How Sunny Suljic Became God of War's Atreus

Working on God of War, 2018...

One thing that was hard, was my face was so small

that it was hard for them to get every dot on my face.

The second time around, during Ragnarök, it was easier.

So, I guess the character does look like me

a little bit more, now.

Hi, my name is Sunny Suljic,

and this is how I became Atreus, in God of War.

[upbeat music]

I had no idea that I was auditioning for God of War.

Even after the third callback.

They didn't really tell me anything.

I think it was a fake script, fake names.

I think my name might have been, X, on the script,

or something.

I was eight at the time, too.

And, this is one of my first auditions.

So, I didn't really know what to expect

and I didn't really think that it was any different

from other projects.

They had a PlayStation there, so I was playing games

and stuff.

But, I didn't put two and two together.

What sorts of things can I do?

Can I fly? Can I turn into a hawk?

I don't feel like a God.

And, I remember one thing that they had me do,

was a facial scan, or something.

And, there was just a bunch of cameras around me,

and I was just making a bunch of facial expressions,

for like an hour.

I was doing a bunch of chemistry reads,

with a bunch of really talented actors.

Before Kratos, but when...

I did the read with Chris, we just clicked, immediately.

The chemistry was just there, so, I got the pleasure

to work with the man, the myth, the legend, Chris Judge.

I do not know the reach or extent of your godhood.

But, we will learn.

Together.

I didn't see any concept art of Atreus.

I bet they did have some type of concept for it,

but actually, I didn't see it.

They just fully built the character off of my face.

Personally, I wasn't the biggest fan

of my performance in 2018.

Is this what it is to be a God?

Is this how it always ends?

I don't know, I think I'm just like, my biggest critic.

If I hear myself over, especially with the higher pitched

voice, me screaming and everything.

We're sick of hearing about little peoples',

little problems.

Alright.

I don't think the performance was horrible.

It's kind of like watching...

An old, embarrassing video of you when you're younger.

I actually did watch a lot of the cut scenes

from the last game, to try and get back into character

before I went back on set.

And then, I actually dove into a lot of Norse mythology.

I just got more information, and I fully read the script

for Ragnarök.

The last one, I read some portions, the full script.

But, I didn't even understand what I was doing

the last one.

But, going into Ragnarök, it was just a whole different

story, I had a lot more dialogue.

And just, a lot more action scenes and everything,

and dude, it's so cool, being able to play yourself

as a character in a video game.

And, I was just so excited, and I knew that I had

a bigger part in Ragnarök this time.

So, I was like, I cannot mess this up.

There was this one time, I think it was the first

day, where we did a rehearsal.

I didn't remember the lines the night before.

I don't know why.

But, I was just like, Yeah, I'll remember them

when I get there, whatever.

So, I blew it the first day back.

Eric Williams is the director on it,

and Matt, the narrative director,

they looked so disappointed.

And, I just felt horrible.

After that day, I made sure to basically never do that

again, and I think the whole shoot...

Even the next three years, after the first rehearsal,

I was making up for that day, every single day.

The giants have prophecies about me.

They know me as...

Loki.

When I found out that I was Loki, it actually helped

my performance a little bit.

'Cause Loki is a known character, upon Norse mythology

and essentially, he's a trickster.

So, I started watching Loki on Disney Plus,

and I fell in love with the show.

It's actually a really good show.

That gave me a better reference of the character

and it was just cool to see somebody else play it.

When I did watch Tom Hiddleston's performance,

I took a grain of salt out of it.

I loved his performance, he did really well.

But, I just wanted to make sure I didn't completely copy

the character itself.

You've literally stabbed people in the back,

like fifty times.

Well, I'd never do it again.

I definitely took the...

The sarcasm and the manipulativeness from the show, Loki.

Which, kind of helped me play the character

a little bit better.

Seriously?

A regular day on set is, I get there around 9:00,

and then I would do school for about three hours,

get a nice little lunch break.

I think I would do dots on my face,

for about thirty minutes.

And, then I would put on my mocap suit,

and we would do about 1-2 rehearsals.

Depending on how intense the scene is, I guess,

and how many people it involves.

We would get on set, step in the volume,

do a scene, sometimes it would take...

I don't know, twelve takes.

Sometimes it'd be even one.

Nah, nah, there's never one take.

The space we do the mocap shoots,

it's just a big volume of space.

There's a big carpet.

I don't even know how big it is.

I think, maybe like a hundred feet long, wide.

Essentially, you just have to use your imagination

and they'll use other boxes, and inanimate objects,

and they'll put little dots on it.

You kinda have to use that as some type of creature

in the game, or some type of object.

You have this big camera over your face,

with the helmet to get your facial expressions.

I'm pretty sure it even scans your eye movement,

and everything.

It's just really advanced technology.

I'm not sure how it really even works.

But, it works.

Actually, the helmet itself isn't that uncomfortable.

But, this big...

I don't know, metal rod, that goes around your face

and it's kind of this GoPro, looking camera.

So, it's easy to kind of clash into someone

with your camera.

I would forget sometimes, 'cause I'm so used to working

on set, and after such a long time.

So, I'd forget the camera would be there.

And then, I would just smack somebody in the face,

or something.

Most of the things were usually me idling.

Which, is what took a long time.

Is because, I'd have different idles.

Idling, is just when you're waiting for another character

to come, or if you're not even using your controller,

and you're just sitting there the whole time,

kind of like an NPC.

But, it would just consist of me running, jumping,

different distances.

Just, certain movements, and me spinning.

'Cause they need every single movement,

and even fingers.

Yeah, I guess it is pretty strange.

And then, I also start overthinking

me being natural, like just standing there.

'Cause usually, when you're just walking around

and then, you're standing, listening to somebody.

You don't really think about it,

but then when you're told to do so,

and you're just supposed to casually just...

Stand there, sit down, or whatever.

I don't know, I feel like I just kept overthinking it.

So, I had to do so many takes of it.

When you are filming a video game, and you are on the mocap

stage, not only with the facial expressions,

but movements have to be exaggerated a little bit.

But, thankfully, when I'm recording on the stage,

there's a bunch of TVs around, to where you can see

yourself as the character.

So, I kind of use that as reference.

But then, at the same time though, my eye-line

has to be in specific spots.

So, I'd kind of cheat it for a second.

We would definitely get out of character sometimes.

Because, I don't know, sometimes the character

would glitch on the screen, or something like that.

Even when I first started working on God of War, 2018,

till this day, I still can't believe the technology

that they use.

I don't know, it kind of messes with my perception

of reality, in a sense.

I was born a God.

And, so are you.

Chris is...

It's funny, 'cause he looks like a really intimidating guy.

He's big, and his voice, it just sounds insane.

But, he's really the nicest and most genuine person

I've ever worked with.

I'm not just saying this to say it, he really did

almost craft me as a person.

I mean, I grew up with him and I was on set so much,

so, from being 8, to me now, 17.

I give a lot of credit to him.

He's been such a great person while working

on the project, on set and off set.

And, he's insanely talented.

Like, he really knows how to carry a game.

I don't think my performance wouldn't have been possible,

without working with Chris.

He would actually improvise some parts.

You know, just be more physical, in a sense

and even tap my back, or something.

You know, kind of just play around with it

to really get me in character.

I feel like, watching that, gave me more freedom,

I guess, in my mind to improvise as well,

and just feel comfortable to do what I feel is right,

in a sense.

Laya is the best, she's really fun to work with.

Also, it was really cool to just have someone

on the stage around my age.

Someone on the stage, around my age.

Working on some of these scenes...

That are a little more intimate.

In the beginning, I thought...

I felt a little bit nervous, but working with her,

she just made it feel really comfortable,

and she's supper mellow, and just fun to hangout with.

We also had great chemistry, too.

I did a bunch of chemistry reads.

When I met Laya, it just, same thing with Chris.

We clicked.

I think that the cast kind of sensed that, as well.

Some scenes where we're laying down, and we're facing

one another, and...

The cameras kept clashing, actually.

So, we had to keep retaking, because...

Honestly, you can get away with it, if the cameras

do clash, you go on with the scene.

But, I kept laughing.

Filming the death of Fenrir, it was just the...

Whole emotional journey for me.

And actually, I think before I filmed that scene,

one of my dogs passed away, like a few months prior.

It's a really painful process to go through,

losing a pet you loved.

What I do on the day, for very heavy and emotional scenes,

I actually go in a trailer, and lock myself in there.

And then, I start playing sad music,

and then I read the lines to it.

I'm trying to remember what song I played,

it was some song by Shiloh Dynasty, or something.

Yeah, I would just listen to sad music before,

and then not talk to anybody.

And then, I remember my mom trying to walk

into the room, into the trailer.

I didn't even open the door for her.

I was just like, in the zone.

This scene was very special to me, and important,

and I wanted to make the best of it.

You're a good boy.

A brave boy.

Fast and strong.

But, you can rest now.

Even me using a cardboard box, as Fenrir.

I fully was just in the zone, and I really did imagine

Fenrir laying right there.

I think towards the end of the scene, I just lost it

and I started bawling out, crying.

I was actually thinking about...

I have, a little french bulldog.

I just imagined him, and I didn't want to.

But, that's what really brought the emotion out,

but I just imagined him laying dead, in my arms.

Once I could really visualize this moment,

I just broke.

After I finished this scene, I went back home and I...

Showed my dog some love after.

I felt so horrible.

Consistency was definitely something that we struggled

with, a little bit.

Just because of my voice dropping, and me kind of growing.

We had to rerecord basically the whole game.

But, I got a second chance to improve my performance.

Which, I actually was super happy about.

The prophecy say, Fimbulwinter leads to Ragnarök.

War is coming.

It's all just voiceover.

Sometimes, if it's a really intense scene,

where I have to do a bunch of specific breaths.

Like, the bar fight, I had to...

Every single movement, I had to do every breath for it.

So, I had to rerecord even just the movements and breaths.

Working on the mocap stage, is already hard enough,

'cause you have to envision the whole set,

and use all these objects to set the stage for you.

And then, when you get in the...

The booth, it really is hard to get a lot of emotion

out of you, just based off of reading the script,

and reading the lines.

And, they would rarely have reference, or videos.

So, you purely had to work off of your imagination.

Yeah, you just keep doing the lines until you get that one.

Sometimes, I'd be doing a line for like, 50-60 takes

of big paragraphs.

Yeah, it's pretty intense.

But, I mean, at the end of the day, it's really fun.

I think one of the biggest lessons I've learned,

is follow your intuition, and follow what you really think

is right.

Because, at the end of the day, that's usually

the best decision.

I do make a lot of mistakes throughout the...

Filming Ragnarök, not me, myself, but the character himself.

So, I feel like I gotta...

Learn from a Atreus's mistakes, instead of making my own.

Growing up with this character made it a lot easier

for me, for the second time around.

And, it also, I would say improved my acting in some ways.

Especially during Ragnarök, since I had to rerecord

a lot of the stuff.

I feel like I got to know the character a little bit better,

if anything.

I hope that I could...

Be Atreus again.

[upbeat music]