The Cast Of GTA 5 Is Gorgeous In Real Life
"Grand Theft Auto 5" has had an astounding amount of talent and pretty faces working on it behind the scenes. That might not be too surprising for a game that's made more money than any Hollywood films (via MarketWatch). The game features three protagonists — Trevor Philips, Michael De Santa, and Franklin Clinton — all of who have their own network of connections and backstories. Naturally, that means the game has an extensive supporting cast lending their voices to all of the minor characters with dialogue.
What people might not know is what these voice actors look like in real life and what they do outside of voice work. Some of them also act on stage, model, and make a living with jobs that might require what people call a "face for television."
Here's a rundown on who some those performers are, as well as a refresher on some of the lesser-known characters in the city of Los Santos. In other words, here are just a few of the gorgeous "GTA 5" cast members.
Joe Curnutte - Dale O'Neil/Lenny Avery
Joe Curnette has worked both on screen and behind the scenes in a number of short films, plays, and other video projects. He's also one of the co-directors for The Mad Ones, a New York City-based production company focusing on "ensemble-driven work." It seems like live action and stage work is his strong suit, though it isn't his only calling. He's also provided supporting voices for both "Grand Theft Auto 5" and "Red Dead Redemption 2."
Curnette voiced Dale O'Neil and Lenny Avery, two minor characters in the story mode of "GTA 5." First up is Dale O'Neil, one of the drug-making O'Neil Brothers killed by the unhinged Trevor Philips. Beyond that, he doesn't play much of a role in current events.
On the other hand, the character of Lenny Avery might be more memorable, seeing as he's the actual target of an entire mission. Avery runs a realty gig — a sleazy one. In fact, the reason he's so successful may be because he backstabbed his former business partner, Josh Bernstein. Playing as Trevor, the player can take on the mission "Closing the Deal," in which Bernstein hires the drugged-out criminal to sabotage Avery's business.
Benton Greene - Daryl Johns
Benton Greene mostly acts in television series and films. Just to name a few, he's played small roles in popular series like "FBI", "Law & Order," and "Gossip Girl." He also played main character Derek in "The Battle Below," a fantasy series about a man who comes back to his old neighborhood to find many unsettling changes, including kids fighting with swords and axes.
Greene lends his smooth voice to Daryl Johns, one of the gunmen that the player can hire to aid in heists in "Grand Theft Auto 5." Daryl is an arrogant gunman who won't hesitate to boast about his own skills and never admits to his mistakes. Tragically, Johns apparently has one of the lowest skill caps in the game, making him more of a wannabe mastermind than a superstar hitman.
In addition to Johns, Green also voiced a crowd member in "Grand Theft Auto 4," as well as other characters for "Red Dead Revolver" and "Red Dead Redemption," making him a bit of a Rockstar Games mainstay.
Abdel Gonzales - Andreas Sanchez
Abdel Gonzales acts in television shorts, series, and films as well as video games. Some of his standout work includes roles in two short series, "Without Glasses" and "Bananas." Aside from "Grand Theft Auto 5," he also provided background voices for "Red Dead Redemption."
Gonzales isn't just an actor, either. His long list of talents and hobbies includes modeling and bartending. He also speaks fluent English and Spanish, which likely helped with his role as Mexican-American double agent Andreas Sanchez in "GTA 5." Despite the character's heritage, Gonzales is actually Puerto Rican. According to his IMDb profile, he immigrated to the United States during his teens for a better education.
In "GTA 5," Sanchez is the right-hand man of corrupt Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) agent Steve Haines. However, it's later revealed that he's relaying information to rival team International Affairs Agency (IAA). Yes, these are parodies of similarly named real-life organizations.
Jackie Long - D from Ballas
Jackie Long, who plays D in "GTA 5," also starred in a number of notable film projects, including "ATL," "The Comebacks," and "Idlewild."
Some notable television appearances include the BET drama "Games People Play," Nick Cannon's improv comedy show "Wild 'N Out" on MTV, and "Real Husbands of Hollywood," Kevin Hart's parody reality television series. In addition to his lengthy acting resume, Long also has his own apparel collection, which he can be seen modeling on his website and his personal Instagram account.
D, whose full name still remains a mystery, is one of the main faces of the Ballas gang in Los Santos. Franklin and Lamar Davis (the former's childhood friend) try to kidnap him to hold him ransom for $40,000. However, in the process, the two accidentally give away their location to the police and need to let him go. The situation only goes downhill from there.
Claire Byrne - Debra
Outside of the world of video games, Claire Byrne seems to focus on live action and promotional appearances, as well as modeling. "Sleepy Hollow," "Talentless," and "Reasons Why I Don't Have a Boyfriend" are just some of her most recent television appearances.
However, acting isn't her only calling in life. Byrne primarily supports women as a "heartbreak coach," guiding them as they work to move on from past relationships. She's also contributed to Kourtney Kardashian's lifestyle site POOSH. In an interview with "Authority Magazine," Byrne revealed her inspiration to become a heartbreak coach comes from a past experience with an abusive ex, which led her to want to help others heal dealing with similar traumas.
In "Grand Theft Auto 5," the multi-talented actress and relationship guru plays Debra, a high-maintenance lawyer. Trevor Philips, one of the three protagonists, witnesses a lethal fight between her and her fiance Floyd Hebert. It's the first and last time players meet Debra.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Lenny Platt - Gianni
Television fans might recognize Lenny Platt from his support appearances in popular series like "NCIS: New Orleans," "Gotham," and "Blue Bloods." One of his first reccuring roles was Griffin O'Reily, the boyfriend of the ill-fated Lila Stangard in "How to Get Away with Murder."
In "GTA 5," his character Gianni works as a personal bodyguard and right-hand man for Rocco Pelosi, a former gangster of the Ancelotti Crime Family and conniving Vinewood talent agent. The Italian-American thug often shows up alongside his partner in missions throughout "GTA 5," where they serve as minor antagonists to retired criminal Michael De Santa.
However, his voice acting role in "Grand Theft Auto" stands out among his body of work, which includes much more than acting. In an interview with ESPN Front Row, the charismatic performer revealed that he previously worked as a legal assistant and lawyer before landing his leading role in "Quantico" as FBI recruit Drew Perales.
Rebecca Henderson - Karen Daniels, a.k.a. Michelle
Rebecca Henderson has made a name for herself as an actress and producer. One of her most well-known roles is that of Lizzy in "Russian Doll," which was co-created by her spouse, Leslye Headland. She's also landed roles in other well-known and acclaimed television series throughout the years, including "Manhunt," "Westworld," and "Orange is the New Black."
Henderson's "GTA" character, Karen Daniels, first appears in "Grand Theft Auto 4" as Michelle, Niko Bellic's girlfriend. However, players later find out that she is an undercover IAA agent and "Michelle" was only an alias. She eventually breaks up with Niko and continues to work in the organization in hopes of earning her freedom.
Karen would later return in "GTA 5" and "Grand Theft Auto Online," still working for the IAA after all of these years. In "GTA 5," she brutally interrogates a suspect for her superiors, which is likely to leave an impression on the player.
Yasha Jackson - Tanisha Jackson
Yasha Jackson's part in "Grand Theft Auto 5" was actually one of the first few significant roles on her resume. Most recently, she's played recurring roles on TV like "The Bold Type," "The Flight Attendant," and "Blue Bloods." According to her IMDb profile, she's also racked up plenty of movie roles, including one in the feature film adaptation of "Clifford the Big Red Dog."
TV viewers are probably very familiar with Jackson's face. She has appeared in over 50 commercials — one of which even aired during the Super Bowl. Jackson's other passions include religion and social justice, which she isn't shy about sharing on social media.
However, her character in "GTA 5" isn't quite as justice-oriented. Tanisha Jackson, who shares her last name, is Franklin Clinton's ex-girlfriend and his main love interest that he's trying to woo throughout the game. She, Clinton, and Lamar Davis all went to the same high school and grew up together. She and Franklin apparently broke up because she didn't want to participate in a life of crime anymore. However, it's clear she still cares about the two when she begs Franklin to save Lamar in a time of need. Later on, she even invites him to her wedding.
Olivia Negron - Patricia Madrazo
Olivia Negron has made her mark on camera and on stage as an actress in television and film, as well as on Broadway. Some of the striking performer's TV appearances include "Everything Relative," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and "Love, Lies and Murder." She debuted on Broadway in "Cuba and his Teddy Bear" as the understudy for Lourdes, the leading female role opposite Robert De Niro. With such an impressive body of work, it may come as a surprise to learn that Patricia Madrazo in "Grand Theft Auto 5" and "Grand Theft Auto Online" is one of her only voice acting roles.
Patricia acts as a love interest to protagonist Trevor Philips in "Grand Theft Auto 5." She and Trevor meet when he kidnaps her from Martin Madrazo, crime boss and all-around terrible husband, after he catches him abusing her. Then, he unexpectedly falls in love with Patricia, who shares Negron's bright eyes and kind smile. Patricia stays with himTrevorfor a bit, not even trying to leave and actually helping with household chores. However, she eventually goes back to her husband for the safety of everyone involved. Her continuing messages to Trevor after the fact suggest that she still cares for him.
Lauren McFall - Kerry McIntosh
Lauren McFall mostly stars in movies and shorts. One of her more prominent roles includes a pitch perfect turn as newscaster April O'Neil in "Splinter and April," a comedy series which stars Master Splinter recovering from empty nest syndrome after the (not-so-teenage) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have all grown up and moved away. Fans can still find some of the episodes on YouTube. Some of her other recent acting work includes two shorts, "The 716th" and "I Can Change."
Kerry McIntosh is one of McFall's few voice roles, one that's carried over between "Grand Theft Auto 4" and "Grand Theft Auto 5." One of the hottest celebrities on the Vinewood Walk of Fame, Kerry McIntosh is a head-turning blonde bombshell in the "Grand Theft Auto" world. She's also a total mess, The character appears to be based in part on celebrities who have had tragic public struggles, such as Britney Spears, and McFall gives the performance everything she's got.
Michal Sinnott - Tracey Townley
The multi-talented Michal Sinnott hasn't had many recent acting roles — probably because she's busy crowd-funding, producing, co-writing, and starring in a feature film. Her film "Born That Way" promotes itself as a "magical realist present day fable for the people." Sinnott said in a Reddit AMA that the film dives into questions like "why this life" and especially explores themes of judgement. Outside of her work on "Born That Way," she has acted primarily in television series and films. Some of her appearances include roles in "Law & Order," "One Life to Live," and "Tomorrow's Thespians."
Among video game fans, of course, Sinnott's claim to fame is her role as Tracey De Santa from "Grand Theft Auto 5," for which she recorded the voice and motion capture. Tracey De Santa is the daughter of Michael De Santa, one of the three main protagonists of the game. Throughout the game, Michael takes on multiple missions involving his daughter, typically bailing her out of one of her stunts to become famous.
Sinnott looks back fondly on her time as Tracey, as can be seen in an Instagram post where she shared an old photo from a publicity shoot. "Working on 'Grand Theft Auto V' was a humbling experience because it brought a lot of fans of the game and the character of Tracey De Santa into my life," she wrote.