GTA Characters' Real Names & Voice Actors

Grand Theft Auto has always loved a street name. Players remember "CJ," "Big Smoke" and "Sweet" long before they remember who those characters really are on paper, and Rockstar often buries a character's full name in a cutscene, a police record, or the end credits. This section collects them in one place.

For each character you'll find the nickname or alias, the full in-game name, the game(s) they appear in, a one-line description, and the real actor who voiced or performed them when that credit is documented. GTA casts mix Hollywood names like Ray Liotta and Samuel L. Jackson with rappers like Ice-T and MC Eiht, plus lesser-known actors who became stars because of the games, like Ned Luke, Shawn Fonteno and Steven Ogg from GTA V.

We cover the 3D and HD eras, from GTA III (2001) through Vice City, San Andreas, the Stories spin-offs, GTA IV and its episodes, and GTA V. We also list the GTA VI characters Rockstar has officially revealed. Rockstar has not announced a GTA VI voice cast, so we don't list any actors for that game, and we don't use leaks or rumors.

Every character here is fictional. Names come from the games themselves and actor credits come from the games' credits, cast interviews and trusted gaming outlets. Spotted a mistake or a missing character? Use the submit-a-name form and we'll review it.

(45 entries, GTA VI from https://www.rockstargames.com/VI)

1. What is CJ's real name in GTA San Andreas? Carl Johnson. He's voiced by Young Maylay.
2. What is Big Smoke's real name? Melvin Harris, voiced by Clifton Powell.
3. What are Sweet's and Ryder's real names? Sweet is Sean Johnson (Faizon Love). Ryder is Lance Wilson (rapper MC Eiht).
4. Who voices Michael, Franklin and Trevor in GTA V? Ned Luke, Shawn Fonteno and Steven Ogg.
5. What was Michael De Santa's real name? Michael Townley. He took the De Santa name after an off-the-books deal with the FIB.
6. Who voiced Tommy Vercetti? Ray Liotta.
7. Who are the GTA VI main characters? Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. Rockstar hasn't named the actors.
8. Are GTA characters based on real people? All of them are fictional. Some are clearly inspired by movie archetypes, but the only real people listed here are the actors and Lazlow, who plays himself.