Site Meter 1P Start » Blog Archive » GTA IV Actor Says He Didn’t Get Paid Enough

GTA IV Actor Says He Didn’t Get Paid Enough

by Paul

There’s a news item going around that a couple of the actors from GTA IV, particularly Michael Hollick, the actor that plays the lead character Niko Bellic, are complaining about their pay from their work on the game. Hollick says he spent 15 months working on the game for 100,000 bucks, but is not getting anything out of the millions upon millions the game is making, like a lead actor in a successful film would.

I don’t exactly feel sorry for him. He should have known that Grand Theft Auto games have been blockbusters in the world of videogames and GTA IV was sure to be another one. I’m also sure he was aware of the terms of his contract before he signed up. However, I’m sure it was a hard decision when taking the job when he probably had no power to negotiate for more. His problem isn’t with Rockstar, it’s with his union which which doesn’t appear to work very hard for video game voice actors.

The main problem here is the fact that video games have never been really looked at as a legitimate medium for acting and therefore it’s voice talent isn’t paid the same that voice over work would be paid in other media. The other problem is that it is only voice work. Video game voice actors will probably never be paid the same amount as a television or movie star. You only have to look at the world of animated voice acting to see that there’s always been a great divide between voice actors and traditional acting. The cast of the Simpsons doesn’t even come close to what the cast of Friends was making per episode on their last few seasons. The Simpsons cast is looking for 360,000 an episode, which might sound a lot, but the Friends cast was making a million bucks an episode. Voice actors don’t get any respect.

Did You Enjoy this Post? Subscribe to 1P Start. It's Free!

Leave a Reply

Comment moderation is enabled. Your comment may take some time to appear.


About 1P Start

1PStart.com is your ultimate resource in knowing all things gaming. Whatever your choice in console, we're sure to cover it. Along with exciting contests, reviews, previews, trailers and screenshots, 1P Start has got it all! So make sure to hit 1P Start!

1P Start Author(s)
    » PacoDG
    » Dave-Parrack
    » Paul

Blogging Flair

Join Now Tell Em 1PStart Sent Ya Join Now Tell Em 1PStart Sent Ya

eXTReMe Tracker

Gaming Channel Posts

  • Halcyon Studios Gets Blade Runner?
    The Halcyon Company is looking to make a couple of games based on works by author Philip K. Dick as well as making a few movies based on his work. They haven't said specifically if they are [...]
  • Security Alert: Flash
    It may be time for you to update to the latest version of Adobe Flash, a program utilized heavily on Blizzard's site and a potential chink in your armor. Apparently there's a vulnerability in the [...]
  • Celeb Drummers Take on the Guitar Hero World Tour Drums
    In an effort to keep the buzz going about Guitar Hero World Tour, Neversoft invited some world famous drummers to "test" the prototype drum kit that will be included in the new game. The video [...]
  • GTA IV Actor Says He Didn't Get Paid Enough
    There's a news item going around that a couple of the actors from GTA IV, particularly Michael Hollick, the actor that plays the lead character Niko Bellic, are complaining about their pay from [...]
  • Tom Chilton Speaks About Areans
    Tom Chilton, one of the lead game designers over at Blizzard, recently had an interview at Gotfrag about the state of the Arena game and what we can expect in the future. Much of it deals with [...]
  • Wii Fit Racing
    Wii Fit raced onto two circuits over the Memorial Day Weekend. The weekend had two well-known races, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Indy 500. Sterling Marlin was behind the wheel in the NASCAR [...]
  • Wii Shop Arrivals
    Holidays that fall on Monday just throw off my whole week. Do they yours, too? It's hard to believe it's Tuesday. The Wii Shop has new arrivals this week despite the holiday. WiiWare Dr. [...]
  • The Power Of Video Games - Motley Crue Sell More Copies Of New Single On Rock Band Than iTunes
    Music and video games have been awkward bed buddies in the past, with artists not often being happy to have their songs license for use in titles in case they are somehow cheapened. However, this [...]
  • When Jackasses Get Theirs: The Hilarious Penny Arcade Ads
    Over on Filefront I saw an interesting article highlighting the fact that the marketers around the new Penny Arcade game (Penny Arcade: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness) have been using quotes [...]
  • Kil'jaeden is Down! MEDIC!
    It's true, after quite a number of guilds vying for the very first killing of Kil'jaeden, SK-Gaming has managed to bring him down. I tend to have a rather distanced view of such events, much [...]

Hot Off The Press

  • Sprouts for Change: Join the fun and work: Artists Welcomed
    Please tell others about these two groups: On the Sprouts for Change website there is a link to this page: I was impressed when TOm ROss talked about this charity that they will fund [...]
  • "The Promotion" Movie Trailer Is Hialrious!
    THE PLOT: A war of wills takes place between two men who want to run the same grocery store in "The Promotion", a comedy from writer and director Steve Conrad. Doug (Seann William Scott) is a [...]
  • The View May 29th Recap: Suze Orman, Mario Cantone, and In the Heights
    Today the first topic on The View was how Whoopi Goldberg went to see "August Osage County" and "In the Heights." The cast of "In the Heights" is on the show to perform today. Sherri Shepherd [...]
  • Death Cab For Cutie's "I Will Posess Your Heart" Music Video Rocks
    "Narrow Stairs" is the seventh studio album by rock band Death Cab for Cutie, I will be reviewing it next week. Here is the music video for the first single of the album titled "I Will Possess [...]
  • Thirteen Reasons I Love the Gym
    With my gym membership ending in a month or two, I'm beginning to think about all the things I'll miss... Thirteen Reasons I Love the Gym 1. Common goals. People may be there to bulk up or [...]
  • How Much Do You Spend?
    Gather Little by Little is one of my daily stops on the blog-o-sphere and today's article addresses the budget pitfalls of owning a pet (or pets!). Apparently those of us with pets have spent a [...]
  • Candy Says: Vintage Fashions
    I love polka dots. I love '50s style fashions. Hence, I crazy love this vintage, 1950s, red-and-white polka-dotted dress. The dress was found by Candy Says, a vintage, British boutique that began [...]
  • Security Alert: Flash
    It may be time for you to update to the latest version of Adobe Flash, a program utilized heavily on Blizzard's site and a potential chink in your armor. Apparently there's a vulnerability in the [...]
  • The Funny Thing about Climate Change
    The thought of global warming is getting bigger and bigger. With every thing that has happened so far and the threat of losing some animals because of climate change, mainly the polar bear, some [...]
  • Shop it to Me
    If you enjoy name brand shoes such as Jimmy Choo to Joe's Jeans and Gap to Gucci, there is a fabulous free service called Shop It To Me. This free service will tell you as soon as the stuff you [...]