Fallout series: Codsworth origin and familiar voice actor, explained

The Fallout TV show features a lot of familiar actors, like Ella Purnell in her starring role as Lucy or Walter Goggins as The Ghoul. However, one of these actors may be more unfamiliar to others than they are to me, so I’m here to tell you about Matt Berry and the origin story of Codsworth. 

For those who played the Fallout games, Codsworth isn’t a new character. He first appeared in Fallout 4 as the personal robot to the protagonist’s family, you know, before nuclear warfare erupted. He then wandered the neighborhood for 200 years, only to bump into the player again when they awoke from cryogenic stasis and left Vault 111 in search of their long-since-stolen son. 

So, as a long-time player of the Fallout games, when I heard the name Codsworth in the TV show, my ears perked up. When I noticed the voice, Codsworth quickly became one of my favorite short-lived characters. 

Then, further into the show, something is revealed which has never come into the extensive lore of Fallout before — Codsworth’s origin story. Well, the origin story of his voice, at the very least.

Spoilers for the Fallout TV show follow.

What is Codsworth origin story in Fallout?

For this to make sense, we also need to go into the origin story of The Ghoul. Before he lost his nose and began wandering the Wastes, he was actually Cooper Howard, husband to one of Vault-Tec’s executives and also a movie star who, naturally, had many other movie star friends. 

One of these friends, Sebastian Leslie, is revealed during season one, episode six the show to be none other than the voice behind Bartholemew Codsworth. After humorously talking to Cooper in character, Sebastian then goes on to explain that the future isn’t in movies, but rather in products. 

As it turns out, the character of Bartholomew Codsworth was actually one that Sebastian had played before. When the company responsible for the creation of the Codsworth line of Mr. Handy robots, Rob-Co, purchased the rights to the movie studio that made the film, they were then able to use Sebastian’s voice for their product. 

He didn’t get paid very much for the chance to become a household name as a robot, but on the plus side, he was compensated with his very own Codsworth to greet him with his own voice each time he goes home. I’m not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse. 

Who voices Codsworth in the Fallout TV show?

When I first heard the voice of Codsworth, I immediately recognised it. Matt Berry is one of my favorite British actors, having starred in some quintessentially British sit-coms like The IT Crowd and The Mighty Boosh. Being British myself, I’ve grown up seeing his face and hearing his very recognisable voice.

If you’re from distant shores, you’re most likely to know him from What We Do In The Shadows, in which he plays Laszlo Craven, or Disenchantment, in which he provides the voice of Prince Merkimer. He’s also the voice of Bubbles the dolphin in The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. 

As well as acting, Matt Berry is also an accomplished musician who plays all of his own instruments besides the drums, and a talented comedian, making him perfect for the role of a robot with lines like “I’m simply going to harvest your organs.”