HLFallout recently had the privilege of interviewing Hal Robbins, the voice talent behind Dr. Kleiner in the Half-Life series. Here is a snippet of that conversation:

HLFallout.net: What were your favourite scenes in Half-Life and Half-Life 2?

Hal: The original catastrophe, the opening of the Rift in the first game, is one. The player must precipitate it to start the action rolling. Of course, I maintain a soft spot (in my head?) for all scenes in following iterations with Lamarr, beloved domesticated headcrab.

HLFallout.net: So, what does Gordon Freeman sound like?

Hal: Dry, I'd say. Dry and laconic. A man of few words—the strong, silent type. Think Gary Cooper. But Dr. Kleiner, to be just, has never had the opportunity, in the world of the game, to socialize with Gordon in "relaxed" everyday surroundings.

It should be remembered that before the action depicted in the first game, at MIT Dr. Kleiner was one of Gordon Freeman's professors, and even initially recommended him to Black Mesa's AM (Anomalous Materials) team. In that earlier academic setting, however, Kleiner knew the wunderkind Freeman chiefly through his brilliant post-graduate work, not as a drinking buddy.

Check out the rest at HLFallout.