Summary
- The Grand Theft Auto series is known for sensationalism with controversial storylines & big-name voice actors like Ray Liotta.
- Famous actors like Burt Reynolds & Samuel L. Jackson voiced characters in GTA, adding star power to the games.
- Musicians like Debbie Harry also appeared in GTA, but as characters like Doris the Taxi Dispatcher in Vice City.
Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series is well known for its sensationalism. This manifests primarily in its controversial storylines and gameplay, as the initial game was condemned internationally for the level of violence on display. However, the sensationalism manifested in other ways, such as getting big names on board to voice act in their games.
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For example, Tommy Vercetti, the protagonist of Vice City, was voiced by the late Ray Liotta, who also starred in films such as Field of Dreams (1989) and Goodfellas (1990). There are a handful of well-known figures who make appearances as themselves, but other notable actors have also appeared performing characters in Grand Theft Auto.
6 Fred Melamed
Cris Formage
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Grand Theft Auto Online
- Grand Theft Auto Trilogy: Definitive Edition (archive audio)
Fred Melamed was a long-time character actor who finally broke through in the Coen Brothers' film A Serious Man (2009), playing the antagonistic Sy Ableman. He has also played major roles in films such as In a World... (2013) and Shiva Baby (2020). He may not be immediately recognizable, but most people will know at least a few of the many television shows he has made a guest appearance in, including but not limited to: Adventure Time (2010-2018), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021), Barry (2018-2023), and WandaVision (2021).
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Melamed voiced Cris Formage in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Grand Theft Auto Online. In every game, Formage leads the Epsilon Program, a cult that continually demands money from its followers in exchange for their salvation.
Melamed's voice acting gives Formage a charismatic aura, befitting of a cult leader. Even as he spouts the nonsense tenets of his cult, it's hard not to follow along. Michael De Santa can accept a variety of missions from Fromage in GTA 5, and can choose to steal money from him upon their completion.
5 Burt Reynolds
Avery Carrington
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Released
- October 29, 2002
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Platform(s)
- PS2, Xbox (Original), PC, iOS, Android, macOS
The late Burt Reynolds had a lengthy career. He starred in films such as Deliverance (1972), The Longest Yard (1974), and Smokey and the Bandit (1977). Years later, he appeared in Boogie Nights (1997) and a remake of The Longest Yard (2005), among other films. He continued working well into his golden years, even being cast in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood (2019), although he passed away prior to shooting. His career lasted over 50 years in total.
In Vice City, Reynolds voiced Avery Carrington, a Texas-born real estate mogul who bears some resemblance to the actor himself. Carrington resorts to nefarious means to secure his influence over the city. He enlisted Vercetti to commit several crimes, including committing murder, destroying rival property, and even starting gang wars, all with the intent of strengthening his business prospects.
4 Fairuza Balk
Mercedes Cortez
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Grand Theft Auto Trilogy: Definitive Edition (archive audio)
Fairuza Balk is an actress, known for playing characters with a gothic vibe. A good example, as well as probably her best known role, is the young witch, Nancy Downs in The Craft (1996). She also appeared in films such as Almost Famous (2000), American History X (1998), and The Waterboy (1998).
Balk voiced Mercedes Cortez, the daughter of drug trafficker Juan Cortez, in Vice City. She is characterized as a flirtatious young woman who likes to party. Cortez appears in a handful of missions, notably agreeing to appear in a pornographic film for InterGlobal Studios, a production studio that Tommy has purchased.
3 Debbie Harry
Doris The Taxi Controller
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Grand Theft Auto Trilogy: Definitive Edition (archive audio)
Debbie Harry is best known for being the lead singer of t he influential new wave band, Blondie. Some of Harry's music, both with Blondie and one of her solo songs, has appeared on in-game radio stations across various Grand Theft Auto games. During the band's hiatus, Harry also picked up an acting career, appearing in movies such as Videodrome (1983) and Hairspray (1988). Harry is one of many musicians to appear in the series, including the likes of Dr. Dre, Daddy Yankee, and Phil Collins.
However, the exact way in which Harry appears is different from many musicians in The Grand Theft Auto series. While many appear in the game directly, or on the in-game radio, as themselves, Harry plays a character in Vice City. Doris is the dispatcher at Kaufman Cabs, a taxi firm Tommy purchases. She is a longtime employee of the firm, and gives Tommy three missions after the purchase has taken place.
2 Bill Hader
Wilson Taylor Sr.
Grand Theft Auto 4
Bill Hader is a comedic actor, probably best known for his run on Saturday Night Live, which lasted from 2005 to 2013. He is also the co-creator and star of HBO's Barry (2018-2023). Hader is also a voice actor, starring in animated films such as Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (2009) and Inside Out (2015).
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Hader has a voice-only role in Grand Theft Auto 4 as Wilson Taylor Sr., a guest on the in-universe radio program, Pacemaker on the Public Liberty Radio station, who strongly favors privatized healthcare. Taylor is also the CEO of an HMO, but frequently denies his customers' claims. He is shown to despise the sick, even claiming to have once let a child die rather than give her a life-saving liver transplant. At the end of the segment, Taylor is one of two guests to be fatally trepanned by another guest, a crazed alternative medicine guru named Mason Waylon.
Hader is not the only SNL alumnus to appear in GTA. Others performers, namely Will Forte, Fred Armisen, and Jason Sudekis, have also performed minor roles in the games.
1 Samuel L. Jackson
Frank Tenpenny
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Released
- October 26, 2004
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
Perhaps the most well-known actor to ever lend his voice to Grand Theft Auto, Samuel L. Jackson needs no introduction. He has performed in iconic films such as Jurassic Park (1993) and Pulp Fiction (1994), among many others. He is also known for being Mace Windu in Star Wars and Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It makes sense that a star as huge as Jackson would have a larger role than most. In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Jackson voices the main antagonist, Frank Tenpenny. He is an officer, and a member of the C.R.A.S.H (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums) Unit, who uses his authority to extort gangs and regularly engages in police brutality. His favorite target to pick on is Carl "CJ" Johnson, the protagonist of San Andreas. Despite claiming his efforts would stop the gangs, he tended to favor powerful gangs who participated in the drug trade, aiding them to increase his own influence on San Andreas. He is eventually killed attempting to flee a riot caused by his acquittal in court.
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