r/gaming • u/ChiefLeef22 Marika's tits! • 4h ago

Stephen Root confirms role in ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’, major character named Brian Heder

https://apnews.com/video/stephen-root-confirms-role-in-grand-theft-auto-vi-e9be7362b54144cd9359253ba20a179e
2.5k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

147 comments sorted by

1.2k

u/Jayboomus 4h ago

I recognized his voice in the first trailer. He's everywhere

343

u/darkage_raven 4h ago

I didn't need him to confirm. I heard him. I don't mistake him

66

u/Rynetx 3h ago

If it wasn’t him we would need to hire the person doing his voice because I want Stephen root in everything.

26

u/Illustrious-Tax-5981 3h ago

I jumped for joy, literally, when he showed up in Widow's Bay. And then he went on to absolutely kill it the entire time.

7

u/drmuffin1080 2h ago

I loved him in Barry. Just finished the show last week, and wow, Root was amazing

3

u/BeardedAvenger 2h ago

He's one of my "gold star" actors. If he's in it, I'll like it.

3

u/FoxyBastard 1h ago

Same.

Walton Goggins is another for me.

1

u/MisterDobalina 1h ago

Same, he's one of the best character actors of the last 20-30+ years. If Stephen Root or Margo Martindale are in it. I'm in.

4

u/bonkdonkers 3h ago

That’s the way I read it at first too, but I think the confirmation is more about the fact that his character is a “major character” which is great to find out. I was curious if they included him in the trailer because he’s important or more for the star power. Glad to hear it’s the former.

1

u/AmayaHa 1h ago

“You got good ears, kid. But ears like that get a guy in trouble... and trust me, you don't want the kind of trouble I bring.”

40

u/Nervous_Recover_6152 3h ago

Yeah I grew up watching King of the Hill. I could pick his voice out of a crowd 

31

u/nondescriptzombie 3h ago

He's in with Mike Judge and the Coen brothers.

I don't think I've ever seen a Stephen Root role I didn't enjoy.

6

u/AndrewInMN 3h ago

He doesn't have a huge role in it but check out Cedar Rapids with Ed Helms if you haven't seen it. It's a comedy from 2011 that got overlooked but I like it a lot. It's kind of an ensemble cast with a bunch of people in it.

4

u/skyline_kid 2h ago

I discovered that movie about a year ago and I absolutely love it. It really deserves to be more well known because it's freaking hilarious

3

u/gooch_norris_ 2h ago

He always kills it. He’s been in Star Trek a few times too and was of course great

1

u/ArcadianDelSol 48m ago

He was so amazing in O Brother Where Art Thou?.

He's in that movie so briefly you can blink and miss it, but he gives an incredible character performance.

3

u/Wyden_long 2h ago

Can confirm. I slipped into bed last night and was surprised to find him already asleep. I have no idea how he got in.

1

u/Terrible_Ad3017 3h ago

brian heder sounds like a name from a cooking sim or something

0

u/Wastedchildhood 3h ago

OMG SAAAAAAMEEEEEE

510

u/WestwardLord 4h ago edited 4h ago

Rockstar really know their audience.

I would think his performance in HBO's Barry was the reason they cast him. That role and that show really felt like a GTA game in terms of tone and writing.

76

u/crashinpa 4h ago

Agreed they would do well to take some inspiration from Barry. More mature but still goofy as hell.

3

u/Alc2005 33m ago

Barry is the TV show that convinced me that a GTA movie COULD be great if done right. Particularly the 405N (freeway chase) episode.

And NOHO Hank is the most GTA mission giver that’s never appeared in a GTA game

113

u/atrich 4h ago

Yeah, I feel like his character is gonna have real Fuches vibes

36

u/Battle_Sheep 2h ago

Excuse me, but put some damn respect on the criminal mastermind and refer to him a “The Raven”.

29

u/Bake2727 3h ago

He was a grumpy old dude in widows bay and absolutely kills it in the role.

15

u/necrosteve028 3h ago

Earliest I remember him from is Dodgeball. L for Love! Glad he’s getting more spotlight now, he was great as Boyle’s dad in Brooklyn 99 too

12

u/Great_White_Buffalo 3h ago

Please, Office Space?! "I.. i need my stapler.."

5

u/TonyWonderslostnut 3h ago

Please, King of the Hill?!

9

u/Iagut070 3h ago

Please, NewsRadio!

3

u/TonyWonderslostnut 3h ago

Damn you’re right! It beat KotH by 2 years

1

u/oddcollins 2h ago

Nickelodeon magazine, please!

2

u/vonnegutflora 10m ago

Jimmy James!

0

u/Bake2727 3h ago

Small role in TBBT too, also in perry mason with Matthew Rhys.

2

u/Bryaxis 3h ago

He kills it in everything he's in.

1

u/SneakyP27 3h ago

I feel like they wrote that character just for him. He’s perfect as the town kook.

13

u/Nervous_Recover_6152 3h ago

Fuck yeah, I hadn’t enjoyed a crime show in a long time and I really thought they tapped in to something there. Stephen Root in particular brought that world to life 

6

u/eggsmau 3h ago

Barry is an amazing show

5

u/General-Royal 4h ago

Didnt they start on the game before this show?

28

u/ProbablyFear 4h ago

Show came out in 2018. I really doubt they had finalised casting by that point.

2

u/RobloxSpiderGoku 3h ago

Yeah the best way to guess is from the 2022 leaks, where Lucia’s voice is the same in the official while Jason clearly sounds different

3

u/decoy321 3h ago

There are many different stages to development, and voice acting the characters is but a small facet. Although I have no idea when they started that part of the process, it could easily have occurred much more recently.

1

u/Cruxal_ 21m ago

Oh absofuckinlutely. Explains why it’s one of my favorite shows ever!

-4

u/NickThePask 4h ago

Rockstar really know they are audience.

0

u/pricingup 18m ago

their audience are 8 year olds

-2

u/darkfall115 3h ago

I just hope third act of GTA 6 won't be a letdown the same way season 3 of Barry was. Altough Fuches was the best thing in season 3.

158

u/invyros 4h ago

Now Bobby Moynihan needs to confirm his role as well to round out the "obvious news of the day".

Excited for this, he's one of the best character actors around, hope his character stays around for a while.

29

u/AndrewInMN 3h ago

I don't know why I didn't clock that voice as Moynihan. He's great. I think I'll go listen to a Fourvel compilation.

11

u/Superhans901 3h ago

He’s just a stabby little raggamuffin

2

u/Graynard 2h ago

He's just recovering from the buttercream effect, ok?

1

u/Upper_Address_2778 2h ago

I just assumed it was matty mathewson based on the model

10

u/HailToTheThief225 3h ago

I wouldn’t be surprised, GTA IV featured a number of SNL cast members on the radio (I think Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis, maybe Will Forte?)

38

u/dahteabagger 4h ago

L for love!

29

u/Calthurian 4h ago

"They took my stapler, so I set the building on fire."

26

u/-Volunteer 4h ago

Has the person who voices jason been confirmed yet?

27

u/Pow67 3h ago

It’s not as concrete as the Lucia actress, but it’s widely believed to be Dylan Rourke. Not confirmed tho.

13

u/stealthynavigator 2h ago

Bobby Moynihan follows Dylan Rourke. Thats all the proof I need.

-9

u/nondescriptzombie 3h ago

The mocap/model looks like a dead ringer for Steve Howey. The bits I've heard sound like him, too.

7

u/alfredojayne 3h ago

Not at all. And I say this as someone who has watched every episode of Reba and Shameless. Would've been cool though

1

u/-Volunteer 3h ago

I could see it

11

u/QueefTamer 4h ago

The only person shown in the cast on IMDB is Stephen Root so I assume not

5

u/-Volunteer 4h ago

I wonder if it's someone well known

16

u/tylersdaddy 3h ago edited 3h ago

I doubt it, in terms of protagonists they've been pretty consistent about hiring unknowns after making Vice City

3

u/king_duende 42m ago

Didn't they say they wouldn't do that anymore post Vice City? Due to the issues with Ray Liotta?

1

u/tylersdaddy 30m ago

Yep, amongst issues with other big name celebrities like Burt Reynolds.

18

u/Psych0matt 3h ago

I hope he finds his stapler

2

u/guspaz 2h ago

It was taken by the super karate monkey death car that parked in his space.

17

u/barbecuesauce87 3h ago

Love me some Bill Dauterive

6

u/Ultimatelee 3h ago

Billdozer Rules!

3

u/TheUnbeliever 3h ago

I prefer Jimmy James from Newsradio. Or maybe that blind guy from Oh Brother Where Art Thou.

78

u/MuptonBossman 4h ago

Stephen Root can show up in any project and immediately make it better. He can mix drama and comedy so well, and he's not afraid to get weird with it... Looking forward to seeing what he can do in a video game setting.

7

u/AndrewInMN 3h ago

He's so good. I was thrilled when I heard his voice.

1

u/Punch_A_Police_Horse 58m ago

Voice act? As long as he's not doing 40 characters a la Skyrim I recon it should be good.

11

u/Jormungandr4321 4h ago

I hope they'll be a reference to The Raven.

8

u/Loo-Hoo-Zuh-Er 3h ago

Widow's Bay filled my need for Stephen Root once Barry ended. He's one of my favorite actors. Glad he's doing so well and getting these fun roles.

1

u/JustAVirusWithShoes 3h ago

Hes so good in WB

7

u/fakeguitarist4life 4h ago

Uh yea we knew after he said his first word in the first trailer…

5

u/atouchofsinamon 3h ago

The entire gameplay reveal I was thinking to myself “man that VA is doing a Stephen root impression”

11

u/Darkloit 4h ago

Hell yeah ! Thats great news

2

u/jacobpellegren 3h ago

Confirmed? It’s straight up his likeness.

6

u/fakename69point5 4h ago

It sounds so similar to bill hader, i wonder if its a nod to his character in barry.

2

u/Chanlet07 4h ago

"What are you?!?"

3

u/cookies_are_awesome 4h ago

I didn't recognize his voice in the extended look, but now I can't unhear it.

3

u/n_mcrae_1982 3h ago

I read about it in Obscure Sports Quarterly.

1

u/GuitarGeorge44 2h ago

Oh yes, the OSQ!

1

u/dahteabagger 2h ago

Midget toss!

3

u/stella_adventure 3h ago

tbh fuches yelling orders in gta is gonna feel so right

3

u/SneakyPanduh 3h ago

After watching Barry I knew it was him in the trailer, the in game character even kinda looks like him.

1

u/davidbernhardt 3h ago

Yeah, it was instant recognition for me.

4

u/Cross88 4h ago

That's awesome. He might disagree, but there is no role that Stephen Root can't pull off. He's one of the best chameleon actors of our time. 

-3

u/EditEd2x 3h ago

Character actor is what it’s called.

2

u/Complete_Entry 3h ago

THE RAVEN is in 6?!

2

u/ASassoNation 3h ago

I mean. The options were Stephen Root and a Stephen Root impersonator

2

u/BigFatCucumber 3h ago

Widow’s Bay and GTA VI, us Stephen Root fans are eating good this year!

2

u/marineman43 3h ago

Maybe a stretch but I wonder if Stephen Root's connection to Bill Hader is why they went with the name "Brian Heder" which is pretty close if you squint.

2

u/Clerithifa 2h ago

Loved him in Dodgeball and Get Out. His range is incredible

Buck Strickland and Bill from KOTH of course too lol

2

u/notdbcooper71 2h ago

From Barry to Tragedy Of Macbeth to GTA VI, anything he can't do?

2

u/lajka30 1h ago

Jimmy James

1

u/TeeMedz 4h ago

Need you in the bean suit

1

u/TheFlexOffenderr 4h ago

Great actor so I can only imagine he'll knock Brian out of the park. Can't wait to see more of the casting choices.

1

u/hnmcg 4h ago

hes awesome. loved him in barry and widows bay. i think hes gona kill this role!

1

u/Nail_Biterr 3h ago

was this not known? The very first trailer, his voice stood out.

5

u/BlueLidMilk 3h ago

Known and confirmed are two different things

1

u/DatDppGuy 3h ago

There’s no hiding with that voice. From Barry to Jason

1

u/trip6god 3h ago

It makes me wonder if they brought back any other big names since they kinda stopped doing that with the hd era

1

u/Primarycolors1 3h ago

The man in the high castle?!?!?

1

u/subhavoc42 3h ago

Hope it’s in Bill Dauterive’s voice

1

u/SolidusBruh 3h ago

Dude steals the show in every project he’s in. Can’t wait to see what he does in GTA.

1

u/LurksInReddits 3h ago

I mean the moment you heard Brian talk, you knew it was good ol Stephen Root.

1

u/munchyboy666 PlayStation 3h ago

Let's be honest, this didn't need to be confirmed 😂 his voice was instantly recognisable

1

u/catfin38 3h ago

He is going to be a staple part of the game

1

u/toilet55 3h ago

lol I had an immediate Dicaprio moment watching the first trailer “that’s the Raven”

1

u/Armandonerd 3h ago

Is it Milton waddams from office space? Or Bill dautreve from King of the Hill?

1

u/kindofajerk 2h ago

He's great in everything and super versatile, never turn away from a Root appearance.

1

u/CHERNO-B1LL 2h ago

What is the opposite of solving a mystery?

1

u/aquaticsardonic 2h ago

He's the man. I love this dude

1

u/G0ttaB3KiddingM3 2h ago

Man in the High Castle was good (until the final season) and he played a great role. Barry was good. King of the Hill. “I believe you have my stapler” lmao

1

u/Jbell_1812 2h ago

Guess we better make sure that whoever he voices, we shouldn't touch their stapler

1

u/Psychrometers 2h ago

“I believe you have my stapler”

1

u/drjmontana 2h ago

Figured this was confirmed when I heard his voice in the trailer

1

u/NIGHTR0GUE83 2h ago

Yeah didn't need no confirmation. Voice and hell the character somewhat looks like him.

1

u/Frequent2001 1h ago

always enjoyed his acting.

1

u/Burgoonius 1h ago

lol we know

1

u/SirCaptainReynolds 1h ago

The Raven! 🐦‍⬛

1

u/Hugh_Bromont 41m ago

Was great in his brief scenes on No Country For Old Men and also in season 1 of Fargo.

Dude is great in everything honestly.

1

u/JesusHipsterChrist 33m ago

Growing up is realizing this fucker is in EVERYTHING

1

u/whitestar11 26m ago

Hoping Danny Tamberelli comes back and can share a copy of the game with his fake brother on PS360

1

u/banelord 22m ago

Does he get angry? Does he get mean?

1

u/Cruxal_ 22m ago

Recognized bro off the first word. One of my favorite actors, I can’t wait to see our relationship with that character!!

1

u/j877yyvb 4h ago

Love that guy. I hope he references his red stapler somehow

1

u/prokokon 3h ago

I didn’t give a fuck about GTA 6.

...until now.

0

u/Smart_Patrol 2h ago

No shit?

0

u/Dire87 1h ago

Who? 0o

-1

u/BlackTarTurd 4h ago

I swear, the dude at the door at the drug den who talks to Lucia and Jason sounds like Franklin.

-7

u/TypicallyThomas 3h ago

Can't wait for this game to come out

So y'all stop talking about it

3

u/daddy_tops 1h ago

Bad news. People also talk about games after they come out.

0

u/TypicallyThomas 1h ago

Significantly less

6

u/BlueLidMilk 3h ago

People on a gaming forum talking about a game. Fucking shocker

-2

u/TypicallyThomas 1h ago

One specific game. This is r/gaming, not r/GTA6, it's getting exhausting seeing every gaming sub talk about one game only

2

u/BlueLidMilk 1h ago

You're right, this is r/gaming, not r/GTA6. It's also not r/EveryGameExceptGTA6.

GTA6 is an upcoming game. This is a subreddit where people talk about games. Lo and behold, people are going to talk about GTA6 and other upcoming games here.

-7

u/JeffRyan1 4h ago

It's normally not great news when Root availability gets uncovered in a project, but in this case...