David Gasman

David Gasman (born September 27, 1960) is an American actor, voice actor, director, and translator based in Paris, France, renowned for his extensive work in video games, animated series, and live-action films.^[1][2] He is particularly celebrated for voicing the titular character in the Rayman video game series, including Rayman 2: The Great Escape (1999), Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc (2003), and Rayman Raving Rabbids (2006), as well as roles like Son Goku and Bardock in European dubs of the Dragon Ball franchise.^[3][4] Born in Seattle, Washington, Gasman earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Cornish College of the Arts and trained under theater pioneer Jerzy Grotowski, performing Shakespearean roles across the United States in over 50 theatrical productions.^[1] He relocated to Paris, where he has collaborated with studios like Ubisoft and AB Groupe since the mid-1990s, contributing to more than 2,000 episodes of cartoons and dozens of video games as a voice artist and director.^[2] In addition to voice work, Gasman has appeared in live-action films such as The Bourne Identity (2002) as Deputy DCM and Babylon A.D. (2008) as a Neolite Researcher, while also directing and translating projects like Indigo Prophecy (2005), for which his voice acting was nominated for industry recognition.^[1][2] His versatile career spans genres, including voicing characters in titles like Syberia (2002), Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (2001), and Hellboy: The Science of Evil (2008), solidifying his influence in international entertainment.^[4]

Early life and education

Childhood and upbringing

David Gasman was born on September 27, 1960, in Seattle, Washington.^[1][3] He spent his formative years in Seattle, the city where he later pursued his education in the performing arts.^[1]

Formal education and early interests

David Gasman graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from the Professional Actor Training Program at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington.^[1] The program provided intensive training in acting techniques, voice, movement, and devising original works, emphasizing both contemporary and period performances.^[5] During his studies, Gasman engaged in coursework focused on theater fundamentals, including voice training to develop vocal range and articulation, as well as Shakespearean studies through classes like Acting Classical Texts I, which explored truthful interpretation of dramatic works.^[6] These experiences honed his skills in stage presence and character embodiment, laying the groundwork for his artistic development.^[5] Following graduation, Gasman trained under theater pioneer Jerzy Grotowski and pursued early acting opportunities, appearing in over fifty theatrical productions across the western United States that included Shakespearean roles, musicals, and dramatic roles.^[1]

Professional career

Initial acting roles and relocation to Europe

David Gasman began his professional acting career in the United States with small theater roles, including performances in over fifty theatrical productions and Shakespearean plays across the western United States following his training with Polish theater director Jerzy Grotowski.^[7] After earning a B.F.A. from the professional actor training program at the Cornish College of the Arts, Gasman relocated to Paris, France, in the early 1990s.^[8] Upon arriving in Europe, he entered the dubbing industry, starting voice work in 1994 for French production companies on cartoons, video games, commercials, and documentaries.^[2]

Development as a voice actor

Around 1994, Gasman shifted toward voice-over specialization, marking the start of his prolific work in dubbing and animation, where he developed expertise in accents and multifaceted character voices to suit diverse narrative demands.^[2] His early relocation to France served as a catalyst for this evolution, enabling immersion in the European entertainment industry. Based in Paris since the early 1990s, Gasman has leveraged his location to engage in international dubbing projects, particularly creating English-language versions for European audiences in collaboration with local studios. This positioning has allowed him to contribute to localized adaptations of global content, emphasizing precise vocal modulation for cross-cultural appeal.^[8] Spanning from 1992 to the present day in 2025, Gasman's voice acting career demonstrates remarkable versatility across genres such as fantasy, science fiction, and action, with contributions to over 2,000 episodes of animated series and dozens of video game titles. His ability to deliver nuanced performances, including varied accents and emotional depths, has positioned him as a key figure in the field, often portraying complex characters that require both gravitas and adaptability. He has continued this work into the 2020s, including roles in projects such as Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening (2025) and Fleak (2025).^[8][2][1]

Directing and production contributions

David Gasman's directing career began in the mid-2000s with significant contributions to video game localization and voice production. In 2005, he served as voice director and translator for Indigo Prophecy (known as Fahrenheit in Europe), overseeing the adaptation of the game's script and directing the English voice cast for Quantic Dream's interactive thriller. This role marked an early highlight in his production work, where he ensured cultural and linguistic fidelity in dubbing the French-developed title, with the game's voice acting earning nominations for industry recognition.^[2][9] Expanding into animation and further game projects, Gasman took on voice direction for Pat the Dog, a 2017 French animated series, guiding the English dubbing sessions to capture the show's comedic tone. His voice directing credits also include recent video games such as Endless Dungeon (2023) and Blood Bowl III (2023), both developed by French studios Amplitude Studios and Cyanide, where he coordinated ensemble voice performances for multiplayer and strategy genres.^[1][2] In production capacities, Gasman's oversight extended to script adaptation for English dubs of foreign media, exemplified by his translation work on Indigo Prophecy, which involved synchronizing dialogue with gameplay mechanics while preserving the original's psychological depth. His extensive background in voice acting, particularly in European dubbing studios like those associated with AB Groupe, informed his approach to directing, emphasizing precise timing and character consistency in multilingual projects. Through these roles continuing into the 2020s, Gasman has contributed to over a dozen titles, focusing on high-impact audio production for international audiences.^[2]

Notable roles and collaborations

Video game voice performances

David Gasman's breakthrough in video game voice acting came with his portrayal of the titular character in the Rayman series, beginning with Rayman 2: The Great Escape in 1999, where his energetic and whimsical delivery helped define the character's adventurous personality across multiple entries, including Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc in 2003 and the recent Rayman in the Phantom Show in 2023.^[10][3] His performance in these titles, spanning over two decades, contributed to the franchise's enduring appeal in platforming gaming, earning praise from fans for its lively expressiveness that captured Rayman's limbless heroism without relying on visual limbs. Gasman established a long-standing collaboration with Quantic Dream, providing voices in every major title from the studio, showcasing his versatility in narrative-driven interactive experiences. In Fahrenheit (also known as Indigo Prophecy) in 2005, he voiced protagonists Lucas Kane and Tyler Miles, delivering nuanced performances that conveyed psychological tension and moral ambiguity central to the game's thriller plot.^[11] He continued with supporting roles in later releases, such as a police officer in Detroit: Become Human in 2018, where his authoritative tone added depth to the game's exploration of android rights and human prejudice.^[12] These contributions highlighted his ability to adapt to motion-captured performances, influencing the studio's emphasis on emotional voice work in cinematic games. In more recent years, Gasman continued voicing characters in titles such as Worlds of Aria (2024) and Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy - Remastered (2025).^[2] Among his other notable video game roles, Gasman voiced Cutter Slade, the ex-Navy SEAL protagonist in Outcast in 1999, bringing a rugged, determined edge to the character's inter-dimensional adventure that resonated with early open-world gaming enthusiasts.^[13] His work across these projects has garnered fan recognition for versatile deliveries that blend humor, intensity, and charisma, solidifying his impact on gaming culture through memorable characters in both platformers and story-rich adventures.^[2]

Animation and anime dubbing

David Gasman gained prominence in animation through his portrayal of the artificial intelligence antagonist X.A.N.A. in the French-American animated series Code Lyoko (2003–2007), where he employed a deep, distorted, and menacing vocal delivery to embody the program's malevolent intent to dominate both virtual and real worlds.^[14] This role highlighted his ability to convey an eerie, otherworldly presence, often using pitch modulation and electronic effects to differentiate X.A.N.A.'s communications from human characters.^[3] In the same series, Gasman also voiced supporting roles such as the bumbling gym teacher Jim Morales, adding comic relief through exaggerated enthusiasm and physicality in his performance. Gasman's contributions extended to English-language dubs of anime films, particularly those produced by the French studio AB Groupe in the 1990s and early 2000s. He voiced the heroic Saiyan warrior Goku (also known as Kakarot) and the comedic, shape-shifting character Oolong in several Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z movies, including Curse of the Blood Rubies (1986, dubbed 1990s) and Dead Zone (1989, dubbed 2000s).^[15] These performances captured Goku's youthful determination and Oolong's sarcastic wit, adapting the original Japanese dialogue to maintain the high-energy action sequences while fitting the dubbed narrative.^[15] Dubbing anime for English audiences presented unique challenges for Gasman, including synchronizing voice timings with pre-animated mouth movements—a process known as lip-sync adjustment, where actors deliver lines to match visible phonemes like mouth openings for vowels and closures for consonants, often requiring multiple takes and script adaptations for natural flow.^[16] In AB Groupe's productions, this involved close collaboration with directors to align English phrasing with the original animation's pacing, prioritizing emotional delivery over perfect visual matches in fast-paced fight scenes.^[17] Beyond these standout roles, Gasman provided voices for various characters in other French animated series, such as additional ensemble parts in educational cartoons like Once Upon a Time... The Explorers (1994–1996), where his versatile range supported narratives on historical discovery and invention.

Live-action film and television appearances

David Gasman's live-action appearances span both American and French productions, reflecting his relocation to Europe early in his career, which opened doors to international collaborations. In 1995, he portrayed a liberal aristocrat in the historical drama Jefferson in Paris, directed by James Ivory, appearing alongside Nick Nolte in this exploration of Thomas Jefferson's time in France.^[18][19] His role in the 2002 action thriller The Bourne Identity, directed by Doug Liman, marked another early screen credit, where he played Deputy DCM in a brief embassy sequence involving Matt Damon as the amnesiac spy Jason Bourne.^[20][19] This small part highlighted his ability to contribute to high-profile Hollywood projects while based abroad. Gasman achieved greater visibility in French television with a recurring supporting role as Harvey Stein in the comedy series Kaboul Kitchen (2012–2014), appearing in 2 episodes of its second season on Canal+.^[21][22] The series, set in post-war Afghanistan and satirizing NGO operations, showcased his comedic timing in ensemble scenes with leads like Gilles Lellouche. Later in the decade, Gasman continued bridging U.S. and European cinema, taking on the role of Alexander Meyer, a business associate, in the 2008 Belgian-French action film Largo Winch, directed by Guillaume Canet and starring Tomer Sisley. That same year, he appeared as a Neolite researcher in Mathieu Kassovitz's sci-fi actioner Babylon A.D., featuring Vin Diesel in a dystopian chase narrative filmed partly in France. These roles underscored his transition into more consistent supporting parts in Francophone productions following his move to Paris.

Filmography

Voice roles in video games

David Gasman has voiced characters in over 100 video games since the mid-1990s, often specializing in English dubs for European-developed titles. His contributions include lead roles in adventure games and additional voices across multiple genres. The following table provides a chronological overview of his credited voice roles, drawing from production databases; specific characters are noted where documented.

Voice roles in animation and anime

David Gasman has contributed voice work to numerous animated projects, including English dubs of French-produced series and Japanese anime films, often in collaboration with studios like AB Groupe.^[1]

Key Voice Roles

• Code Lyoko (2003–2007, TV series): X.A.N.A., additional voices (including Jim Morales, William Dunbar).^[26]
• Dragon Ball Z films (AB Groupe dubs, 1996–2008): Goku (e.g., in Dead Zone, Cooler's Revenge, Lord Slug, Bojack Unbound), Bardock (Bardock - The Father of Goku), Oolong (multiple films including The Tree of Might, The History of Trunks).^[15]
• The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams (2010, animated film): Voice cast member (English version).
• Various French cartoon dubs: Additional voices in series such as Rabbids Invasion (2013–2019) and Les Blagues de Toto (2020–present).
• Ewilan's Quest (2025, TV series): Bjorn.

Voice roles in films

David Gasman's voice work in feature-length films spans animated dubs, documentaries, and live-action projects with vocal elements, often drawing on his extensive experience in anime dubbing to bring depth to character portrayals.^[1] In the realm of anime films, Gasman contributed to early English dubs of Dragon Ball Z movies produced by AB Groupe. He voiced Goku in Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989), capturing the protagonist's heroic intensity during pivotal confrontations.^[27] In Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (1990), he reprised Goku while also voicing Oolong, the shape-shifting pig character, showcasing his versatility in ensemble scenes.^[27][28] Gasman's filmography includes narration and voice elements in documentaries and animated features. He provided the voice for Isaac Asimov in the animated documentary Isaac Asimov, l'étrange testament du père des robots (2022), lending an authoritative tone to archival recreations of the author's ideas on robotics and futurism.^[29] In Fellini by Fellini (2023), a documentary exploring the life of the Italian director, Gasman delivered the English narration, guiding viewers through Fellini's creative legacy.^[30] His recent work features male and monster voices in the animated fantasy film Fleak (2025), enhancing the otherworldly adventure narrative.^[31] For live-action films incorporating voice acting, Gasman voiced Harry, a radio personality, in the post-apocalyptic horror Hostile (2017), where his performance adds tension through broadcast communications amid survival scenarios.^[32] Similarly, in the superhero short film Powerless (2017), he voiced Alex Price and DRH, contributing to the satirical take on hero tropes via dubbed elements.^[33]

Live-action television roles

David Gasman's relocation to France facilitated his entry into local television productions, where he took on supporting roles in live-action series. His most prominent live-action television appearance was as Harvey Stein, a recurring character, in the French comedy-drama series Kaboul Kitchen (2012–2014). In this role, Gasman portrayed an American expatriate involved in the chaotic operations of a restaurant in Kabul, appearing in all 12 episodes of the two-season run. The series, which satirized Western intervention in Afghanistan, earned critical acclaim and multiple awards, including two Golden FIPA Awards in 2012 for Best TV Series and Best Screenplay. Post-2000, Gasman had minor credited appearances in various French episodic dramas and documentary-style programs, though specific episode counts and roles remain limited in public records. These included brief parts in adventure and lifestyle series produced for French networks, reflecting his integration into the Paris-based acting scene.

Live-action film roles

David Gasman's live-action film roles have primarily consisted of supporting and minor on-screen appearances in international productions, often leveraging his Paris-based career and American accent for character parts. His earliest credited role came in the historical drama Jefferson in Paris (1995), directed by James Ivory, where he portrayed a liberal aristocrat amid the film's exploration of Thomas Jefferson's time in France.^[18] In 2002, Gasman appeared in the action thriller The Bourne Identity, directed by Doug Liman, as Deputy DCM, a minor diplomatic official involved in the early plot sequence.^[20] He continued with supporting roles in two 2008 releases: as Alexander Meyer, a corporate executive, in the French action film The Heir Apparent: Largo Winch (original title: Largo Winch), directed by Guillaume Canet,^[34] and as a Neolite Researcher in the science fiction actioner Babylon A.D., directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. Gasman's subsequent film work included a brief appearance as a German Tourist in the 2010 action comedy From Paris with Love, directed by Pierre Morel and starring John Travolta.^[35] His most recent confirmed on-screen role to date is as the Relay Owner in the Western The Sisters Brothers (2018), directed by Jacques Audiard, a critically acclaimed adaptation featuring Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly.^[36]