Christopher Judge

Judge wanted to be an actor from an early age, and studied drama in high school.[http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/eastwood/243/cjtv2.html Ultimate TV Transcript (archived)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050306114215/http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/eastwood/243/cjtv2.html |date=March 6, 2005 }} "The television set was my babysitter growing up. I can remember wanting to invoke the feelings that I was getting from television—I wanted to be the one who was the catalyst for those feelings in other people. Performing was something I've always known I was going to do."[http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/eastwood/243/cjstarlog.html Child of the Gods (archived)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014081802/http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/eastwood/243/cjstarlog.html |date=October 14, 2008 }} He always knew that sports would be a stepping stone to an acting career.[http://fortunecity.com/lavendar/eastwood/243/cjtv.html TV Guide Q&A with Christopher Judge (archived)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012021900/http://fortunecity.com/lavendar/eastwood/243/cjtv.html |date=October 12, 2008 }}

Judge received a scholarship from the University of Oregon and played defensive back and safety for the Ducks from 1982 to 1985. He led in kickoff return yardage for 1983-84 and interceptions in 1984, and won the Casanova Award in 1982,[http://www.goducks.com/pdf7/40282.pdf Oregon Ducks Football History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208075016/http://www.goducks.com/pdf7/40282.pdf |date=2012-02-08 }} awarded to the freshman or newcomer of the year. While at Oregon, Judge was a Pacific-10 Conference Selection in 1984 and played in the 1985 Hula Bowl.

Judge won a contest to host a radio show in Oregon, and in his senior year he won a regional contest to host the West Coast FOX KLSR Morning Show,{{cite web|url=http://www.stargate-sg1-solutions.com/wiki/Christopher_Judge|title=Christopher Judge - StargateWiki|website=www.stargate-sg1-solutions.com}} an "MTV talk show type thing"; he used this experience to get an agent and move back to Los Angeles.{{cite web|url=https://www.thescifiworld.net/interviews/christopher_judge_01.htm|title=Christopher Judge interview - Teal'C Stargate SG-1|website=www.thescifiworld.net}}

File:ChristopherJudgeAtConvention.jpg

In 1989 Judge began studying at the Howard Fine Studio in Los Angeles. His early roles in the 1990s included Bird on a Wire, Cadence, Neon Rider and MacGyver with future Stargate SG-1 star Richard Dean Anderson. In the ensuing years, Judge had small parts in various television shows and films such as 21 Jump Street (with future SG-1 director Peter DeLuise), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and House Party 2, and as a regular on Sirens from 1994 to 1995.

Judge's largest role came in 1997 with Stargate SG-1. While at a friend's house, he saw his friend's roommate practicing for an audition for the show and was intrigued. While the roommate was away, Judge looked at the audition notes, called his agent, and insisted he get him an audition or lose him as a client.{{cite web|url=http://www.series-tv.net/sujet374-chat-christopher-judge.html|title=Christopher Judge Chat|access-date=2009-05-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612000102/http://www.series-tv.net/sujet374-chat-christopher-judge.html|archive-date=2010-06-12|url-status=dead}} At the audition, there were three actors trying out for each of the other principal roles, but eight or ten for the role of Teal'c. Judge was confident that he had acquired the part when they dismissed everyone who had read for the part except him.

Judge's subsequent work includes guest spots on Andromeda, Stargate Atlantis, The Mentalist, the television film Personal Effects, and the films Snow Dogs and A Dog's Breakfast, the latter written and directed by fellow Stargate actor David Hewlett. Judge appeared in "Anonymous", the October 26, 2010 episode of NCIS: Los Angeles, and as one of Bane's henchmen in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises.

Judge wrote four Stargate SG-1 episodes: season five's "The Warrior", season six's "The Changeling", season seven's "Birthright", and season eight's "Sacrifices".{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

After Stargate SG-1 was cancelled, Judge began writing a script for a show called Rage of Angels that would have enabled him to play "the lead in an hour formatted show and prove that a black lead can be commercially viable and sustainable in overseas markets."{{cite web|url=http://www.multichannel.com/blog/TV_Crush/7536-Stargate_s_Chris_Judge_24_s_Brad_Turner_Partner_for_Rage_of_Angels.php|title=TV Crush Blog}} The script was marketed as a two-hour, backdoor pilot with MGM, but is now apparently with Direct TV and Starz Media.{{cite web|url=http://www.michaelshanks-online.com/conventions/2009_vancouver_creation.shtml|title=Michael Shanks - Conventions|website=www.michaelshanks-online.com}}

File:Christopher Judge - Stand Radio Toulouse - Toulouse Game Show - 2012-12-02- P1500666.jpg

Judge has also done voice acting for animated series and video games, including Magneto on X-Men: Evolution, and the canceled Stargate SG-1: The Alliance.

In the season eight episode, "Avatar", Teal'c informs SG-1 that he plays Def Jam Vendetta, alluding to the fact that Judge had provided the voice of D-Mob, the main antagonist in that game. He once again appeared as D-Mob in the sequel, Def Jam: Fight for NY. He voiced Jericho in Turok.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Judge provided the voice of Zodak on the 2002 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon as well as Coach Grey in the Action Man CGI series from 2000.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

On June 14, 2016, Judge confirmed he was the voice actor for Kratos in the 2018 God of War, replacing longtime voice actor Terrence C. Carson.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-god-of-war-does-not-feature-original-kratos-vo/1100-6440925/?ftag=GSS-05-10aaa0a|title=New God of War Does Not Feature Original Kratos Voice Actor|date=June 15, 2016|last=Paget|first=Mat|publisher=CBS Interactive|work=GameSpot|access-date=June 15, 2016}} He reprised the role in God of War Ragnarök.{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/22702105/god-of-war-ragnarok-christopher-judge-kratos-actor-injury-delay |title=Kratos actor says God of War Ragnarok was delayed due to his health |last=Gilliam |first=Ryan |work=Polygon |date=September 30, 2021 |access-date=January 25, 2022}}

Judge is involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada and is an avid golfer.{{Cite web |url=http://www.starland.com/sf-sc/sc99/Christopher_Judge.html |title=Christopher Judge |website=Starland |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201153952/http://www.starland.com/sf-sc/sc99/Christopher_Judge.html |archive-date=2008-12-01 |access-date=October 10, 2010 |via=www.starland.com}}

His son, Cameron, is a professional Canadian football linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders; Cameron played college football for UCLA and was drafted 2nd overall in the 2017 CFL Draft.{{cite web |url=https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/draft/amateur/2017/ |title=2017 CFL Canadian Amateur Draft |website=CFLdb Statistics - The Canadian Football Statistics Database |access-date=September 11, 2020}} His other son, Christopher Jordan, played college football for Cal Poly and was drafted 71st overall in the 2019 CFL Draft.{{cite web |url=https://stats.cfldb.ca/league/cfl/draft/amateur/2019/ |title=2019 CFL Canadian Amateur Draft |website=CFLdb Statistics - The Canadian Football Statistics Database |access-date=September 11, 2020}}

According to tweets from Judge, he could not walk in 2019, and he had to undergo surgery to have both his hips replaced, alongside back and knee surgery.{{Cite web |last=Gilliam |first=Ryan |date=2021-09-30 |title=Kratos actor says God of War Ragnarok was delayed due to his health |url=https://www.polygon.com/22702105/god-of-war-ragnarok-christopher-judge-kratos-actor-injury-delay |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}

In 2002, Judge was nominated for a Saturn Award in the category of Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series for his work on Stargate SG-1.{{cite web |url=http://www.gateworld.net/news/archive/0203_generalnews.shtml |title=Stargate takes four Saturn Award nominations |publisher=GateWorld |date=March 15, 2002 |access-date=2009-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021131230/http://www.gateworld.net/news/archive/0203_generalnews.shtml |archive-date=October 21, 2012 |url-status=dead }}

On February 13, 2019 at the 22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, Judge accepted the award for Outstanding Achievement in Character for his performance as Kratos in God of War.{{Cite web|url=https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2019&idGameAwardType=155|title=Awards Category Details|website=www.interactive.org|access-date=2019-02-17}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.interactive.org//awards/22nd_annual_dice_award_winners_revealed.asp|title=22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Award Winners Revealed|website=www.interactive.org|access-date=2019-02-17}} During 2023's 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, Judge again accepted the award for Outstanding Achievement in Character for the same role in God of War Ragnarök.{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2023&idGame=1853 |title=D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details God of War Ragnarok |publisher=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |website=interactive.org |access-date=8 December 2023}}

In 2019, Judge was nominated for the British Academy Games Award for Performer at the 15th British Academy Games Awards, but he lost to his co-star Jeremy Davies.{{cite web | url = https://www.bafta.org/games/awards/bafta-games-awards-nominations-winners-2019 | title= BAFTA Games Awards nominations 2019 | date = 14 March 2019 | accessdate= 14 March 2019 | work = BAFTA }} He was subsequently nominated for and won the Performer in a Leading Role at the 19th British Academy Games Awards in 2023.{{cite web |url=https://www.bafta.org/games/awards/2023-nominations|title=2023 BAFTA Games Awards: The Nominations|publisher=BAFTA|date=2 March 2023|access-date=2 March 2023}}

In 2022, Judge won the award for Best Performance at the Game Awards 2022 for his role in God of War Ragnarök as Kratos.{{Cite news |last=Wilde |first=Tyler |date=2023-12-08 |title=Christopher Judge delivers sick burn about CoD's campaign at The Game Awards |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/christopher-judge-burns-cod-at-the-game-awards-ah-another-company-ill-never-work-for/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}{{Clear}}

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{{Commons category|Christopher Judge}}

• {{IMDb name|431895|Christopher Judge}}
• {{Twitter|iamchrisjudge}}

{{British Academy Games Award for Performer}}

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Category:1964 births

Category:Living people

Category:American expatriate male actors in Canada

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:American male video game actors

Category:American male voice actors

Category:Black Canadian male actors

Category:Oregon Ducks football players

Category:University of Oregon alumni

Category:21st-century African-American male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:20th-century African-American male actors

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:Male actors from Los Angeles

Category:The Game Awards winners

Category:BAFTA winners (people)