, bringing to life beloved characters like the wisecracking dwarf Varric Tethras in 'Dragon Age' and the relentless soldier B.J. Blazkowicz in the 'Wolfenstein' reboot series. Bloom didn't just perform; he helped write the stories, co-authoring scripts for blockbuster action films like 'The A-Team' and critically acclaimed games like 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.' This dual expertise as a performer and writer has made him a unique and valued architect within the narrative-driven side of the gaming industry.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brian was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote the screenplay for the 2010 feature film adaptation of 'The A-Team,' in which he also played the role of Brock Pike.
- Provides the iconic voice of Varric Tethras in BioWare's 'Dragon Age' series, a fan-favorite character since 'Dragon Age II.'
- Voiced B.J. Blazkowicz in the MachineGames 'Wolfenstein' series, defining the character for a new generation.
- Served as a co-writer on the 2019 reboot of 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.'
Did You Know?
He began his acting career as a child, appearing in commercials and on the soap opera 'As the World Turns' in the 1980s.
He voiced Captain America in the animated series 'The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.'
He is an accomplished martial artist, holding a black belt in Tang Soo Do.
He provided the voice and performance capture for Nick Reyes, the protagonist of 'Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare,' which he also co-wrote.
“The voice is just another tool in the actor's kit, and sometimes the most powerful one.”
