The actor of Orgrim Doomhammer from the Warcraft movie admits: Playing WoW has saved his life.
A big, happy Orc
That World of Warcraft has contributed to some players gaining a bit of weight is probably more than just a stereotype. But when someone claims that WoW has literally saved a player’s life, society often frowns upon it and labels the person as eccentric. It is all the more delightful when celebrities also open up about their experiences.
Robert Kazinsky, the actor of Orgrim Doomhammer from the Warcraft movie, was a guest on Conan O’Brien last week, a well-known comedian and entertainer. There was hardly any talk about the upcoming movie, but rather about the game and how it influenced Kazinsky’s life.
Kazinsky reports how much his job as an actor has taken a toll on him. In a British cult series, he played a tough guy. This led to lightly intoxicated individuals often provoking and even hitting him in pubs to show off to their friends: “I smashed the tough guy from the series.” They did not see the actor, but the characters he portrayed. This, along with the growing recognition, affected him so much that he hardly wanted to be seen on the street without disguising himself – and then came World of Warcraft.
The happiest time of his life
For a long time, he was immersed in the game and especially enjoyed the social contacts he made there. His guild members did not know who they were playing with, which created a relaxed, honest, and carefree interaction. The rewards the game provided boosted his self-confidence.
“World of Warcraft saved my life,” he says with a smile. And he is convinced of that, even though he played for long periods of 18 hours a day and barely left his apartment. Then he adds with a grin, “It made me happy, but also fat.”
To conclude, there was a confession that one does not often hear. “I have a great life, the perfect girlfriend, wonderful work. But I was never as happy as when I was fat, playing video games, and had no expectations on me.”
Mein-MMO says: A nice story that will surely help to further bring the stigmatized games into the right light. If more famous people publicly shared their experiences with online games, the image of “isolating computer games” would likely change soon. This example beautifully shows that games can connect people in a way that situations in “real” life often cannot.
