After the star-studded casting of the previous two Grand Theft Auto games, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was one of the last Rockstar releases to feature a huge list of celebrity voice actors. Many of the actors were already huge stars, while a few grew to greater fame after appearing in the game. With the release of GTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, players are now also able to revisit a remastered version of San Andreas, complete with its now-iconic vocal performances.
Despite Vice City's Tommy Vercetti being voiced by famous actor Ray Liotta, San Andreas' protagonist, CJ, is voiced by rapper Young Maylay, who was relatively unknown at the time. He turns in an impressive performance as CJ, a man who must overcome incredible obstacles in order to restore a sense of normality to his childhood home. Young Maylay even contributed to the game's music, rapping over the "Welcome to Los Santos" theme.
Many of San Andreas' other big names had previously featured in iconic crime films from the 1980s and 1990s. Others, such as musicians Chuck D and Axl Rose, played themselves. Here are all the famous voices who brought GTA: San Andreas' many weird and wonderful characters to life.
Samuel L. Jackson Was Officer Tenpenny In San Andreas
Samuel L. Jackson is no stranger to video games, having voiced roles in Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, Disney Infinity 3.0, and the Afro Samurai video game, but his greatest achievement to the medium remains his performance as the villainous Officer Frank Tenpenny in GTA: San Andreas. Jackson had appeared in multiple films that inspired the GTA series, such as Goodfellas, Menace II Society, and Pulp Fiction, and he put his all into his San Andreas performance, expertly using his familiar, commanding voice to bring a loathsome but consistently entertaining character to life.
As a leader in San Andreas' corrupt C.R.A.S.H. force, Tenpenny has much in common with Denzel Washington's equally corrupt Alonzo Harris character from Training Day. However, Jackson leaves such a distinctive stamp that Tenpenny stands on his own as one of the greatest video game antagonists. Jackson's turn as Tenpenny in San Andreas was followed by significant voice roles in the years following, with Jackson voicing characters in animated films and TV shows.
GTA: San Andreas Cast - Faizon Love As Sweet Johnson
In the 90s, Faizon Love starred in comedy films such as Fear of a Black Hat, Friday, and Don't Be a Menace, but his deep voice lent itself well to the more serious role of Sweet Johnson in San Andreas. As CJ's sometimes surly but always loyal brother, Sweet is an integral part of the game's narrative, and Love's voice guides the player through some of San Andreas' best missions. Love has since starred in films such as Idlewild and Couples Retreat.
Yolanda Yo-Yo Whittaker Was Kendl Johnson In San Andreas
Yolanda "Yo-Yo" Whittaker is a rapper who frequently collaborated with Ice Cube in the early-90s and is known for her confident, positive lyrics. She also had small roles in films such as Boyz n the Hood, Menace II Society, and Panther. An early hip-hop feminist, Yo-Yo's position in the West Coast hip-hop canon led Rockstar to cast her as CJ and Sweet's sister, Kendl.
Kendl is loyal to her brothers, Grove Street, and her boyfriend, Cesar. Despite not having the same capacity for violence as her brothers, her intelligence and business savvy plays a huge role in restoring GTA: San Andreas' Grove Street to its former glory.
Clifton Powell Was Big Smoke In San Andreas
Like so many other GTA actors, Clifton Powell was an actor in multiple '90s crime films, having appeared in Deep Cover, Menace II Society, and Dead Presidents. Powell's engaging performance as San Andreas' gluttonous and treacherous Big Smoke helped turn the character into an endlessly quotable, fan-favorite villain. Hilarious and intimidating in equal measure, Smoke is just as compelling ordering fast food as when he's trying to kill his childhood friends.
MC Eiht Was Ryder In San Andreas
Aaron Tyler, best known as MC Eiht, is a legend of West Coast hip-hop due to his role as the leader of Compton's Most Wanted, and his "Hood Took Me Under" song with the group is a staple on GTA: San Andreas' massive soundtrack, playing on the Radio Los Santos in-game radio station. In addition to his musical contribution, he voiced Grove Street Families member Ryder, whose impulsive personality drives him to betray the Grove Street Families in San Andreas. While Ryder's appearance is clearly based on the late Eazy-E, it's MC Eiht's voice that brings Ryder to life in all of his violent, eccentric glory. He also appeared as supporting character A-Wax in Menace II Society, which was a huge influence on San Andreas. Several of his songs were also featured on the GTA V soundtrack.
San Andreas Voices - Ice-T As Madd Dogg
Ice-T, whose real name is Tracy Marrow, is one of gangsta rap's earliest pioneers, and so his role in San Andreas as rapper Madd Dogg added to the game's hip-hop credibility. Madd Dogg is a rapper whose career begins to fall apart after his rhyme book is stolen by CJ, but he and CJ later become allies. While he doesn't appear on GTA: San Andreas' massive soundtrack, Ice-T's acting performance gives Madd Dogg a powerful personality. In addition, he voices himself on the in-game News Radio.
Ice-T still releases music and tours, both as a rapper and the lead vocalist for metal band Body Count. He also stars on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and has appeared in crime films such as New Jack City, Ricochet, and Trespass.
The Game Played B Dup In GTA: San Andreas
Rapper Jayceon Terrell Taylor, better known as The Game, was just rising to stardom when San Andreas was released. He had been signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label, and his debut album, The Documentary, was set to come out only months after San Andreas' release. The Game's lyrics are filled with references to gang lifestyle and classic West Coast hip-hop, which made him a natural fit in GTA's world of gangs in 1992 Los Santos. He has also appeared in such films as Waist Deep and Belly 2, and his "Ali Bomaye" track with Rick Ross and 2 Chainz was later featured on GTA 5's soundtrack.
Clifton Collins Jr. Was Cesar Vialpando In San Andreas
Clifton Collins Jr.'s roles in movies like Traffic and The Last Castle had turned him into a serious actor to watch by the mid-2000s, and his voice performance as San Andreas's Cesar Vialpando gave life to one of the game's most sympathetic characters. A member of the Aztecas, Cesar is in a relationship with CJ's sister, Kendl. Despite Carl and Sweet initially disapproving of their sister's choice of men, Cesar turns out to be a loyal friend and important character all the way through San Andreas' last story mission. Since San Andreas, Collins Jr. has been keeping busy with roles in films such as Star Trek, Brothers, and Triple 9.
Reservoir Dogs' Chris Penn Played Officer Pulaski In San Andreas
The late Chris Penn was a staple of '90s crime films, appearing Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, and The Funeral. His intense vocal presence was put to great use as corrupt C.R.A.S.H. officer Eddie Pulaski, Officer Tenpenny's sidekick who frequently harasses and shakes down CJ. Penn continued to act until he passed away in 2006.
Famous San Andreas Voices - Peter Fonda As The Truth
The late Peter Fonda's work on films such as Easy Rider made him a counterculture legend, which made him a great fit to play The Truth, a cannabis farmer and conspiracy theorist who allies himself with CJ. The Truth, who helps the player find San Andreas' iconic jetpack, is essentially every hippie stereotype wrapped into one character, but being voiced by Fonda makes him feel genuine.
In addition to his work in San Andreas and Easy Rider, Fonda appeared in movies such as The Last Movie, Race With the Devil, and The Limey. Fonda passed away in 2019 at the age of 79.
David Cross Played Zero In San Andreas
Comedian, writer, and actor David Cross is best known as one half of Mr. Show with Bob Odenkirk and for his role as Tobias Funke in Arrested Development. In San Andreas, Cross voices Zero, the nerdy owner of toys and electronics store Zero RC. Zero enlists CJ's help in three missions that involve sabotaging Zero's rival, Berkley.
One of these is San Andreas' infamously difficult "Supply Lines" mission, which was so challenging that Rockstar ended up having to patch it to lower the difficulty. Even Cross himself admitted finding the mission infuriating in a Hot Ones interview. Cross has also voice acted in many TV shows and films such as Megamind, Sorry to Bother You, and the Kung Fu Panda franchise.
James Woods Was Mike Toreno In San Andreas
To many fans, James Woods is best known as the voice of Hades in Disney's Hercules, but he also gained acclaim for substantial roles in two classic Robert De Niro gangster epics, Once Upon a Time in America and Casino. His San Andreas character, Mike Toreno, is a hilarious vessel for Woods's acerbic charm. Toreno initially poses as one of GTA: San Andreas' many gang figures, but he turns out to be a mysterious and scheming government agent with a cynical view of America's role in the world. Toreno becomes an important supporting character as he and CJ form an unlikely alliance in the game's second half.
Woods later voiced a more outwardly villainous character in Scarface: The World is Yours. However, his most notable contributions to video games are perhaps his memorable voice performances in the Kingdom Hearts series, in which he reprised his role as Hades.
Charlie Murphy Was Jizzy B In San Andreas
The late Charlie Murphy's appearances The Chappelle Show made him a legend, but his San Andreas role as villainous pimp Jizzy B further endeared him to GTA fans. Jizzy is a sleazy, opportunistic character who functions as an antagonist in GTA: San Andreas' San Fierro location. It's a small but important role, and Murphy makes Jizzy an even funnier character than his name suggests. Before his death in 2017, Murphy starred in films such as CB4 and shows such as The Boondocks and Black Jesus.
Frank Vincent Was Salvatore Leone In San Andreas
After appearing as Don Salvatore Leone in GTA 3, the late Frank Vincent returned as the character for San Andreas. Salvatore is a major player in the mafia's casino business in Las Venturas. Salvatore employs CJ for a string of missions, including one, "Saint Mark's Bistro", that has the player return to Liberty City for a short mission. Vincent became a regular feature of the 3D Universe GTA game voice casts, as he returned again for Liberty City Stories. He is otherwise known for his roles in crime classics like Goodfellas, Casino, and The Sopranos.
William Fichtner Played Ken Rosenberg In San Andreas
As San Andreas' biggest connection to Vice City, William Fichtner reprised his role as sleazy lawyer Ken Rosenberg. When San Andreas begins, Rosenberg is in a worse place than he was during Vice City's final scene. Rosenberg and Vice City's protagonist, Tommy Vercetti, are revealed to have fallen out over Rosenberg's cocaine addiction. This leads Rosenberg to Las Venturas, where he ends up getting involved in the mafia's casino business.
The man we meet in San Andreas may be superficially different from GTA: Vice City's Ken Rosenberg, no longer carrying a law license or having all of his hair, but Rosenberg is the same man where it counts, and Fichtner brings the same nervous energy to the role. Fichtner has an extensive career as one of Hollywood's most reliable supporting actors. He has appeared in Heat, Crash, The Dark Knight, and many more massive releases.
Debi Mazar Reprised Her Role As Maria Latore In San Andreas
In San Andreas, Debi Mazar, known for roles in films such as Goodfellas and Empire Records, returned to her Maria Latore role from GTA 3. Since San Andreas is a prequel, players are able to see how Maria and Salvatore Leone first met, setting the stage for their relationship in GTA 3. Maria may be younger and only working as a waitress in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but she's no less snarky or brash, and Mazar brings the same motor-mouthed humor to the role.