Kingsborough professor voices new iteration of horror video game Five Nights at Freddy’s

Patrick Hickey Jr. is also the director of the journalism program at Kingsborough Community College

A Bensonhurst native and professor at Kingsborough Community College now has voice work for a popular horror video game franchise.

In Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit, author Patrick Hickey Jr. plays the voice of the game’s narrator, named Phone Guy, as well as Freddy Fazbear’s PA announcer. 

“They are essentially the only real characters with lines in the game, so it was a huge responsibility and one I took tremendously seriously,” he said. “Prior to Into the Pit, the creator of Five Nights at Freddy’s, Scott Cawthon, voices Phone Guy, and it’s easily one of the most important characters in video games over the last 25 years. I listened to virtually every line he’s done in the series as preparation, but was still petrified because of how passionate the fanbase is. I’m happy it’s all worked out so far.”

The game was released digitally on several platforms this past fall and has been a critical and commercial success.

Following its release, Hickey Jr. said the fanfare he’s received since his voice work has been a gratifying part of the experience.

“I’ve been flooded with things to sign, and at every event I’ve been a guest, the lines get bigger,” he said. “With the game’s physical release on June 20th, the fun continues. I just came back from a con in Chicago and signed over 100 FNAF Funko and merch. It’s been surreal.”

Hickey Jr. started doing voice work in 2016 when he was editing and writing dialogue for a horror game, and an actor left. 

“It’s something I always wanted to do, but didn’t have the opportunity to,” he explained. “We were in a pickle, so I stepped in and crushed it. After that, because I’ve spent so much time in the industry as a journalist and historian, I had a nice following, and then game devs began calling.”

Over the last 10 years, he’s done voice overs for around 25 trailers for indie games, and has been lead voiceover in several games, including The Padre, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell, The Kaiju Offensive, BPM Boy and over 65 voices in WrestleQuest.

“I love putting my own spin on characters and creating new ones,” Hickey Jr. said. “Playing professional boxers like Rocky Marciano and Sugar Ray Robinson, or even Dracula and Macho Man Randy Savage in Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood and WrestleQuests, respectively, was a blast, but I don’t consider myself an impressionist. I like to read scripts and bring characters alive.”

When he’s not doing voice overs or writing his comics and books, he is the director of the journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is currently an assistant professor in the communications department. He is also the chair of the City University of New York Journalism Discipline Council. 

“It’s been great,” he said of the experience. “The fans that I’ve met have totally embraced me. My kids love the series, so they get to tell people their dad is Phone Guy.”

This fall, he will be releasing three more comics. 

“I’ve been able to do some amazing things because I’ve always bet on myself, even when many people didn’t get what I was doing, understand why, or were even annoyed by my passion, vigor and persistence,” he said. “At 42, all the tough times and moments of not giving up have come full circle. Playing Phone Guy in FNAF has been a career-defining role as a voice actor and has also allowed me to introduce people to my Minds Behind the Games video game history books and Legacy Comix.”