The "Grand Theft Auto" Protagonists and Their Real Life Counterparts

Rockstar has always taken inspiration for the Grand Theft Auto series from the world around us.

From classic crime heist films like Heatand Reservoir Dogs to the hyper-violent headlines of everyday news, the series has never shied away from exlpoiting reality. 

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, presented dozens of nods to real world parallels of violence. The Haitian/Cuban gang war depicted in Vice City took inspiration from the cocaine cowboys that terrorized Miami in the early 80s.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas looked to the early 90s explosion of West Coast hip-hop in film and music for its inspiration. And throughout all of these titles the main protagonists were always some amalgamation of fictional incarnation and real world criminal. Like the games themselves, the protagonists were a blend of the real and the imagined.

Here are The "Grand Theft Auto" Protagonists and Their Real Life Counterparts

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Fictional inspiration: Clint Eastwood
Real world inspiration: Frank Morris

Claude was Rockstar's first modern, open world protagonist. Even though he was the strong, silent type, the similarities between Claude and Eastwood are undeniable. Not old, Gran Torino/mildly senile Clint Eastwood either. Young, 'beat your head in with my bare hands' Eastwood.

Frank Morris, played by Eastwood in 1979's Escape From Alcatraz, was one of the only men to ever escape from Alcatraz. Eastwood played Alcatraz's most famous prisoner and it's easy to see how all three of these lantern-jawed men influenced one another.

Fictional inspiration: Ving Rhames in Pulp Fiction
Real world inspiration: Frank Lucas

Vic Vance begins Vice City Stories as a reluctant participant in a life of crime. And since not being a gangster is boring, he ends up head of the Vance Crime Family. They corner the market on drug production, smuggling, robbery, protection rackets, and loan sharking. Physically, and occupationally, Vance shares an alikeness with Ving Rhames' fictional Marsellus Wallace and real world crime boss Frank Lucas.

Lucas was the American organized crime boss, and heroin dealer, so brilliantly portrayed by Denzel Washington in American Gangster. Wallace and Lucas are obvious

Vic Vance begins Vice City Stories as a reluctant participant in a life of crime. And since not being a gangster is boring, he ends up head of the Vance Crime Family. They corner the market on drug production, smuggling, robbery, protection rackets, and loan sharking. Physically, and occupationally, Vance shares an alikeness with Ving Rhames' fictional Marsellus Wallace and real world crime boss Frank Lucas.

Lucas was the American organized crime boss, and heroin dealer, so brilliantly portrayed by Denzel Washington in American Gangster. Wallace and Lucas are obvious contributers to Vance's persona and demeanor. Don't know if Rockstar has ever directly cited Pulp Fiction with the credit, but it's certainly apparent.

to Vance's persona and demeanor. Don't know if Rockstar has evr directly cited Pulp Fiction with the credit, but it's certainly apparent.

Fictional inspiration: Joe Pesci in Goodfellas
Real world inspiration: Tommy Pitera

Thomas "Tommy Karate" E. Pitera is a former Mafia hitman in the Bonanno crime family. Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito was an unhinged sociopath that was as vicious as he was short. Pitera earned a reputation as a sadistic killer who actually enjoyed murdering people. Tommy stuck an icepick in the base of a dude's skull in Goodfellas and then went and got breakfast. Pitera was suspected by law enforcement of upwards of 60 murders and is serving a life sentence at the Federal Correctional Complex, Allenwood, in Pennsylvania.

Both Pitera and DeVito could be stand-ins for Liberty City Stories' Toni Cipriani. Look at that dead eyed, bulldog face of Cipriani's.

Real world inspiration: Jason Kidd
Real world inspiration: Sonny Barger

"Johnny" Klebitz is famous for being one of the few Jewish protagonists in video games as well as looking like Jason Kidd's delinquent brother. In an entire chapter of DLC that deals with biker gangs, real world Hell's Angel founder Sonny Barger must be mentioned. Barger was one of the original members of the founding chapter of the Hell's Angels and Jason Kidd certainly looks like he could've been running speed in Oakland in the late 60s.

Fictional inspiration: Peoples Hernandez from 2001's Shaft
Real world inspiration: Amado Carrillo Fuentes

We can all agree that 2001's Shaft was a forgettable mess of a generic action film. What stood out about the film, other than Christian Bale's mysterious appearance, was the performance given by Jeffrey Wright as Peoples Hernandez.

The DLC content, The Ballad of Gay Tony, was the first time players were introduced to Luis Fernando Lopez in Liberty City. A reluctant lead that is equal parts Peoples Hernandez and the now deceased Mexican drug lord Amado Carrillo Fuentes. Physically, all three could pass as relatives, but it was Fuentes aggressive takeover of the Juárez Cartel that mirrors Lopez's journey in Gay Tony. Fuentes took over control of the cartel after murdering his boss and both Lopez and Fuentes came from humble beginnings.

Fuentes died during a botched plastic surgery operation while attempting to change his appearance.

Fictional inspiration: Dr.Dre, Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr. in Boyz n the Hood
Real world inspiration: Christopher 'Young Maylay' Bellard

Any fictional character chosen randomly from a John Singleton or a Hughes brothers film can easily be cited as an inspiration for CJ.

But there was a real life West Coast rapper that was the voice of CJ from GTA: San Andreas. Christopher 'Young Maylay' Bellard was working in New York when he was contacted by DJ Pooh. Pooh, who was consulting on the game with Rockstar, reached out to Malay about what shape the music of the game should take.

The conversation took place over speaker phone without Maylay's knowledge and the staff at Rockstar staff heard his voice. Maylay was brought in to audition and after a few weeks decided to cast Maylay for the role of main character of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Carl "CJ" Johnson.

Fictional inspiration: Sasha from the film Behind Enemy Lines

The team at Rockstar must have been the only ones so taken with the mediocre action vehicle starring Owen Wilson. The film may have failed to launch Wilson as a viable action film lead, but it did inspire the character design of Niko Bellic.

Niko was based on the character Sasha from the 2001 film. The tracksuit-draped sniper was played by Vladimir Mashkov. Mashkov was even asked by Rockstar if he'd like to play Niko Bellic but, declined the offer. There's even a shop in Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV where you're able to purchase the Adidas jumpsuit for Niko.

Fictional inspiration: Tony Montana
Real world inspiration: John Roberts

The Rockstar teams are obviously huge, Scarface fans. The inspiration of Brian de Palma's film can be felt in every nook of Vice City. The perfectly curated 1980s radio stations in Vice City are crammed with songs from the Scarface soundtrack.

The game is an homage, and made the failing of the tragic Scarface: The World is Yours, all the more bitter. Tommy's absurd mansion is almost identical to Tony Montana's. Robert Loggia, (Frank Lopez in Scarface), even made a cameo as Ray Machowsi in GTA III.

John Roberts was was a noted drug trafficker and government informant that operated in Miami in the 1980s. He had connections to both the Medellin and Gambino crime families. He was featured in the documentary Cocaine Cowboys and profiled in the book American Desperado. Roberts was one of the architects of the modern, organized drug racket late 70s and 80s Miami. He made millions off of dealing cocaine and is an obvious influence on both Vercitti and Montana.