NFS Carbon and Emmanuelle Vaugier

The beautiful Emmanuelle Vaugier was chosen to play the role of Nikki, in the Need For Speed Carbon (2006) video game.


Gamespy
Need for Speed Carbon, the hot new racing game from EA that not only features fly rides and fast action, but also the lovely Emmanuelle Vaugier, who's appeared on such TV shows as Smallville and Two And A Half Men and in such movies as Saw II and the upcoming Unearthed.

How did you get the role in Need for Speed Carbon?

Emmanuelle Vaugier: I was actually on a chairlift at a charity skiing event with my manager when she turned to me and said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, you got offered a role in a video game." So when I got back home I found out more about it, because I had never been offered anything like this.

What was it about this game, and your role in it, that made you want to do it?

Emmanuelle Vaugier: I played video games when I was a kid, and my favorites were always the racing games. And Super Mario Brothers. So it was cool that they offered me a role in a racing game. Sometimes when I was at a bowling alley or the movies I'd play something. But I also have friends who are gamers, and they'd let me play… until they saw how horrible I was and would be like, "Okay, why don't you go get yourself a drink." Now, of course, I have Need for Speed: Most Wanted at my house, which EA gave me. Though I need to get myself one of those steering wheels. I should just have a fake car in my house, replace my couch with one.

Unlike a lot of games, where you would normally just provide the voice for a computer-animated character, you actually appear in the game, and had to act against a green screen. Was that part of the appeal for you?

Emmanuelle Vaugier: That actually made it way more interesting, because how many times in my career am I going to be a sort of animated version of myself instead of being just the voice of a little cartoon? It's fabulous. It was also really cool to see the process of how it was done.

Based on the last two Need for Speeds, and every other video game I've ever played, I'm guessing they dressed you in some sexy outfits, yes?

Emmanuelle Vaugier: Yeah, there's some pretty cute outfits, some little skirts. I'd say sexy cool, not racy. I was just hoping I wasn't going to be in some leather number that barely covered me.


The above is a video interview at the launch of NFS Carbon. Emmanuelle Vaugier says that EA unlocked all the levels for her to play the game. But a month later EA did something similar but more controversial for buyers of the game...for $50 they offered cheat codes for unlocking all levels of NFS Carbon, downloadable from X-Box live!