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Max Burkholder – Shelf Quest Episode 2
Actor Max Burkholder discusses his long-standing relationship with video games in Polygon’s Shelf Quest series. He says gaming helped him manage the pressures of balancing acting work and school as a child, and it remains an important pastime alongside his current television career.
Burkholder first connected with games through Kingdom Hearts while appearing in productions including Daddy Day Care, The Purge and Parenthood. Now playing the teenage version of Mark Wahlberg’s character in Peacock’s Ted, he makes time for lengthy role-playing games such as Final Fantasy 16 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, as well as Blue Prince, and recently bought Bravely Default for Nintendo Switch 2 at Videogamesnewyork.
In short
- Max Burkholder says games helped relieve childhood acting pressures.
- Kingdom Hearts began his enduring interest in gaming.
- He still plays RPGs while starring in Peacock’s Ted.
Explained simply
Max Burkholder is an American actor who began working in film and television as a child. His credits include Daddy Day Care, The Purge and Parenthood, and he now plays a teenage version of Mark Wahlberg’s character in the television series Ted.
Video games have been part of Burkholder’s life since he discovered Kingdom Hearts while juggling acting and school. He says they helped him manage those pressures and remain a favourite pastime alongside his acting work.
The games he enjoys range from long role-playing adventures such as Final Fantasy 16 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to the puzzle game Blue Prince. His story offers a glimpse of how gaming fits into the life of an actor whose career began in childhood.
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