Ironside, Quaid TimeShift-ing

Horror-movie fans know Michael Ironside as Darryl Revok, villain of director David Cronenberg's 1981 cult classic Scanners. Science fiction fans will remember him from roles in two of Paul Verhoeven's cynical future-action extravaganzas--as the ruthless assassin Richter in Total Recall and Lieutenant Jean "Everyone fights, no one quits" Rasczak in Starship Troopers. Television viewers will probably recognize him from his recent guest appearances on ER and Desperate Housewives.

To gamers, though, Ironside's gravelly baritone is instantly recognizable as the voice of superspy Sam Fisher, hero of the Tom Clancy-inspired Splinter Cell series. In 2002, the veteran Canadian character actor also lent his vocal talent to another game, Interplay's poorly reviewed Run Like Hell.

Now, Ironside is adding a third game to his lengthy resume. Today, Vivendi Games announced that he has joined the voice cast of TimeShift, the sci-fi shooter the publisher recently acquired from Atari. Ironside will play Doctor Krone, one of the scientists developing the time-travel technology at the center of the game's storyline.

Joining Ironside is one of Hollywood's more recognizable leading men. Dennis Quaid, whose 20-year career has spanned the 1980s (The Big Easy, Innerspace), '90s (Undercover Blues, Dragonheart), and '00s (Traffic, In Good Company), is also joining TimeShift's cast. It will be his first game project and will see the aging heartthrob play Colonel Michael Swift (Ret.), a former test pilot who becomes the world's first "chrononaut," or time traveler.

Rounding out the cast is character actor Nick Chinlund, who will play General Mitchell, director of the game's time-travel project. Though not a marquee name, Chinlund has appeared in many movies familiar to gamers, including Chronicles of Riddick and Training Day. (He will also appear in the yet-untitled first film from the editors of the popular satirical weekly The Onion.) Chinlund has had guest spots in several high-profile TV series, including The Sopranos and Desperate Housewives. His appearances on the latter series did not overlap with those of Ironside.

Developed by Saber Interactive (2003's Will Rock), TimeShift is set to hit the Xbox 360 and PC in September. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's exclusive preview.