David Bateson

{{Short description|English actor (born 1960)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Use British English|date=October 2012}} {{Infobox person | name = David Bateson | image = BatesonMegaconLive.png | alt =  | caption = Bateson in 2026 in costume as Agent 47 | birth_name =  | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1960|2|09}} | birth_place = Durban, South Africa | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1994–present }}

'''David Bateson''' (born 9 February 1960) is an English actor who holds both British and Danish citizenship. He is best known for providing the voice of Agent 47, the protagonist of IO Interactive's stealth game series ''Hitman'', having played the role since 2000 in each of the franchise's eight main games.

==Early life== David Bateson was born in Durban on 9 February 1960 to his English parents.<ref name="Interview">{{cite web |url=http://thegamingliberty.com/index.php/2010/10/21/agent-47-speaks-an-interview-with-david-bateson/ |title=Agent 47 Speaks! An Interview With David Bateson |publisher=Thegamingliberty.com |date=21 October 2010 |accessdate=30 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822221925/http://thegamingliberty.com/index.php/2010/10/21/agent-47-speaks-an-interview-with-david-bateson/ |archive-date=22 August 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He has said that the family moved between South Africa and England at least 13 times and that he attended nine schools overall, which "made [him] a little confused as to [his] identity for a while".<ref name="Interview" />

==Career== Bateson landed his first role when he played Hother in the 1994 film ''Prince of Jutland''.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} He also played the part of a young sailor in the 1996 film ''Breaking the Waves'', along with the main role in the 2002 short film ''Debutanten''. He also acted alongside Mads Mikkelsen in the 1999 short film ''Tom Merritt'', and would again act with Mikkelsen in a 2025 update for ''Hitman: World of Assassination''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-07 |title="I got to shag his wife and kill him, so let's see what happens in the game": 26 years before becoming David Bateson's target in Hitman, Mads Mikkelsen worked with the Agent 47 actor on a Danish short film |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/got-shag-wife-kill-him-155724679.html |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Yahoo Entertainment |language=en-US}}</ref>

Bateson's most notable role is that of Agent 47, the protagonist of IO Interactive's stealth game series ''Hitman''. He has provided the voice and motion capture for the character in every entry in the series since 2000.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=ImDavidBateson |author=David Bateson |number=610776997791461379 |date=16 June 2015 |title=@Metalchamp1995 yo Mario - yes I am! I'm just relieved to be able to say it out loud. Can't wait}}</ref> Bateson landed the role after doing voiceover for another project in the same building that housed IO Interactive's studio for Hitman: Codename 47.<ref>{{Cite news |author1=Andy Kelly |date=2021-02-25 |title=David Bateson on 20 years of playing Hitman's Agent 47: 'He's my best friend!' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/david-bateson-on-20-years-of-playing-hitmans-agent-47-hes-my-best-friend/ |access-date=2025-08-31 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}</ref> Despite bearing an uncanny resemblance, he has refuted the popular belief that Agent 47's physical appearance was based on him, dismissing it as a coincidence.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_4gDUFRvag | title=Hitman Absolution Q&A: The Voice of Agent 47 | website=YouTube | date=27 October 2012 }}</ref> Addressing fan backlash following the revelation that he had been replaced without warning by American actor William Mapother for ''Hitman: Absolution'', Bateson revealed that IO Interactive were ignoring his efforts to contact them<ref>[http://beefjack.com/news/ioi-cuts-david-bateson-from-absolution/ Beefjack.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311121959/http://beefjack.com/news/ioi-cuts-david-bateson-from-absolution/ |date=11 March 2012 }}</ref> and later confirmed on his website that he had been "unceremoniously dropped from the franchise" but was unable to comment further for "legal reasons".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.davidbateson.dk/ |title=Home |publisher=Davidbateson.dk |accessdate=2014-08-13}}</ref> He was rehired for the voice role before the game's release, though Mapother's motion capture work remained intact.<ref>{{cite web |work=Cinema Blend |title=David Bateson Returns To Voice Agent 47 in Hitman: Absolution |first=William |last=Usher |date=2012 |url=http://www.cinemablend.com/games/David-Bateson-Returns-Voice-Agent-47-Hitman-Absolution-46217.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |work=Complex |url=http://ca.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/10/hitman-absolution-us-tour-creepy-guy-from-lost-playing-as-agent-47-william-mapother |title="Hitman: Absolution" Goes on US Tour, Creepy Guy From "Lost" is Playing as Agent 47 |first=Michael |last=Rougeau |date=25 October 2012}}</ref> Despite the major setback, Bateson said in June 2025 that ''Absolution'' is his favorite game in the Hitman series.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fall Damage |title=Can Agent 47 Remember His Iconic Lines? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuBgzTwXckk |website=YouTube |date=25 June 2025 |access-date=30 June 2025}}</ref> Mapother returned for the subsequent game to voice Dino Bosco, an arrogant Italian actor Agent 47 must kill.

Bateson voiced Virgil in the 2020 indie game ''Lightmatter'', his first non-''Hitman'' video game voice role.<ref name="virgil">{{Cite web |date=2020-04-24 |title=Lightmatter - Let's Play Lightmatter: David Bateson - Steam News |url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/994140/view/2853530520490492133 |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=store.steampowered.com |language=en}}</ref> He voiced Bowser in the Danish dub of the 2023 film ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'', dubbing Jack Black's voice.<ref name="Bowser1">{{cite web|url=https://www.thegamer.com/agent-47-voice-actor-bowser-in-danish-dub-of-the-super-mario-bros-movie/|title=Agent 47 Is the Voice Actor of Bowser in the Danish Dub of The Super Mario Bros. Movie|first=Joshua|last=Henry|date=8 April 2023|access-date=23 October 2023|website=The Gamer}}</ref><ref name="bowser"/> He has also worked extensively in Danish television series and narrated various Lego commercials.

==Personal life== Bateson previously lived in Canada,{{cn|date=December 2024}} England, and South Africa; he is now a long-time resident of Denmark, where he is based in Copenhagen, holds Danish citizenship, and speaks fluent Danish.<ref name="Bowser1" /><ref name="bowser"/> He is a member of both the British and Danish actors' unions.<ref name="Bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.davidbateson.dk/cv/ |title=Complete CV for David Bateson |publisher=Official website of David Bateson |accessdate=30 August 2012}}</ref>

==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1994 || ''Prince of Jutland'' || Hother || |- |1996 || ''Breaking the Waves'' || Young Sailor || |- |1999 ||''Tom Merritt'' || Tom Merritt || Short film |- |2000 || ''Help! I'm a Fish'' ||Commander Shark, General Crab<ref name="btva">{{cite web |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/David-Bateson/ |title=Behind the Voice Actors – David Bateson |website=Behind The Voice Actors |access-date=12 September 2019}}</ref>||Voice |- |2002 || ''One Hell of a Christmas'' || Tommy || |- |2003 || ''Stealing Rembrandt'' || Stor Mand || |- |2008 || ''Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms'' || Jimmy, Manager, Nature Speaker<ref name="btva"/>||Voice |- |2009 || ''Headhunter'' || Dr. Leipmann || |- |2011 || ''Freddy Frogface'' || Bardini, Blacksmith, Carlo Androkles, Ole Antonioni<ref name="btva"/> ||Voice |- |2012 || ''Ivan the Incredible'' || Butcher, Teacher, Grumpy Fisherman<ref name="btva"/>||Voice |- |2023 || data-sort-value="Super Mario Bros. Movie, The" | ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' || Bowser<ref name="Bowser1"/><ref name="bowser">{{Cite tweet |number=1644044837568790528 |user=ImDavidBateson |title=This may come as a surprise- but I am Bowzer in the Danish version of the new Super Mario Bros film. Thank you @iyunohq and @NintendoAmerica I'm the Danish #JackBlack Cool! |author=David Bateson |date=2023-04-07 |access-date=2023-04-08}}</ref>||Voice, Danish dub |- |}

===Video games=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2000 || ''Hitman: Codename 47'' || Agent 47<ref name="btva"/> || |- |2002 || ''Hitman 2: Silent Assassin'' || Agent 47, Agent 17 || |- |2004 || ''Hitman: Contracts'' || rowspan="5" | Agent 47<ref name="btva"/> || |- |2006 || ''Hitman: Blood Money'' || |- |2012 || ''Hitman: Absolution'' || |- |2016 || ''Hitman'' || |- |2018 || ''Hitman 2'' || |- |2020 || ''Lightmatter'' || Virgil<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/994140/Lightmatter/ |title=Lightmatter on Steam |website=store.steampowered.com |language=en |access-date=2019-12-07}}</ref> || |- |2021 |''Hitman 3'' |Agent 47 | |}

=== Television === *''Den Enes Død'' (1994) *''Carl Th. Dreyer: My Métier'' (1995) (documentary) *''Kun en Pige'' (1995) – Korrespondent *''Krystalbarnet'' (1996) *''Spoon River'' (1996) *''Another You'' (1997) *''Midnight Angels'' (1998) *''Daddyfox'' (2000) – Court Police Officer 2 *''Debutanten'' (2002) (short) – Bill *''Langt fra Las Vegas'' (2001 – 2003) – Irer *''A Royal Family'' (TV, 2003) – Narrator (English version) *''The Core'' (2005) (documentary) – Niels Bohr *''Hero of God'' (2006) *''Anna Pihl'' (TV, 1 episode, 2008) – Mr.Reed *''Klovn'' (TV, 1 episode, 2008) – Dave *''Disco Ormene'' (2008) – Voice *''Maj & Charlie'' (TV, 1 episode, 2008) – Fitness Chef *''Aurum'' (2008) – Mark Boland *''Livvagterne'' (TV, 5 episodes, 2010) – Shane *''The Dark Side of Chocolate'' (2010) (documentary) – Narrator *''Borgen'' (TV, 2 episodes, 2010 – 2011) – Additional voices *''The Micro Debt'' (2011) (documentary) – Narrator *''The Life and Death of Thomas Simeon'' (2011) – Narrator (voice) *''A Tribute to J. J. Abrams'' (2013) (short) – Voice of Bouncer *''Taming the Quantum World'' (2013) (documentary) – Narrator *''Aftenshowet'' (TV, 2 episodes, 2013 – 2014) – Himself *''Exodus: Humanity Has A Price'' (2014) – Commander *''Monte Carlo Elsker USA'' (2014) – Speaker *''Upstart'' (2014) *''Huldra: Lady of the Forest'' (2016) – Mike *''Digital Romance'' (2016) (short) – Kane *''Bitter Grapes'' (2016) (documentary) – Narrator *''Ø'' (TV, 5 episodes, 2016) – Tommy *''Real Life Hitman'' (2016) (short) – Agent 47 (voice) *''Level up Norge'' (TV, 1 episode, 2017) – Agent 47 (voice) *''The Messenger'' (short, 2018) – Narrator / Boss *''Below the Surface'' (TV, 1 episode, 2019) – British newsreader (voice) *''Breeder'' (2020) – Speaker *''Kamikaze'' (TV, 1 episode, 2021) – Bengt *''A Taste of Hunger'' (2021) – Michelin Announcer *''The Orchestra'' (TV, 3 episodes, 2022) – Mablewood *''The Exigency II: Course of Action'' (TBA) – Hideout Guard (voice) *''The Somerdahl Murders'' (TV, 2 episodes, 2023) – Eric Windfeldt

==References== <references />

==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.davidbateson.dk/}} * {{IMDb name|0061055}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bateson, David}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:English expatriates in Denmark Category:English male voice actors Category:English male comedians Category:English male film actors Category:English male stage actors Category:English male television actors Category:English male video game actors Category:English television presenters Category:Male actors from Durban Category:South African people of British descent Category:University of Natal alumni Category:South African male actors