It’s been almost 13 years since we were introduced to the world of Grand Theft Auto V. What’s crazy is that it’s consistently ranked among the top 10 best-selling games each month since its original release. Who could have seen the game being more relevant today than it was all those years ago?
Certainly not Ned Luke.
After taking a few years away from the business and dealing with some apprehension, Ned decided to take an audition for an upcoming video game. After he reviewed the audition material and saw how good it was, he decided to bite the bullet and take the opportunity. Had he not done this, we wouldn’t have his iconic performance as Michael De Santa. Ned got into a mocap suit and lent his likeness, voice, and physical acting chops to the role. Nearly 13 years later, Ned Luke has remained one of the most iconic voices and faces in the videogame zeitgeist, and it doesn’t seem like that is going to change any time soon.
Since then, Ned’s life has changed dramatically. Ned has been a gamer “since the days of Pong”, so naturally he’s now streaming video games on Twitch and YouTube. He’s also making videos for his millions of followers across TikTok and Instagram.
I was lucky enough to sit down with Ned over Zoom and discuss how he came into working with Rockstar Games. We also talked about the overwhelmingly positive impact of GTA V, his favourite video game, and his love of meeting fans at conventions. He also provides some words of advice for the cast and crew of the next instalment in the franchise.
Ned will be taking part in two different panels this weekend at Toronto Comicon. His co-stars Shawn Fonteno (Franklin) and Steven Ogg (Trevor) will be there for the panels as well. These panels will feature behind-the-scenes stories and introspective deep dives into how GTA V has affected their lives. There will also be various opportunities for audience members to ask questions. The panels, as well as the time and date they will take place on, are below:
The voices of Grand Theft Auto: Behind the Chaos with Shawn Fenteno, Steven Ogg and Ned Luke
Friday, March 20th at 12:30 PM in room 206 – Main Stage
The Grand Theft Auto Experience: Legends of Los Santos with Shawn Fenteno, Steven Ogg and Ned Luke
Saturday, March 21st at 4:30 PM in room 206 – Main Stage
