GTA 5 Voice Actors: The Cast Behind the Characters

Formerly, Michael Townley, De Santa is a man past his prime. He used to run with Brad and Trevor, back in the day, but after a botched job Michael ended up in witness protection.

Well, that’s the story, the truth is that the whole thing was a set-up – a ruse to so Michael could get out of the game, with his wife, at the cost of Trevor and Brad.

Apparently, there is no honour among thieves.

Now he is 56, living the “good life” in San Andreas with a family that hates him and a whole lotta therapy. Living the American dream.

That is until newbie gangster, Franklin, and supposedly dead, ex-partner, Trevor, come barreling into his life. The new gang go into freefall as they are thrust into the centre of criminal enterprise and begin pulling off the most daring heists in the business.

Michael De Santa’s GTA V voice actor is Ned Luke, a performer who has worked in TV, film, and commercially since the 1990s. While he has been a part of multiple well-known projects, his role as a GTA V voice actor is far and away the biggest name.

As the first step in his voice acting career, you can’t get a better starting place than Rockstar’s flagship franchise. Ned Luke brings the perfect blend of jaded cynicism and sarcastic tone to Michael – showing off the character for the depressed misanthrope that he is.

He also provided mo-cap and was the model for Michael De Santa’s in-game character model. The added authenticity of the performance is able to shine through thanks to these details.

Not the kind of guy you would want to run into in any context, ever…

Trevor is beyond normal, even for a character from Grand Theft Auto. Trevor Philips is a man you can’t predict; he is as likely to mount your head on his truck as he is to shake your hand – he is a wild character with no limitations.

He has a long history with Michael and Brad, as they used to run together in a gang. Until Michael was “killed”, Brad was captured, and Trevor was left alone. Since then, he has landed in San Andreas’ outer regions, developing a small enterprise based on every type of drugs, crime, and violence there is.

He has since started competing with The Lost MC – a motorcycle club from Liberty City, no small feat. When he meets up with Michael, who he thought was dead, tensions rise quickly.

Trevor Philips’ GTA V voice actor is Steven Ogg, a man who serves as Trevor’s voice actor, mo-cap, and model. He has had notable roles in various TV, film, and gaming projects; including; The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul, and Rockstar’s other major franchise, Red Dead Redemption 2.

There are few actors that could conjure the right balance of craziness and insightfulness to produce a character like Trevor; a philosophical psychopath.

Franklin Clinton has a sad but common story. His father left before he was born, his mother died of an overdose, and Franklin was left to his grandmother’s care. Though, this didn’t stop him from becoming a street gangster, embracing a life of crime. His lifestyle eventually caught up with him and he ended up imprisoned – now that he is out, he is taking on normal, mostly legal work… Until he tries to repossess the wrong car…

Meeting Michael, he is pulled into the criminal world within this fictional story – where he can finally achieve his dreams of wealth. Maybe crime does pay.

Franklin is lifelong friends with Lamar Davis, a fellow street gangster and overall unusual guy. Regardless of how mismatched they appear, they get along and work together frequently.

Shawn Fonteno is the GTA V voice actor for Franklin Clinton. He brings a chilled, relaxed demeanour to the character, however, he also can bring an intimidating attitude to bear as well. As a newbie in the big leagues, Franklin is often out of his depth and can seem clueless in conversation – but he is competent.

He isn’t just a GTA V voice actor, he also had a minor role in GTA: San Andreas and Shawn’s cousin was even CJ, the protagonist of that game.

Lester Crest is one of the oddest people that you can meet – which is saying a lot – as he is a computer whiz who is absolutely enamoured with revenge. His high school bullies, an employer who rejected him, anyone is fair game. He has a long history with Michael and Trevor, so when they are back in the game, Lester is the go-to guy.

As a character, Lester is not one to actually go on missions. He is more the intelligence provider – which is better suited to him as he has limited mobility due to suffering from a wasting disease. Despite his physical disabilities, Lester is a pivotal team member with an almost genius intellect.

The GTA V voice actor and model for Lester Crest is Jay Klaitz. As an actor, he has been in various TV shows and has even had a history with Rockstar, with Klaitz being involved in voicing characters in Red Dead Redemption and GTA IV. 

Lamar is Franklin’s best friend and co-worker. Since childhood, the two men have shared their professional life and aspirations. Although, when Franklin joins up with Michael and Trevor, Lamar is left behind in the small leagues.

The voice actor for Lamar is Slink Johnson, an actor who has found success in Television and Film. The GTA V voice actors performance as Lamar is a fan favourite, with his authenticity to the character’s roots being particularly enjoyable and a staple of his personality.

Jimmy is the son of Michael and Amanda. He is the stereotypical lay-about failure – made soft and spoiled by years of access to anything he wants through a lifestyle of wealth.

His days consist of sitting in his room getting high and playing games, imagining a life of being a “gangster”. When Jimmy becomes aware of Michael’s involvement with Franklin and Trevor, he takes this as a chance to live his naive dream.

Jimmy’s GTA V voice actor is Danny Temberelli, he has taken various roles on Nikelodeon prior to his role in the Grand Theft Auto franchise. He brings a raspy youthfulness to his performance, which melds well with the attitude of the character.

Temberelli rejoins this world in Rockstar’s multiplayer addition, GTA Online. 

Amanda De Santa, life partner and wife to the protagonist, Michael De Santa. The two met before the game’s start, where she was working as a stripper in a bar and Michael was robbing banks.

A tale as old as time.

The two married, had children and they vowed to start a new life, away from crime, in San Andreas – which is where it all fell apart.

Amanda’s marriage has turned to shambles and the two commonly cheat on each other – Amanda’s most recent soiree has been with her yoga instructor, Fabien.

Viki Van Tassel provides mo-cap and her voice to the role of Amanda. There is little known about Viki’s professional career prior to being a GTA V voice actor. But she offers an excellent performance for a multifaceted character.

Tracey De Santa is the other one of Michael and Amanda’s spoilt duo of children. Obsessed with being a star, Tracey does whatever it takes to get attention and find some limelight – whether that is from acting like a brat or performing inappropriately in singing competitions.

spoiler alert: she’s a bad singer. 

Her antics and aspirations are flawed but a byproduct of the scourge that is Los Santos; a city dedicated to the worst impulses humanity has to offer.

Tracey is voiced and mo-capped by Michal Sinnott, an actor who has had part roles in TV for years. GTA V is her only voice acting role in a video game.

Steve Haines is a member of the FIB and a contact of the main crew in the game. He is arrogant, aggressive, and cocky; an all-around jerk. Haines’ run-ins with Michael, Trevor, and Franklin are rarely ever pleasant – in fact, they are never pleasant – as he usually treats them as his personal lapdogs.

His objective is to do whatever it takes to sabotage the FIB’s sister organisation, the IAA. This may seem counterintuitive as both institutions aim to protect and serve – right? Well, not really. By sabotaging the IAA, the FIB will receive more funding in its stead – advancing Steve Haines’ career.

Biting social commentary, Rockstar.

Steve Haines’ GTA V voice actor is Robert Bogue; a name that any Rockstar veteran will be familiar with! Bogue also voiced Red Harlow in the classic predecessor to Red Dead Redemption, that game being Red Dead Revolver. He has also been featured in numerous other video games from the studio, so this isn’t his first rodeo by any estimation.

Beyond this, Robert Bogue is an established actor for Television and film. He was also attached to the cancelled Star Wars: 1313. 

A modern capitalist, through and through! Devin Weston is an American billionaire and investor who has shares in various massive companies dotted across San Andreas and beyond. A regular business tycoon.

His interests extend beyond mere money-making, he has extensive pull in the police force and government, as is clear through his relationship with Steve Haines.

Corruption runs deep through Los Santos.

Devin Weston’s voice actor is Jonathan Walker, a performer who has a large portfolio of roles in TV. His work as a GTA V voice actor is his only credit attributed to a video game.

Ron is a sketchy and sad individual. He was happily married for over 12 years, working as an accountant, that was until Trevor entered his life. As his “best friend” Trevor convinced Ron that his wife was holding him back from greatness and pushed the two to divorce.

Deep in debt from settlement fees, obsessed with conspiracy theories, Ron has become Trevor’s loyal follower; an explicitly one-sided arrangement. Ron helps run Trevor Philips Enterprises, but he also runs his own radio show – focused mainly on conspiracies.

Ron’s voice actor is David Mogentale, an actor with a modest TV portfolio, however, the GTA V voice actor has worked on a Rockstar game in the past, as he featured in a minor role, in Red Dead Redemption. 

Wade isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. By a large margin. He is a hard person to understand, especially because he has limited comprehension of what is happening around him.

While he seems to find with death, murder, and killing, he has a fairly innocent and childish demeanour. His lack of understanding of right and wrong likely factors into his dubious moral compass.

Matthew Maher is the GTA V voice actor for Wade, providing him with his signature dimwitted attitude.