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The family of prolific videogame voice actor Wes Johnson has shared a GoFundMe to raise money for his hospital bills following a life-threatening medical emergency. Johnson is most famous in the gaming world for his work in Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series.
“On Wednesday, Jan. 22nd, Wes volunteered to host a benefit event for the National Alzheimer’s Foundation in Atlanta,” the GoFundMe explains. “When he didn’t show up at the event, his wife Kim tried desperately to get in touch with him. It took hotel security to enter his room and discover him unconscious and barely alive. EMT crews struggled to find a pulse. Right now, Wes continues to battle for his life in an intensive care unit.”
Elder Scrolls YouTubers the LaFave Bros, who have worked with Johnson in the past, shared a video asking fans to contribute to the campaign, noting that it has been posted to Johnson’s Instagram account. The campaign has already surpassed its initial $50,000 goal at the time of writing, but as the LaFave Bros note in a pinned comment under the video, it’s unclear what the full cost of Johnson’s treatment and recovery will come out to.
Johnson has had an eclectic career encompassing radio broadcasting, sports announcing (Washington Capitals fans know him for his calls to “unleash the fury” as the arena PA announcer), and TV roles on shows like Veep and The Wire. But gamers know him best for his iconic performances in Bethesda’s RPGs, with Johnson showing up in every game from the studio since Morrowind in 2002. He’s demonstrated a great dramatic range, delivering a sinister snarl as villains like Lucien Lachance and Mr. Burke, but his capacity for off the wall bombast is what I most hold dear.
Johnson’s manic Scottish brogue as Sheogorath in The Shivering Isles and Skyrim is of particular note, but he also took on the mammoth task of voicing every single male Imperial character in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion—the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages list 182 individual Imperial men in the game, but that doesn’t include unnamed enemies or the game’s thoroughly memefied guardsmen. Johnson’s explosive delivery of “Stop, You violated the law! Pay the court a fine or serve your sentence. Your stolen goods are now forfeit,” has transcended Oblivion and even videogames as a whole at this point, becoming a cheeky shorthand for overenthusiastic enforcement of the rules on the order of Judge Dredd’s own “I am the Law.”
Johnson’s specific diagnosis hasn’t been shared. “Wes has always been the friend who would give you his last dollar, as well as the shirt off his back,” say the GoFundMe organizers. “Wes volunteers for so many causes and is always the first person to jump at helping anyone who asks, and even helping those who don’t ask.
“It’s your turn to show him your gratitude and love. Please make a donation to help his family get through this period and cover his medical expenses as well as cover the time he will be unable to work.”
Kurt Indovina
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