Who Plays Master Chief in the ‘Halo’ Show? Meet Pablo Schreiber

If you’ve ever wondered why there isn’t a Halo show, your dreams have officially come true. This week marks the premiere of Halo, Paramount+‘s $90 million take on the video game franchise of the same name.

Casting any actor for a major adaptation is always a big deal. But the stakes are especially high for Halo. Master Chief, the primary protagonist in the games, has almost always been seen with his helmet and armor. Most people have no idea what the man behind the Spartan mask even looks like. So who was the lucky man who got to capture this legend? Here’s how you know Pablo Schreiber.

Who Plays Master Chief in Halo on Paramount+?

Petty Officer John-117 is played by none other than Pablo Schreiber. Sure, he doesn’t look exactly like literally that one time we saw Master Chief’s face in the games. But don’t worry. Schreiber has more than enough action movie and prestige TV cred to make him the perfect fit.

What Else Has Pablo Schreiber Been In?

You know that prestige TV cred we mentioned? Schreiber has it in spades. Schreiber started his TV career by playing Nickolas “Nick” Sobotka in HBO’s The Wire. Yes, that’s how he started. He’s been a regular in the Law & Order universe, starring in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and regular old Law & Order. He’s also starred in shows like Army Wives, Numbers, Weeds, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Brink, and Defending Jacob. As for his movie credits, Schreiber has been in The Manchurian Candidate, Michael Bay’s 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Den of Thieves, Skyscraper, and Damien Chazelle’s First Man.

You may also recognize Schreiber for his work outside of film and television. He narrated the audiobook version of Brett Easton Ellis’ American Psycho, provided voice work for the video game Manhunt 2, and even starred on Broadway. His performance in Awake and Sing! earned Schreiber a Tony nomination.

But arguably Schreiber’s most recognizable role came from another streaming service. The actor played Pornstache, one of the guards in Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black. That role earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

Did Pablo Schreiber Ever Play a Sexy Leprechaun?

What an oddly specific question! Yes, Schreiber played Mad Sweeney in STARZ’s adaptation of American Gods. In the show, Mad Sweeney was a leprechaun employed by Ian McShane’s Mr. Wednesday who fretted over losing his charm. Yes, American Gods is wild.

Watch Halo on Paramount+