The GTA series is full of pop culture references and celebrity cameos or spoofs, which is part of what gives the series so much charm and makes it popular.
Over the years, a number ofcelebrity cameos and guest appearanceshave also been included, though some are less obvious than others at first glance.
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Whether it’s the stand-up comedians of GTA 4’s in-game clubs and theaters, or some surprising NPCs showing up to make requests in GTA Online,the Rockstar series manages to present these well-known faces in a way that makes them unintrusiveand occasionally even missable altogether.
With that said, not all cameos are created equal. Out of the many guest appearances in the series throughout the years, these are the ones that weredefinitely worth the money.
10Frankie Boyle
The Brutally Funny Scottish Comedian
In the mid-2000s, Frankie Boyle was known as one of the most ruthless stand-up comedians around and one with a particularly dark sense of humour.
Having watched him on Mock The Week countless times, I was pretty hyped to see that he was featured as a stand-up act in GTA 4’s Lost and Damned DLC.
It might only be a subtle cameo with little effect on the game’s main story, butthe grittier nature of The Lost and Damned makes Frankie a perfect fitfor its more vulgar atmosphere.
Frankie’s sets are about what you’d expect from the Scot in his prime, with quips aimed at the audience, himself, and society at large.
9Danny Dyer
An Essex Boy Through and Through
Having been raised in Essex, it wasn’t immediately obvious to me that Kent Paul was being voiced by Danny Dyer in both GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas.
This quirky side character is up there with the best in the series, and his strong Essex accent contributes a lot to his uniqueness.
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The Eastenders star does a great job of portraying the mentally unstable, drug-addicted but highly ambitious music manager, and certainly brings his own personal eccentricity to the role.
Whether trying to score dope for his band “Love Fist” or strikingdeals with the Russian mafia in Las Venturas, Ken certainly knows how to get himself into some interesting situations, even if he’s not quite the big shot that he seems to think he is.
The West Coast Legend Makes A Return
The Dr. Dre contract in GTA Online is definitely one of the most memorable out there, even if the former NWA star is slightly past his prime these days.
Regardless, it is great to see him included in GTA 5 since,for many of us, NWA is synonymous with riding around Los Santosin GTA: San Andreasduring the PlasyStation 2 era.
While Dre’s involvement isn’t especially extensive, his cameo is a welcome one and doesn’t feel overdone, and is quite realistic.
Instead of being a street-level hustler in the midst of the action, Dre is chilling in retirement at the Los Santos Golf Club — though that’s not to say that his contract missions are anything short of chaos.
Overall, it’s a very fitting tribute toa legend of Los Angelesand one which works perfectly in the context of the online missions.
The DJ Fits Into The Game Seamlessly
Although it’s not unusual to see celebrity DJs in GTA Online’s nightclubs these days, whenSolomun first appeared as an NPC, performing a DJ set no less, it was a big deal.
As arguably one of the best melodic house DJs of the last few decades,Solomun’s inclusion in the game as a resident DJ in the player-owned nightclubs was a welcome surprise and helped to elevate GTA Online’s popularity during its early years.
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Excellence from nightclubs and bank robberies to car chases and gunfights.
You might think I am exaggerating, but I distinctly rememberpeople logging onto GTA Onlinespecifically to go and listen to Solomun’s DJ set for the first time.
Players will encounter Solomun when initially setting up their first club with Tony Prince, and will have to rescue him after he crash-lands his private jet.
6Bas Rutten
The Cage Fighting Legend Has Some Advice
If you don’t know who Bas Rutten is, you’re missing out. This kickass Dutchman and former UFC Heavyweight champion helped topioneer the sport of mixed martial artsin the 1990s and is truly one of the toughest men to ever walk the planet.
On top of that, he has a good sense of humor and is often absolutely hilarious, even if he doesn’t always mean to be.
Bas features as a character onGTA 4’s in-game television and radio, wherehe co-hosts a show called “The Men’s Room” and talks about how to be tough, among other things.
Something about Bas’s accent and tone, combined with his physical ferocity and crazy experiences, makes him very captivating and entertaining to listen to, and his humor is a perfect fit for the GTA series.
5Danny Trejo
The Perfect A Cartel Maniac
Danny Trejo is one of the most unmistakable actors in Hollywood and has been for quite some time. The Machete actor voices Cuban gang leader Umberto Robina, but the character model isn’t exactly subtle in its depiction ofthe man behind the microphone.
Stuck in a brutal gang war with the Hatians, Umberto calls on Tommy Vercetti for help, eventually repaying the favour by improving Tommy’s reputation in the city.
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His character is every bit as violent and unstable as you might think, and he is frequently overcome by frequent outbursts of anger.
The cameo is a nice touch and one that has certainly aged well. It seems to give the game even more credibility, as Trejo has since become even more famous than he was then.
4Katt Williams
Ensuring Split Sides Lives Up To The Name
Katt Williams is easily one of my favorite American comedians for a number of reasons, and I think that is in part due to him featuring in GTA 4 as a stand-up act.
As a young European child, I think it’s fair to concede that I wasn’t familiar with Katt’s work or his unique brand of mischievous humour.
That all changed when Niko took a girl (I think it was either Michelle or Kate) to the Split Sides comedy club, andwatched his in-game performance from the front row.
I distinctly remember thinking about how good GTA 4’s side activities were, primarily thanks to this routine, which made me laugh every bit as much as it would have watching him perform in person.
Growing older, I later came to realize what a legend of comedy Katt Williams already was by that point, butmuch like the songs on the in-game radio stations, finding Katt Williams via GTA was certainly something that stuck with me.
3Ricky Gervais
The Brit At His Sarcastic Best
One of the last people I had ever expected to come across in a GTA game was UK comedian Ricky Gervais.
However, GTA 4 managed to integrate him perfectly into the universe as another stand-up act at the Split Sides comedy club.
Ricky’s dry and sarcastic humour isn’t something you’d typically expect to translate over to a US audience, butthe creator of The Officemanaged to prove that he was capable of introducing more sarcastic and “cringe” humour to America as well.
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His set in GTA 4 is anything but cringe, and features some of his best jokes from a stand-up tour.Ricky’s creative, graphic, and sometimes very dark mind is a perfect fit for the GTA universe, even if it may not seem so at first glance.
Out of all the comedians in the game, I personally enjoy Ricky’s routines the most. Maybe I amslightly biased as a Brit myself.
2Samuel L. Jackson
The Hollywood Legend Rules San Andreas
Undoubtedly one of Hollywood’s coolest actors, Samuel L. Jackson is one of the less subtle celebrities to feature in the GTA series.
Playing the main villain of GTA: San Andreas, the corrupt cop Officer Tenpenny,Jackson’s performance is absolutely top tier and one of the most iconic in the entire series.
His arrogant, calculating nature makes him a formidable enemy, and at every turn of the story he attempts to manipulate CJ and screw him over in some way.
Jackson’s unique voice, combined with his sarcastic tone and the manipulative nature of the character, make for an absolute masterpiece.
I think it’s fair to say that without Samuel L. Jackson,GTA: San Andreas just might not have had the same impactand soul that it is fondly remembered for today.
1Ray Liotta
A Great Actor For A Great Character
Ray Liotta is known for playing suave and charismatic characters on the big screen, but it turns out his performances translate just as well to video games, too.
When I first played GTA: Vice City, I must admit that I had no idea it was theGoodfellasstar voicing Tommy Vercetti. Such is his commitment to the role.
In retrospect, it becomes more obvious, as does the fact that Liotta was the perfect cast for the role.
Though Tommy might not be as vocal as many of the otherprotagonists in the GTA series,when he does talk, he is usually smooth, humorous, and cool.
Vice City’s Definitive Edition remaster holds up well today for modern players looking to experience the story first-hand, and it is certain to delight any fans of Liotta’s 90s gangster films.
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