Charlie Cox’s humility is making headlines after the Daredevil star insisted his Game Awards 2025 Best Performance nomination for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 should actually go to someone else. During a panel at Conve64 in Monterrey, Mexico, Cox gave all the credit to Maxence Cazorla, the French motion capture actor who physically brought the character of Gustave to life. Now Cazorla is getting flooded with messages thanking him for his work, and the circle of appreciation is complete.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 made history with 12 nominations at The Game Awards 2025, the most any single game has ever received. Cox is nominated for Best Performance alongside two of his co-stars from the same game: Ben Starr who voices Verso, and Jennifer English who voices Maelle. But Cox made it clear that if he wins, the award belongs to the person who actually performed most of Gustave’s movements on set.
Charlie Cox Keeps Deflecting Credit
This isn’t the first time Cox has praised Cazorla and downplayed his own contribution to Gustave. Back in June when Clair Obscur first launched to massive critical acclaim, Cox mentioned feeling “like a total fraud” because he only spent about four hours in the voice booth while Cazorla spent months in the motion capture studio physically performing as Gustave, Verso, and Renoir.
At the Mexico panel, Cox repeated those sentiments even more forcefully. “I’m thrilled for this nomination,” Cox said. “I’ve said this before, and I think it’s important to say that there’s an amazing French actor by the name of Maxence Cazorla, who did almost all of the motion capture for that role, in that game. So any nomination or any credit I get, I really have to give to him, because I believe that the performance of that character is really down to him, and my voice was just part of that process.”
The Best Performance category at The Game Awards is described as recognizing achievement in “voice-over acting, motion and/or performance capture.” But historically, every winner has been a voice actor. Christopher Judge won for God of War Ragnarok despite also doing Kratos’ mocap. Melina Juergens won for Hellblade despite performing both voice and movement for Senua. The awards show consistently credits voice actors while the motion capture artists remain invisible.
Who Is Maxence Cazorla
Maxence Cazorla is a French actor, director, and screenwriter who trained between Paris and Los Angeles under prominent figures in American cinema. Before Clair Obscur, he was best known for his award-winning short films including Ineffable, UPYA, and Eon’s Echo. His work is supported by the AGBO Storytellers Collective founded by the Russo brothers who directed Avengers: Endgame.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is Cazorla’s first video game credit, which makes his workload on the project even more impressive. He provided motion and performance capture for three major characters: Gustave, Verso, and Renoir. But he didn’t just move like these characters. He also voiced Esquie in both English and French versions of the game, making him one of the most versatile contributors to the entire production.
The opening scene of Clair Obscur showcases Cazorla’s mocap work at its finest. During the massage scene where Gustave processes trauma without speaking, all the emotion and storytelling comes through purely via body language and facial expressions. Charlie Cox delivers one line during that entire sequence. The rest is Cazorla’s physical performance carrying the emotional weight.
Cazorla’s Grateful Response
After Cox’s comments went viral, Cazorla took to social media to thank everyone for the outpouring of support. “Thank you for all the messages these past few days,” Cazorla wrote on X. “Charlie’s words were incredibly generous, and I’m truly grateful. Bringing Gustave to life was a team effort, and I’m honored to have played my part in it. Thank you all so much for the love and support.”
The response from gaming communities has been overwhelmingly positive. Reddit threads praising Cox’s humility quickly pivoted to celebrating Cazorla’s work, with users sharing behind-the-scenes footage from his YouTube channel showing how he performed key scenes. PC Gamer ran a headline saying “the circle is closed” now that Cazorla is getting recognition after Cox insisted he deserves it.
The Motion Capture Recognition Problem
Cox’s comments highlight a persistent issue in gaming awards: motion capture actors rarely get recognized despite being essential to character performances. When players praise a character’s subtle facial expressions, realistic movements, or emotional body language, they’re usually crediting voice actors who provided the dialogue but not the physicality.
This creates situations where voice actors win awards for performances that relied heavily or entirely on someone else’s physical work. Andy Serkis spent years fighting for mocap recognition after his groundbreaking Gollum performance in Lord of the Rings went uncredited at major awards shows. Gaming has inherited that same problem, where the technology enables incredible performances but the credit structure hasn’t caught up.
Interestingly, Cazorla is nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Behind the Voice GameFest Game Awards for his work voicing Esquie. That nomination acknowledges his voice work specifically, but it still doesn’t capture the full scope of his contribution to Clair Obscur as the mocap performer for three major characters.
Clair Obscur’s Historic Game Awards Run
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s 12 nominations tie the record previously held by Baldur’s Gate 3 in 2023. The game is nominated for Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Audio Design, Best Performance (three nominations for Cox, Starr, and English), Best Independent Game, Best Debut Independent Game, and Best RPG.
The French indie studio Sandfall Interactive already proved themselves at the Golden Joystick Awards in November, where Clair Obscur won all seven categories it was nominated for including Ultimate Game of the Year. Jennifer English won Best Lead Actor, Ben Starr won Best Supporting Actor, and Sandfall took Studio of the Year. The acceptance speech for the final award summed it up perfectly: “What the fuck is happening right now?”
The game launched in April 2025 to critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its unique blend of turn-based JRPG combat with real-time parry and dodge mechanics. The story follows expeditioners who must venture into dangerous territories before the Paintress arrives on their 33rd birthday to erase them from existence. It’s dark, emotional, beautifully designed, and features one of the best voice and mocap casts assembled for an indie game.
Three Co-Stars Competing Against Each Other
The Best Performance category creates an awkward situation where Cox, Starr, and English are competing against each other for the same award. All three delivered exceptional work in Clair Obscur, but only one can win. Cox has already made clear he thinks Cazorla deserves credit if he wins. It wouldn’t be surprising if Starr and English make similar comments acknowledging Cazorla’s mocap work for their characters.
The other nominees in the Best Performance category are Erika Ishii for Ghost of Yotei, Humberly González for Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Luke Roberts for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Melina Juergens for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, and Briana White for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. It’s an incredibly strong field, and whoever wins will have earned it against serious competition.
What This Means for Future Recognition
Cox’s public advocacy for Cazorla might not change who wins at The Game Awards on December 11, but it’s already changed the conversation around motion capture recognition. Gaming outlets are running features about Cazorla. Social media is celebrating his work. Players are seeking out his behind-the-scenes videos and learning about the physical performances that brought their favorite characters to life.
That cultural shift matters more than individual awards. If voice actors start consistently crediting their mocap partners and audiences start demanding recognition for physical performers, awards shows will eventually adapt. The technical categories already acknowledge sound designers, composers, and art directors who work behind the scenes. Motion capture actors deserve the same visibility.
For now, Maxence Cazorla has achieved something rare: recognition from both his collaborator and the gaming community for work that usually goes uncredited. Whether The Game Awards catch up to that reality remains to be seen, but the internet has already decided Cazorla is a star.
FAQs
Who is Maxence Cazorla?
Maxence Cazorla is a French actor, director, and screenwriter who provided motion capture for Gustave, Verso, and Renoir in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. He also voiced Esquie in both English and French. This is his first video game credit.
Why did Charlie Cox say his nomination belongs to Maxence Cazorla?
Cox believes Cazorla deserves the credit because he performed all the physical motion capture work for Gustave, while Cox only provided the voice. Cox has repeatedly said he feels like a fraud getting praise for a performance that relied heavily on Cazorla’s physical acting.
Is Maxence Cazorla nominated for any awards?
Cazorla is nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Behind the Voice GameFest Game Awards for voicing Esquie. However, he is not nominated at The Game Awards despite performing mocap for three major characters in Clair Obscur.
When are The Game Awards 2025?
The Game Awards 2025 takes place on Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 7:30 PM EST / 4:30 PM PST at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The ceremony will stream live on multiple platforms.
How many nominations did Clair Obscur get?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received 12 nominations at The Game Awards 2025, tying the record for most nominations ever alongside Baldur’s Gate 3 in 2023. The game is nominated for Game of the Year and 11 other categories.
Who are the other Best Performance nominees from Clair Obscur?
Ben Starr (Verso) and Jennifer English (Maelle) are also nominated for Best Performance for their work in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This means three actors from the same game are competing against each other in the category.
What games did Clair Obscur win at the Golden Joystick Awards?
Clair Obscur won all seven categories it was nominated for at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards, including Ultimate Game of the Year, Best Narrative, Best Visual Design, Studio of the Year, Best Lead Actor (Jennifer English), and Best Supporting Actor (Ben Starr).
What is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 about?
Clair Obscur is a turn-based JRPG about expeditioners who must complete dangerous missions before the mysterious Paintress arrives on their 33rd birthday to erase them from existence. The game blends traditional turn-based combat with real-time parry and dodge mechanics.
Conclusion
Charlie Cox’s humility and Maxence Cazorla’s talent have created a feel-good story in gaming that transcends awards season politics. Cox could have simply accepted his nomination, thanked the team, and moved on. Instead, he used his platform as a recognizable Hollywood actor to shine a spotlight on the person who actually performed most of Gustave’s physical acting. That generosity speaks volumes about Cox’s character and his understanding of collaborative art. Cazorla, for his part, has responded with grace and gratitude while continuing to emphasize that Clair Obscur was a team effort. His behind-the-scenes clips show the dedication and skill required to bring these characters to life through motion capture, reminding audiences that incredible performances don’t happen by accident. Whether Clair Obscur sweeps The Game Awards on December 11 or not, this story has already accomplished something important. It’s made motion capture actors visible to mainstream gaming audiences and started conversations about how we recognize different types of performance. That cultural shift will benefit future performers like Cazorla who deserve recognition for their essential contributions to gaming’s most memorable characters. The internet responded to Cox’s humility by celebrating Cazorla, proving that when artists lift each other up, everyone wins. That’s the kind of story gaming needs more of.