‘Halo’ TV Series Sees Original Cortana Voice Actor Jen Taylor Reprising Her Role

The upcoming Halo TV series had already cast its version of Cortana. Originally, the series would’ve seen actress Natascha McElhone (Designated Survivor) portraying the Halo franchise’s iconic AI, as well as her creator, Dr. Catherine Halsey. However, IGN has revealed that McElhone is no longer playing Cortana but will still play Catherine Haley. “Due to scheduling difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, McElhone can no longer complete her work as Cortana – but will continue in the role of Halsey,” wrote IGN.

Replacing McElhone as Cortana is none other than Jen Taylor, who has voiced Cortana since the original back in 2001. Taylor also has voiced Dr. Catherine Halsey in various installments in the franchise, including Halo: Reach, Halo 4 and Halo 5. Taylor joins the show’s cast, including Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief, David Sapani and Olive Gray as Jacob and Miranda Keyes, and many more.

The Halo TV series is still in production, with 343 Industries working with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment to produce the project. A premiere date for the series has yet to be released by either Microsoft or Showtime. The next installment in the Halo franchise, Halo: Infinite, will be released on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One sometime in 2021.