From John Cleese to Ben Kingsley: How Fable 3’s Star-Studded Cast Changed AAA Games

Fable 3 arrived on Oct. 29, 2010 for the Xbox 360 and stood out for its unusually starry voice cast. At the time, the game’s high-profile actors helped give the fantasy RPG a cinematic feel, and today that kind of casting is common across AAA releases.

1. Fable 3’s cast and roles
2. Production, timeline and Lionhead’s fate
3. Industry context and legacy
4. Fable reboot and what’s next

Fable 3’s cast and roles

The game features a long list of recognizable actors. For clarity, here are the main credited roles and the actors who played them:

• John Cleese as Jasper, the butler who accompanies the player.
• Michael Fassbender as King Logan, the player character’s older brother and antagonist.
• Bernard Hill as Walter Beck, a companion encountered early in the story.
• Naomie Harris as Page, a revolutionary figure.
• Adjoa Andoh as the ruler of a sympathetic city-state.
• Nicholas Hoult as a romantic interest available if you play as the princess.
• Simon Pegg as Ben Finn, a soldier.
• Sir Ben Kingsley as Sabine, a ruler of a neighbouring realm.

Production, timeline and Lionhead’s fate

Fable 3 shipped on Oct. 29, 2010 for the Xbox 360. However, the game was infamously produced on a tight timeline, which shaped both its reception and the studio’s future. Consequently, Microsoft shifted Lionhead’s efforts toward Kinect projects afterwards. In the end, Microsoft closed Lionhead in 2016, so Fable 3 is often described as the studio’s swansong. Also, remember the Kinect?

Industry context and legacy

At the time, having one or two big names in games wasn’t new. For example, Rockstar regularly cast high-profile actors in Grand Theft Auto, including Ray Liotta and Samuel L. Jackson. Likewise, franchise and adaptation games had seen crossover talent for years.

But Fable 3 was notable because it bundled a large, marquee cast across many roles. Since then, the industry has moved further toward prominent casting. For instance, more recent examples include Giancarlo Esposito in Far Cry 6, Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077, and J.K. Simmons in Baldur’s Gate 3. Furthermore, games like Death Stranding 2 have featured extensive film and TV casts, and smaller projects have also attracted major names — for example, Daisy Ridley, James McAvoy, and Willem Dafoe in 12 Minutes.

Other factual touchpoints: actors such as Kirsten Bell, Nathan Fillion, Keith David, and Seth Green have voiced parts in big game series like Halo, Mass Effect, and Assassin’s Creed. Meanwhile, Ron Perlman is the narrator for the Fallout series. All of these examples show how celebrity casting has become a regular part of game production.

Fable reboot and what’s next

Looking ahead, the Fable franchise is returning. A new game simply titled Fable is now planned for 2026, following a delay announced in February 2025. Footage shown in 2023 included BAFTA-winning Richard Ayoade in the trailer. Publisher Xbox Game Studios has kept many details under wraps, but the early material suggests the series may continue to use notable talent.