In spite of both the mounting hype surrounding the impending release of Grand Theft Auto 6 and the controversy around the recent leaks, there’s one particular aspect of the game that, so far, has managed to remain firmly under wraps: its voice cast. We’ve heard the characters in the game speak, of course, especially in the big reveal trailer that premiered on Netflix recently, but we didn’t know the names of any of the actors behind those characters. That, however, has officially changed as of today.
Related
10 Games to Play While Waiting for GTA 6
The wait is almost over, unless you play on PC.
In a brief video interview with The Associated Press posted to the outlet’s official entertainment Instagram account, veteran actor and voice actor Stephen Root confirmed his upcoming appearance in GTA 6. He didn’t make any particular attempts at hiding his involvement, responding directly to the interviewer’s question about his appearance in the game with, “Yeah, you’re gonna see me in it.”
Root will be playing Brian Heder, a Vice City crook and landowner whom the game’s protagonist, Jason, seems to have some standing grievances with, given his request for money from Jason in his first voiced appearance in the game’s second trailer.
Fans Suspected His Involvement Thanks to Previous Trailers
Brian appears right at the start of the second GTA 6 trailer, shouting up at Jason while he’s fixing his cabana’s roof and demanding rent checks. Shortly after this trailer was released, fans immediately suspected Root was supplying Brian’s voice, as his performance sounds extremely similar to a classic animated character: King of the Hill’s Buck Strickland.
Related
Every Grand Theft Auto Protagonist, Ranked
From Tommy Vercetti to Franklin Clifton, here are all the Grand Theft Auto protagonists, ranked according to their storyline and narrative depth.
Indeed, Root has provided the voice of Buck Strickland, as well as everyone’s favorite sad-sack, Bill Dauterive, and assorted other characters on King of the Hill since its very first season, making him a core member of the show’s cast well into its current, modern revival seasons.
Root has provided the voice of Buck Strickland, as well as everyone’s favorite sad-sack, Bill Dauterive.
In his interview with The Associated Press, Root acknowledged the fans who immediately sniffed him out.
“I think from the first rollout of GTA they were doing maybe almost a year ago, they had my character in there,” he said. “And there are too many people who knew me from King of the Hill and my voice. So I think that secret kind of got divulged then.”
The Rest of the Cast is Still Unknown
Root expressed his excitement at working on the project, though he did seem to be choosing his words carefully. “I’m so happy to be involved with it. It’s an amazing thing to look at.”
Some fans have wondered whether or not Root actually had the go-ahead from Rockstar to publicly divulge his involvement, given how hush the studio has been about the rest of the cast. Root hasn’t commented on the matter, and at least as of writing, the rest of the game’s voice cast, including its leads, Jason and Lucia, remains shrouded in mystery.
It’s not really clear why Rockstar is playing this particular aspect of the game so close to the vest, but perhaps, in a similar vein to its vigilance against gameplay and story spoilers, the devs are trying their hardest to ensure players get the full scope of the experience on launch day. Indeed, that can certainly include who’s showing up in a particular cast. Goodness knows, I’ve certainly been thrown for a loop by an unexpected cameo from a Hollywood actor in a game.
In the meantime, though, fans will just have to settle for continued speculation, at least until Grand Theft Auto 6 finally graces us with its presence in full on November 19, though if we’re lucky, more members of the cast will gradually start coming out of the woodwork in the final lead-up to launch day.
Next
10 Best Celebrity Cameos In GTA
From Dr. Dre to Ricky Gervais, these are the best celebrity appearances across the GTA series.
Systems
Released
November 19, 2026
ESRB
Rating Pending – Likely Mature 17+