Former Solid Snake Actor Makes Admission About Metal Gear Solid 5 originally appeared on GameDaily.
For a very long time, David Hayter was synonymous with Solid Snake. He was the first actor to voice the character in 1998’s Metal Gear Solid and held onto the role until he was recast for Kiefer Sutherland for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Hayer was very attached to the character and didn’t take losing the role well. He swore off playing MGS5 for a very long time, but is finally starting to move on. Hayter is back in the role with the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and he finally decided to give The Phantom Pain a chance.
Konami
“Well, there was reluctance,” Hayter said of playing MGS5 in an interview with PC Gamer. “I didn’t want to play the game because I figured it would hurt my feelings. Then, you know, 10 years went by and I was like, ‘Ah, to hell with my feelings. What do I care?’ … I’m a screenwriter, so I get fired for a living, like I literally, eventually, get fired from every single gig that I’ve got, and I’m not a child.”
“I was like, ‘Stop being a baby and play the game.’ So I played it. It’s amazing,” Hayter added.
The Phantom Pain is light on story compared to other MGS games, but it has some of the best stealth gameplay ever produced, so it’s good that Hayter finally gave it a shot. It also helped that he spent some time with Sutherland, who sounds like a great hang.
“I ran into Kiefer Sutherland at a bar in Dallas,” Hayter said, “and we had a bunch of drinks. And he’s a great guy, you know? No, no ill will. All is forgiven.”
This story was originally reported by GameDaily on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared.