When Infinity Ward announced they were rebooting the Modern Warfare franchise back in 2019, the collective intake of breath from the gaming community was audible. It wasn't just about the maps or the engine. It was about the hat. Specifically, the boonie hat and the man under it. Replacing Billy Murray—the original voice of Captain John Price—felt like trying to replace a legacy. Then came Barry Sloane, a Liverpool-born actor who didn't just step into the boots; he basically rebuilt the character from the soles up.
Most people think of voice acting as a guy standing in a booth with a script and a bottle of water. That’s not what happened here. Barry Sloane Call of Duty performances are a masterclass in full-body performance capture. If you’ve ever wondered why this version of Price feels more "human" and less like a cartoon superhero, it’s because Sloane wasn't just talking. He was sweating, swearing, and moving through a volume (the mocap stage) like a real soldier.
The Scouse Captain That Almost Was
Here’s a bit of trivia that usually surprises people: Barry Sloane is a Scouser. He’s from Liverpool. When he first went in for the audition, he actually played Price with his natural accent. Honestly, it makes sense. Liverpool is a port city with a massive military history. Sloane argued that we don't have enough "Scouse superheroes."
The developers ultimately steered him toward the more traditional, gravelly British tone we know today, but that Liverpudlian grit never really left the performance. Sloane has mentioned in several interviews, including a deep dive with InsideHook, that he wanted the voice to sound like a man who had "breathed in war." He wanted it to sound like a million cigars and a sea of whiskey.
Why the military felt real
Sloane didn’t come into this cold. He had just finished a two-season run on the History Channel’s Six, where he played Joe "Bear" Graves, a Navy SEAL. He had already gone through literal SEAL training. He knew how to hold a weapon. He knew how to "stack" on a door.
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- Tactical Proficiency: On the mocap set, Sloane would often correct other actors on their form.
- The "Price" Walk: He developed a specific physical presence for Price—heavy but quiet.
- The Cigar: During filming, he often kept a marker or a prop in his mouth to simulate the trademark cigar, affecting how his jaw moved during dialogue.
How Barry Sloane Changed the "Price" Archetype
The original Price was a legend. He was the guy who could survive a gulag and still have a perfectly groomed mustache. But he was somewhat untouchable. Sloane’s version in the Modern Warfare reboot (2019, 2022, and 2023) is a bit more complicated. He’s a guy who makes "dirty" choices so the world stays clean.
You see it in the way he interacts with Kyle "Gaz" Garrick. There’s a paternal vibe there, but it’s a tough-love, "get your hands dirty" kind of mentorship. Sloane brought a vulnerability to the role that didn't exist before. When you watch the cinematic scenes in Modern Warfare II, the micro-expressions captured on Sloane’s face tell you more about Price’s history than any monologue ever could.
The Technical Grind of "Going Dark"
Performance capture is weird. It’s basically theater in a giant gray room while wearing a spandex suit covered in ping-pong balls. Sloane has talked about the "unflattering" nature of having a head-mounted camera inches from your face 24/7.
It’s exhausting work.
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Imagine doing a scene where you're supposed to be in a crashing helicopter, but in reality, you're just sitting on a gym ball being shaken by a couple of production assistants. That’s the reality of Barry Sloane Call of Duty sessions. You have to use 100% of your imagination to make the player believe you're in Verdansk or Urzikstan.
Breaking the "Voice Actor" Label
Sloane has been vocal about the fact that he isn't just a "voice." In the modern era of AAA gaming, the term is actually pretty reductive. He’s the physical model for Price. His facial movements, his gait, and his height are all baked into the character model. When you see Price smirk or squint through smoke, that’s Barry.
What’s Next for the Captain?
As we move further into 2026, the question is always: what’s next? With Modern Warfare III (2023) having wrapped up a major chapter of the Makarov saga, fans are wondering if Sloane is done.
Looking at his recent career trajectory, the man is busy. He’s joined the cast of Netflix’s The Sandman as Destruction (The Prodigal) and made waves in House of the Dragon. But for the CoD community, he will always be the "Old Man." Given how integral he has become to the identity of the rebooted Task Force 141, it’s hard to imagine anyone else taking the mantle.
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Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Creators
If you're interested in the intersection of acting and gaming, there’s a lot to learn from Sloane’s approach.
- Study Physicality: Don't just focus on the voice. How a character stands tells a story. Sloane's military training for Six was the foundation for his Price.
- Embrace the Technology: Actors looking to get into gaming need to get comfortable with performance capture volumes. It's a different beast than traditional film.
- Humanize the Icon: Don't just play the "legend." Find the flaws. Sloane’s Price is successful because he’s a human being who makes mistakes and feels the weight of his decisions.
If you want to see the difference between "voice acting" and "performance capture," go back and watch the "Clean House" mission from 2019. Pay attention to Price’s movement. That’s not an animation cycle; that’s Barry Sloane moving through a space with the intent of a man who has done this a thousand times before.
The legacy of Captain Price is in good hands. Sloane didn't just replace a legend; he gave us a reason to care about the man behind the mustache all over again.
Next Steps: Watch the "Becoming Captain Price" behind-the-scenes featurette to see the actual mocap footage of Barry Sloane in action. It completely changes how you view the in-game cinematics.