GTA 5: Steven Ogg, Shawn Fonteno & Ned Luke Q&A Session | Comic Con Holland | 03-05-2025 transcript

Is your love big enough? Is your adoration big enough for this freedom of ill intent? These bad boys of madness. These crazy brothers that lead you on the wrong paths in life perhaps. Who knows? THESE ARE YOUR GUESTS FROM GTA 5. STEVEN OG, LUKE, AND JOHN FO. Let me hear you go, [music] welcome, [music] welcome. Have a seat. If you feel art, shake some hands [music] or not. There's microphones in the seats right there.

There's one here. There's one here. They're very comfortable chairs. You can try them out. They're on. Do these work? I sound sexy. Ooh, [laughter] that's what we do with filters. Is this my voice? Yes, it is my voice. Some sexy cat. Do you sometimes when you do voice acting, do you get surprised by how your own voice sounds? I don't know. I've never done voice acting, but [laughter] this is the only one I've ever done.

But no, no, my voice is my voice. It never surprises, man. I've seen it enough like on TV and commercials and stuff like that. Oh, it's me. I got it. Yeah. Yeah. I don't care. [laughter] It's like whatever that excellent. It's It's mobile just for that. Hey, what up y'all? What's going on, man? How we doing, Holland? Word up, y'all. Word up. These are the words that you've been thinking about all morning. I did learn Oh, now I forget it.

Good day. How do you say it? Yes. Y is good. It's good. It's good. It's either. That's it. Yeah. But they have a raspy. Yeah. It's very different than little more. Although in the south of the devils, it gets softer. So you can come very close to a huy huy. But when you hang out, it's like you're it's like it's good for him cuz it sounds like a zombie. [laughter] Well, uh it's it's their moment uh to ask any questions because they know more than we all do combined.

So they've been dreaming about this moment to meet you all. So I'm going to jump into the audience or on the side. I'll be kind to ass pit. Just dive down on They'll catch you onto them. Yeah, they're all looking towards you. THIS WILL WORK. LIKE, LOOK, HERE WE ARE. WELL, OH, you look even better from here. Yeah. Good. It's hard to imagine. Always look better from a distance. [laughter] Nice view from up there. Questions.

Questions. If anybody has any questions, just raise your hand and I'll come here, here, here, here. Oh, yeah. And I'll come to you. Hello, my name is Val. I'm the longest GTA fan forever in a long time. And now I'm retired and I still like you guys. All right. Thank you, man. Thank you. That's the best question ever, dude. Love it. Those ones are easy. Declaration of love. Declaration. Yes. Hi, my name is Justin. I have that question for everybody.

Why did you get guys wanted to play in GTA? Why? Why? Employment. Yeah, exactly. Employment. Don't listen to that. They're they're they're lying. It wasn't Yeah, it was employment. No, it was a great It was great material. When we got our audition material, it was really good stuff. And when you get really good stuff, you want to do it, you know. Yeah. For us, you know, as actors, it's like you want the work because, right, it's better than attending bar or waiting tables.

But you want the, you know, good material is good stuff. When you get that, you're like going, "Oh man, I hope I get this. This will be great." But a lot of, you know, it's not always people think some actors have the choice, right? They're sitting at a desk with a bunch of opportunities. Most of us don't have that. It's you get an opportunity to work, which in this case was the GTA or could be a TV show or a movie or whatever.

Uh, you audition for it with the hope that you get it. So, a lot of times it comes down to it's just the job you get, which is great. And it could be something like this or it could be something no one sees. It doesn't matter so much. You mean basically everything that I've ever been done? Yeah. As far as me, man, it was just just being a part of Rockstar. You know, when Rockstar called and say, "Hey, we're doing an audition." I recommend everybody run to the audition cuz you never know what it's going to be.

I mean, they told me it was another video game called Paradise. And we waited a whole year later and found out it was Grand Theft Auto 5. So, I was like, "Oh, shit." You know what I'm saying? So yeah, it was a good job. For Stephen and I, it was called Rush. We We didn't even audition for the same video game. It was Paradise and we were Rush. Turns out it was a little different. See, next question. Hello, I'm Jeffrey.

I love your work in GTA. So, thank you. And my question is, what quote that you have to voice do you now regret that it exists online forever and ever? [laughter] It's usually the ones that we sign on pictures. Yeah, those are the ones that have gone on and on, which I never remember. I wish I really wish that I could that I could forget a thousand things every day. I would love to make that line one of them. And mine is mine is the infamous what?

That's all I'm saying. And for me, it's easy cuz I just tell people to go themselves. Yeah. Yeah. Those are the those are the three those are the three lines that were like, "Oh my god, are you kidding?" But a lot of people for me, man, they always want me to say the line, um, "Hey, I picked C. Ain't that a bitch?" You know, so that's like real iconic with, you know, what I would say a lot as far as pranking. Would you have preferred Would you have preferred an other line to be the iconic line or is this line fine for you to be the iconic?

Yeah, I would have been wanted more like, "Hey, you ass I pick C pop motherfucker." And I'm always asking to get the curse ones, but I always like the ones that aren't. You know, the ones that are imagine. Well, isn't there the one uh the kidnap? Why do you always got to ask me what your lines are? You know, you I don't know. He knows everything. But you know, like, no, I didn't kill him, but I did kidnap his wife or stuff like that.

Or when people come up with What kind of animal you take before? No, I didn't kill her. Him, but he did kidnap his wife. I like those ones are ones that especially if people come up with different ones cuz they ask me what my favorite. I'm like I don't ask me like you know for people that play the game I'm like what is your favorite mine and I like the ones that are different. I mean I'll always do a go yourself. That's easy.

What's that? Yeah. Like ones like that I find. Good one. Good one. Yeah. Those are cool. He's he's up and coming for the next video game. I'm sure he is. Uh any here we go. Yeah. Hey, I have a question for Steve. How was it to act like you were in your underwear while you were wearing a mochab suit? And I do and they put on his skin. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, you're doing I'll see you this afternoon. Excellent. Um I Well, you have to wear underwear under your spandex suit, your emotions.

I know. I think that was one of those things I probably said and lied about and then people believe it and none of that was true and now every Q&A gets thrown back to you. It's like, you know, don't believe everything you read, kids. You know, it's uh believe it. It's all true. You you say stuff and people it's like I have a fake birthday in November that people wish me happy birthday and it's probably cuz in an interview they asked my birthday and I was like who cares when my birthday is so I I just made it up and now it's out there in my birthday.

I'm like okay whatever it doesn't matter. You get thank you so much for the birthday wishes. I think the underwear thing might have come from I do believe at the beginning or the end of the day when I I used to wear really cheerleader socks up to my knees and I wasn't at the beginning or the end of the day I'd run out into the motion capture studio naked but with underwear on. Well, I had underwear and he like look at these socks he's got on right now.

See those? He had ones that came up to here that he would wear and then at the end of the day he would he would just come out in his underwear and run around like just so that's probably where it came from was something but that was also like knowing the audience that was more just to like you know celebrate the day and you know that's to keep everyone's energy up. It was it was one of those. So that's I think the only way I feel.

Okay. Uh my question is for uh Stephen and Sean as well because there's a scene where uh where Trevor trips and some people said it's an accident. Some people said it's not an accident and I believe it's an accident because Sean you you you laugh your ass off. So then like I wanted to like confirm is it true. Is it an accident or is it scripted that Trevor trips my N word? Yeah. Yeah. Um, was it an accident? No, I think that was crazy.

That was another thing I lied about at one point that has taken on a life of its own. No, it was The thing is is doing motion capture, you can't We're wearing these outfits, cameras, which were very expensive. We have on the motion capture those hard balls everywhere. You don't want to land on those. A cuz you don't want to break the equipment and B cuz it hurts. Like they're solid so you're landing on them. So we had to have pads for the fence.

So you kind of have to you can't Yeah. And you don't want to improvise. Yeah. And that's how good the that's how good the writing is that an urban legend like that can take off. That that was you know that was scripted. It was supposed to happen and everybody's oh it was just an accident and then they played it and everything. No, that's not how it went. Those guys are the power of talent. Yes. To be able to sell that On your right side here.

Yes. I got a question. Do you guys relate to the characters? Do you guys relate to the characters in real life or like do you guys relate to the characters in some way? Speak up. I can't hear you, bro. Do you guys relate to the characters in some way? I do. I feel I do a lot with Franklin because, you know, Franklin is a kid from the hood and he been through a lot of you know, stealing things and whatnot. So, definitely I can relate to it.

I definitely can cuz that's where I come from. you know, Rockstar gave me a chance to get out of the hood and I'm very grateful to them. You know what I'm saying? Because ain't no telling where I will be right now if I didn't land this this role, you know, to play Franklin. I don't know where I would be right now, you know? So, I'm grateful to Rockstar for that. So, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For me, too, cuz I had actually retired.

I had quit acting for like four years and I went back to New York and this was my first audition back and uh you know so when I booked this it was very you I didn't know that Michael was actually coming out of retirement you know and so for me it was real easy to relate to that part of it because you know I had done that myself you know I was bitter on the business I I was tired of it I've been in it for 28 years and I was just like man this this business sucks but I didn't realize that the restaurant business sucked more.

So, I wanted to go. So, I went back to New York and and and this was the first audition back. So, yeah, that's how I related to it. You're like, what did I be? I got pulled back in, you know, just like Michael did by him. Uh, I guess it's uh probably that the character of Trevor is he feels everything. not necessarily appropriate at times the things he feels, but that would be something I relate to is the the no epidermis like a no emotional filter feeling feeling a lot and his good looks obviously although the older I get the more I resemble him which is scary like just getting more weathered and boulder and I guess I look more like a methhead as I get closer to death.

Hi, my name is Lars. I've been playing GTA V since day one. I was way too young to do it, but I still did it. My question is for Steven. How did it feel that your in-game appearance is the same as your real life uh appearance? [laughter] I don't understand. What? How do you like being as ugly in real life as you are in a game? [laughter] Sort of what I said. I'LL TRANSLATE THAT FOR YOU. Getting closer to looking like him or [laughter] getting closer.

Is that that? Yeah. Yeah. There you go. That's it. Is that it? Is that it? Hey, Stephen. Hey, Trevor never looked it bad, did he? It's pretty weathered. I didn't think he looked it bad. He was just crazy as Trevor was absolutely beautiful. Exactly. It was actually really cool that they used our likenesses cuz that was the first time That was the first time that Rockstar actually used the actor's likenesses as well. you know, so that was kind of neat because, you know, the characters look like us, which is kind of cool.

That was always the appeal to me is when we had this opportunity, I was like, they never liked when I say cartoon, but I was like, "Oh, I got to get a cartoon based on me physically animated." [clears throat] So, I thought that was that was really cool. And and and action figures. Yeah, we wish. Never. Still none. Never got action figures or those pop pop popup. What are they called? Popo pop funk pop. Pop up. Those look weird.

Funky Poppy. Funko. Although Although we did have fans, remember at that one the we had a fan that made a Funko Pop of each one of us and gave it to us. So, we've got those. But someone's made dolls at these times. Some people bring like Trevor, but also like there's the whole What the hell? Oh, what? What? [laughter] Oh my god. Oh, yeah. Unbelievable. And I told you to come to the con first. I mean to the panel first.

I should have told you to go to get the picture first. [laughter] Next question right here. Hi. Um, I'm Beth. Um, I have a question for three of you and uh, yeah, I've also been playing the game of course since the beginning. Um, but there has been so many additions uh, with in terms of DLC and cars and as a car person myself, I love racing and stuff, but what is your favorite car in GTA 5 for both? Favorite car? Yeah, favorite car.

Well, in a game or in real life or both. Hey, what was Franklin's favorite car? That white one? What? A Buffalo. That That's mine. The Buffalo is mine for sure. And didn't Trevor have a boating the boating vehicle? Yeah, the boat pickle. And and the convertible pick. That's the only one I know. So yeah, mine's the only You know, it's it's it's funny because in real life, remember, you know, Solo actually had one of those, the real life version, the the Hellcat.

And I'm I'm an Audi guy. I have Audi's. Yeah. So it's like he has a a you know, Ford Escort. So No, a Ford. I got a Ford F-150, I think it's called. In real life, I just don't give a about cars. I've been a car guy. Yeah. Another irony, but the cars they picked actually fit each character really well. Yeah, I think next crushing through the audience. Speak loudly. Hello. Hello. If you had to pick a quintessential song for each character, what would it be?

Cool question. Per personal soundtrack. One song. One and all the others are deleted for not not in the game songs. can be can be in your personal because I think Rockstar did a pretty good job of nailing the songs for each character really when you think about it like from their art our our uh trailers like I was Radio Goo, Radio Gaga, Sleepwalking, you know that kind of thing. Some from Hot House Flowers. Yeah, I would go with uh Snoop Dogg uh What's My Name?

Yeah, I like that. It's going to be a 9in nails for Trevor. I'm not sure which track. Yeah. Which one? You calm down. No. As soon as somebody says 9 in nails, I feel young again. Well, I would have wanted uh 10in nails for mine. You know what? [laughter] I was some 14-in nails. 12in nails. [laughter] The black version. Thanks. Hi. Very nice to meet you. Um I have a question for Sean. How was it to come back to the character for the contract uh DLC?

Ah, that was that was awesome, man. I was glad to get that call um to come do that with Dr. Dre. Um I mean I would hope that you know we all come back one day to bring all three of us since you know the game got pushed to next year of May. I know y'all all seen that. So, you know, maybe we can get one more big one out. You know, be nice with all of us and we can knock it out the park with you guys, man. Before we go into GTA 6.

Nobody would want that though, would you? Everybody would want that. Yeah. More of that. [laughter] Sometimes Sometimes they're quiet, but their hearts are full of noise. Yeah. But work but real quick working with Dre, you know, Dre is an iconic dude, man. And I know him personally and, you know, all the things he did through, you know, the music career of his life, man, to finally get to really work with him because I never was a big rapper to be able to get under his production.

So to come back in the game to work with him and Anderson Pack, um, you know, and Lamar, crazy ass. So that was that was like a dream come true to get that phone call. Hi, my name is Ear um and I playing GTA 5 also since the beginning and um my question is from how was it like to curse on the stage on the audition to curse? Yeah, to curse like it was like it was like real life [laughter] the normative words like they had to edit out.

Yeah, they had to edit out a lot of those. Remember? They had to take out a bunch of them cuz we just let it rip. I always I always remember we went in after and it it was kind of funny because they had a count a count and a count, which seems ironic for a game, but every word count. At one point I had to go in and I think Trevor's I don't know if it's my Trevor's first lines but when he's stomping that guy's head and saying cut I said we need to do an alternative version of that which was like you know doesn't have the same like or whatever it was it was just no that's stupid that's not going to work right darn it darn it darn it darn yeah it was something it was something really like nope hockey sticks hockey sticks but they would do that by design they would do that by design too cuz they would catch grief from higher up about language, whatever.

So, they would put in some really stupid thing that you knew was not going to get chosen that they would have to go with the like such a violent game with all that going on and you're worried about the an extra curse word that seemed I was glad they let me and Lamar just let loose because you know just be us. You know what I'm saying? So, that was a good thing you know cuz it would have been crazy. I would have been calling him Nate.

What's up, my mate? [laughter] You know, but that's my in the game. You feel what I'm saying? So, I was glad they let us do that. Well, as as as well, your characters are extremely iconic, the ones that you give life to in in the in the game. Um, you say that you read the story ideas, the the scripts, and you went like, "Oh, this looks kind of special." But did you as actors have any influence? Did you reshape some parts of it? that you had any say in Yeah.

Yeah. I mean that that's that's something that me personally I appreciate maybe the most about doing this game was that they gave us freedom to like kind of collaborate, you know what I mean? Like like cuz some of the stuff didn't fit, you know, cuz they're Scottish, you know, and and I'm from Southside Chicago and you know, solo Southside. That's right. It's outside. Whereas I I would say like for for Steven, Steven's mom's British.

So all these Britishisms, they kind of fit Trevor. They kind of for some reason Trevor would go to the L. You know what I mean? Whereas I would go take a piss, you know, or uh I you know, it's it isn't meant to be that way. I would never say that. It's like it's not supposed to go down like this, you know, and that's that's kind of the freedom that they give us to change to fit our characters. So yeah, it was it was great, man.

They were just the way they let us develop our characters was awesome. Let's see. And then once again, they're on the right side. Some more. Sam's done. He's leaving. He's going. No, I was just like, how do you get there? What are you looking for? The What are you looking for? The Walking Dead panel. [laughter] You want to jump down or you want to find the stairs? I was going to come down cuz I thought we could go up to the lazy people sitting.

See if they have a question. There's Well, there's stairs there. We'll go up there and see. So if anyone has a question, I will be presenting the microphone for those in the seats. Excellent. So please think of a good question. Meanwhile, at the front of the stage, um you'll continue. I'm still around. I'm just, you know, keeping keeping myself entertained. Um before I ask my question, I just want to say on behalf of everyone, your performance questions back here are so iconic, not just within the gaming space, but within the uh entertainment space.

So yeah. Um, from the bottom of all our hearts, we love you so much and thank you for uh all the Yeah. for the No, thank you. Thank you. I appreciate you guys. I do have a very important question for Sean. We'll wait for this. Can also see you at work. All right, we got a question up here. Now we go to Steven in the audience. How was it working for Vince Gilligan for better consol? Great question. Uh, great. Did you plant that question?

No, it was uh, it was wonderful. [laughter] I mean, the whole gang of Better Call Saul was We were hoping to do three. Like, there was the first subject check with the m the mustache, the hair, second with a big beard, then there was going to be a third of I would shave my head bald. Uh, and that was going to be sort of the the full thing. But I was unfortunately shooting in Vancouver, I think, and with the quarantine, couldn't get back.

But a great group of people. Great question. Hey, man, bring your ass back down here, bro. Next. I I was just trying to, you know, a man of the people. I just thought it would be nice. Sorry. Sorry for giving a about you all. He just I can go cold like that. Hi, guys. Is that it for questions from here? Oh, look at these. We'll do one more from here. Okay, one more from the stages. From the Those are cool. Is that Star Wars?

Ask a question. Sorry. Question we'll do right here. Area, we on the clock. Okay, here we go. Would you guys ever consider reprising your role if they asked you to come back for a sequel or DLC's, or would you rather the characters just exist in GTA 5 or a movie? Okay, that would fall under the actors wanting work category. Yay. So, in a heartbeat, why not? Yeah, definitely. Plus, it's great working with those guys. Rockstar is a blast to work with, dude.

That's the best set that I've ever been on from a fun standpoint. It's just awesome. So, yeah, I would do that in a heartbeat. For sure. Yes. One more question here because we're almost at the end of this Q&A, but if they have more questions, they can come to your tables. Oh, yeah. For sure. Come to those tables. Come to those tables. We're there all day long. Oh, all day long. Do you get food in between? Uh, I don't know.

We just kind of got here. They have bowls of tomatoes back there for us to snack on and stuff. Oh, you can squish them in your mouth. Yes. Wonderful. Hi guys. Uh, I remember the day the trailer was released uh and there was a lot of hype. How much did your life change when the trailer came out? And were you prepared for it? Like how much things are changing it was going to get? That's a good question. I mean, are you prepared for for what happens when this game comes out?

I I was not. I mean, when the first trailer came out, a friend of mine from 25 years prior recognized me and put on Twitter that that I was in the game and Yeah. you. And the uh the you know, and and it was like really crazy because it's like my phone was blowing up and all this kind of stuff. So, no, I wasn't ready for that, man. I thought I was going to get fired or something because it it leaked out. But it was How can you be prepared for something like this, you know, again?

Yeah. When they dropped the Franklin trailer, I was just I was like just happy as hell because how they kept it they kept it so good with JRock. You know what I'm saying? That song just fitted the trailer. So, I just felt I was I felt special. You know what I'm saying? I knew that I was part of something that was going to be to what it is today. Steven. Yeah. I mean, it just you you I don't know. You have no control over whatever happens anyways.

So, and suddenly you're in Holland on a stage. I mean, it's it's great. It's what you wish when you were 8 years old. Oh, one day in my life. I'd like to be on a like a yellow kind ofish. Yeah. That plastic chair. It would be awesome. That's what I thought. It's very bouncy. No, it's always very like that's what I live for. Very uh grateful and appreciative of these opportunities cuz I always say we're not here. I'm not here if it wasn't for you guys.

So, it's always like thanks to everyone because you pay to get in, you pay for this. It's a, you know, it's a it's a spend fest. So, it's very much appreciated and that's why we like to I think we give good con which, you know, means, you know, you come by our table and we appreciate you because it's the reason we're here. So, exact. Yeah. I mean, give yourselves a hand. It's like, thank you guys so much. It's uh, you know, I always say fans are the game and the fans are the game.

Without you, we're nothing. So, thank you guys so much. Thank you audience and thank you Steven, LUKE, AND SEAN PETS. If you have any more questions, if you have any more questions, they will be here all day and tomorrow as well. Thank you very much. The questions you did not dare to ask, perhaps you might dare to ask them to their faces at their desks. THIS WAS GTA V, OUR VERY FIRST PANEL. SO MUCH MORE to come. [music]