Ellen McLain (born 1952 or 1953) is an American voice actress. She is best known for providing the voice of GLaDOS, the primary antagonist of the Portal video game series, the Combine Overwatch AI in Half-Life 2, and the Administrator, the announcer in Team Fortress 2. Her voice roles also include the Jaeger A.I. in Pacific Rim and The Witch in Left 4 Dead 2.
Career McLain provides voices for many characters in several video games from Valve. Among them are GLaDOS, the primary antagonist of the Portal video game series (for which she won an AIAS Interactive Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance), the announcer in Team Fortress 2, and the voice of the Combine Overwatch for the Half-Life series.
McLain sang "Still Alive" and "Want You Gone", the ending credits songs to Portal and Portal 2, respectively, both of which were written by Jonathan Coulton. She also sang "Cara Mia Addio" at the end of Portal 2. In December 2011, McLain won the Spike Video Game Award in the category "Best Performance by a Human Female" for her voice acting as GLaDOS in Portal 2.
In 2013, she lent her public support to gathering donations for the Kickstarter-funded LGBT gaming convention GaymerX. She later was a special guest at the convention in August 2013. In 2014, she portrayed Fairy Godmother in the online video series [Wish It Inc.]. In 2015, she portrayed Lisa Clarke in the gay independent film, Winning Dad. This film was also promoted on McLain's YouTube channel.
McLain has played roles in many radio dramas on the radio program Imagination Theatre.
In 2021, McLain provided the voice of GLaDOS non-canonically, singing a verse in The Chalkeaters’ song "Count to Three" as a cameo.
Also in 2021, McLain performed the role of Thelma (or Mama) in a livestreamed version of the play 'night, Mother co-starring Sheila Houlahan on the online platform Twitch with the story adapted by McLain within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The filmed online play, directed by McLain's husband John Patrick Lowrie, is performed through an online face-to-face chat with the screen split between McLain's and Houlahan's screens, occasionally interrupted by cuts to pre-filmed footage relevant to the story.
In 2022, McLain provided the voice of GLaDOS for the GEICO insurance ad.
Personal life McLain has been married to fellow voice actor John Patrick Lowrie since 1986. McLain now spends her days as a voice instructor, teaching at local community and children's theaters.
Filmography Film Year Title Role(s) Notes 2013 Pacific Rim Gipsy Danger AI 2014 Winning Dad Lisa Clarke 2017 The Gamers: The Shadow Menace Lorraine Richards 2018 Pacific Rim: Uprising Gipsy Avenger AI2025 Goos'd Anti-Goosinator AIShort animated thesis film
Web series Year Title Role(s) Notes 2014 IRrelevant Astronomy NOTGLaDOS "Fusion vs. Fission"2014Wish It Inc.The Fairy Godmother12 episodes2016Bee and PuppyCatTempBot / Barkeep"Game" 2017 Electromagnetic Spectrum: The Musical NOTGLaDOS2021Count to ThreeGLaDOSMusic video by The Chalkeaters2021Night, MotherThelma / MamaLivestreamed adaptation of the play 'night, Mother on Twitch.
Video games Year Title Role(s) Notes 2004 Half-Life 2 Combine Overwatch Announcer 2006 Half-Life 2: Episode One 2007 Half-Life 2: Episode Two Portal GLaDOS / Turrets / Curiosity Core / Intelligence Core (Cake Core) Portal GCF archives AIAS Interactive Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement in Character PerformanceSings "Still Alive"Uncredited as "Curiosity Core" and "Cake Core"See also: Portal reception and Reception and analysis of GLaDOS Team Fortress 2 The Administrator Also referred to as "The Announcer" or "Helen" 2009Left 4 Dead 2The Witch"Wandering Witch" daytime-only soundtrack singing 2011 Portal 2 GLaDOS / Turrets / Caroline Best Performance by a Human Female at the Spike Video Game Awards Sings "Want You Gone" and "Cara Mia Addio"Uncredited as "Caroline" Killing Floor Anger Core As a temporary trader during the games 2011 Potato Fools Day event. Defense Grid: The Awakening GLaDOS "You Monster" DLC 2012 Dota 2 Broodmother / Death Prophet / GLaDOS Announcer 2013 Poker Night 2 GLaDOS As the game's card dealer, supporting role 2015 Lego Dimensions GLaDOS / Turrets / Cake Core Supporting roleSings "You Wouldn't Know" 2017 Bridge Constructor Portal GLaDOS 2019 The Church in the Darkness Rebecca Walker 2020 Half-Life: Alyx Combine OverwatchCyberpunk 2077DelamainAs one of Delamain's split personalities, which is modeled after GLaDOS
References
External links
, Anime Midwest 2011 convention