page_title: Cave Johnson (Portal)
section_title: Reception
hierarchical_section_title: Cave Johnson (Portal) / Reception
caption_attribution_description: English: actor J.K. Simmons and actor/film producer Josh Wood attending 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
context_page_description: Cave Johnson is a fictional character from the Portal franchise first introduced in the 2011 video game Portal 2. He is voiced by American actor J. K. Simmons and created in part by Portal 2's designer Erik Wolpaw. He is referenced by a computer username in the first game and appears indirectly in Portal 2. Johnson serves as a guide to the player-character Chell as she explores an abandoned part of the Aperture Science facility, though all of his messages are pre-recorded from before the events of the Portal games.
context_section_description: 1UP.com's Steve Watts compared Cave Johnson to the industrialist Howard Hughes. A writer for Edge wrote that the "surprise star turn" was J.K. Simmons as Cave Johnson. The editor described him as a "gruff and acid alpha male who set up Aperture, who performs with real brio and bite" and that while it would be hard to quote him, his lines were "perfectly pitched, and funny to the bone". PALGN's Adam Ghiggino wrote that the dialogue of Portal 2 was funny and cited Simmons as an example. GamesRadar's Tyler Wilde called Cave "bombastic" and praised Simmons for "perfectly" portraying him. GameSpy's Will Tuttle wrote that it is "hard not to feel oddly honored to take part in some of the experiments that ranged across his entire career". He also wrote of Simmons that his voice "adeptly blend gravitas and silliness, and I found his segment to be just as great the second time I played through the game". GamePro's Will Herring wrote that Valve should be "commended" for the introduction of the character. Official Xbox Magazine's Jon Hicks described Cave as a "cigar-chewing, damn-the-expense-and-particularly-the-health-restrictions" type.
  Computer and Video Games' Andy Robinson described Cave's personality as "loud" and that Simmons is "on form here". GameZone's Ben PerLee described Cave as "the typical tycoon mastermind/crazy man, so stubborn in his ways, government and basic human rights be damned" and that "his suggested history with GLaDOS provides an amazing focal point for the second entry". PC Gamer's Dan Stapleton wrote that Cave's "comically sociopathic approach to science is second only to GLaDOS’". He also praised Simmons for his portrayal of Cave because of his "fittingly cantankerous voice". Giant Bomb's Ryan Davis called Simmons' portrayal "terrific" and described Simmons as a "perennial tough-talker and boss-man-type". CNN's Larry Frum praised Cave's "sarcastic, shoot-from-the-hip attitude" for its contribution to the game's dialogue. ABC News' Lou Kesten wrote that Cave was a "memorable" character, and that Simmons helped in portraying what he thought was one of the three "most distinctive characters in video games" along with Wheatley and GLaDOS. The Wall Street Journal's Ryan Kuo wrote that Cave's "gruff proclamations are somewhat more grating than his synthetic counterparts" and that "for better or worse, it’s also impossible to un-see J.K. Simmons once you know it’s him speaking".
  Professor G. Christopher Williams discussed the relationship between Caroline, the form she held before she became GLaDOS, and Cave Johnson. He wrote that the relationship of Caroline and Johnson fulfilled the "adage that 'behind every good man is a good woman,' since he depends on Caroline to fulfill the role of executing his directives as well as providing comfort and support for the man in charge, himself". He added that "while Johnson warns his listeners jokingly that 'pretty as a postcard' Caroline is off limits because 'She’s married. To Science,' he may as well be simply warning off potential suitors for personal reasons" and wrote that "he is the 'science' that she has married herself to."
caption: J. K. Simmons received positive reception for his portrayal of Cave Johnson
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