GTA IV star only made $100,000

Forget liberty - give us residuals or give us death. It's a sentiment shared by countless actors, and one most poignantly offered by Michael Hollick, better known as the voice of GTA IV's immigrant star, Niko Bellic.

In a New York Times article, Hollick revealed that he earned about $100,000 for 15 months of work recording dialogue for his role as GTA IV's protagonist. The game, however, has gone on to rake in over $600 million in a mere two weeks.

And Hollick won't see a dime of it.

"It's tough, when you see Grand Theft Auto IV out there as the biggest thing going right now, when they're making hundreds of millions of dollars, and we don't see any of it," Hollick told the Times. "I don't blame Rockstar. I blame our union for not having the agreements in place to protect the creative people who drive the sales of these games."

The pay discrepancy stems from the fact that Hollywood has yet to make provisions for electronic media, including video games or the Internet. Instead, actors get paid standard Screen Actor's Guild day wages for their work (roughly $730), leaving them out of the lucrative residual loop should a property become financially successful. When it becomes as successful as GTA IV, an actor could be out literally millions.

Hollick is also peeved that he received no additional compensation for lending his voice to the game's massive marketing blitz.

"The first GTA 4 trailer generated something like 40 million hits online, and that's my voice all over it, and I get nothing. If that were a radio spot, I would have. Same thing for the TV ads. I recorded those lines for the game, but now they're all over television."

Further muddling matters is the fact that numerous artists, programmers and engineers contribute to the creation of a virtual character like Niko Bellic. Where, execs claim, do you draw the residual line?

We suspect they're about to find out. The issue bears a distinct resemblance to last year's writer's strike, leading many to speculate a similar battle between the Actor's Guild and Hollywood this summer. After spending a few weeks playing GTA IV, I wouldn't bet against the Niko. Have you seen what that guy would do for money?

http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/gta-iv-star-only-made-100-000/1215423

being honest this is just stupid before he started voice acting he should of just asked how much would he get in the end

I like how he ONLY got $100,000. Not bad for a bit of voice work.

While I am sympathetic but he really has no right to complain. Everyone knew GTA IV was going to be a mega hit. And if he didn't read the fine print before signing the contract then he has only himself to blame.

being honest this is just stupid before he started voice acting he should of just asked how much would he get in the end

oOoOoGibboOoOoO

He knew exactly how much he would get. Then he probably read a few articles talking about how much Rockstar is making and decided he wanted some. $100k for 15 months is damn good money, plus all of the publicity is priceless.

I like how he ONLY got $100,000. Not bad for a bit of voice work.

While I am sympathetic but he really has no right to complain. Everyone knew GTA IV was going to be a mega hit. And if he didn't read the fine print before signing the contract then he has only himself to blame.

capthavic

I agree, for the most part. That amount of money for voice work seems pretty good. Didn't people used to complain about actors' incredibly high compensations? Now we're complaining that someone isn't being paid an exorbitant amount.

Voice actors just are not the driving force in video games that movie stars are in film. I appreciate Michael Ironside in Splinter Cell, or Keith David in, well, everything, but they still would have been great games without them. Think with me here...has bad voice work ever ruined a game? I can think of bad games that also had bad voice acting, and it just made things worse, but I'm hard pressed to come up with a game where the voice acting was the deciding factor. Maybe someone else can think of one.

I'd be interested to know how much every other non-owner made during the GTA4 development cycle. I guess if everyone on the programming team and the art team made far more than $80,000/year, then yeah, this whole thing might be unfair.

I like how he ONLY got $100,000. Not bad for a bit of voice work.

While I am sympathetic but he really has no right to complain. Everyone knew GTA IV was going to be a mega hit. And if he didn't read the fine print before signing the contract then he has only himself to blame.

capthavic

[QUOTE="capthavic"]

I like how he ONLY got $100,000. Not bad for a bit of voice work.

While I am sympathetic but he really has no right to complain. Everyone knew GTA IV was going to be a mega hit. And if he didn't read the fine print before signing the contract then he has only himself to blame.

Keitarourashima

So what? thats why you ask questions and not just take jobs. Did he not care what it was that he'd be a part of?

I think the Studio Execs raise the best point. Who is Niko Belic? Someone drew him, someone animated him, someone mo-capped him and someone voiced him and so on.

To single out the voice isn't right, and it's not like this guy was the best, I'm sure there are a million other actors that could make an eastern Euro accent sound as good. Not saying this chap did a bad job, but if I look at it from the other side, this guy in no way should become a millionaire because of his work.

same thing happened with the guy who voiced tommy vercetti.jiff_man12

I'm sure movie star Ray Liotta is doing just fine.

[QUOTE="jiff_man12"]same thing happened with the guy who voiced tommy vercetti.Large_Soda

I'm sure movie star Ray Liotta is doing just fine.

No ****. besides im certain ray liotta got enough money of off vice city. He wasn't some broadway actor who was willing to take a $100,000 pay check.

[QUOTE="Large_Soda"]

[QUOTE="jiff_man12"]same thing happened with the guy who voiced tommy vercetti.FLzthvikings87

I'm sure movie star Ray Liotta is doing just fine.

No ****. besides im certain ray liotta got enough money of off vice city. He wasn't some broadway actor who was willing to take a $100,000 pay check.

i meant that ray also wanted a bigger cut since he saw what a success VC was. i wasn't talking about the 100,000 part, jeez.

[QUOTE="oOoOoGibboOoOoO"]

being honest this is just stupid before he started voice acting he should of just asked how much would he get in the end

SuperBeast

He knew exactly how much he would get. Then he probably read a few articles talking about how much Rockstar is making and decided he wanted some. $100k for 15 months is damn good money, plus all of the publicity is priceless.

[QUOTE="SuperBeast"][QUOTE="oOoOoGibboOoOoO"]

being honest this is just stupid before he started voice acting he should of just asked how much would he get in the end

jstarzyk

He knew exactly how much he would get. Then he probably read a few articles talking about how much Rockstar is making and decided he wanted some. $100k for 15 months is damn good money, plus all of the publicity is priceless.

I completely agree with this guy.If he was contracted for 100,000,well then thats all he should get.Whether the game is succesful or not should have nothing to do with it.

[QUOTE="FLzthvikings87"][QUOTE="Large_Soda"]

[QUOTE="jiff_man12"]same thing happened with the guy who voiced tommy vercetti.jiff_man12

I'm sure movie star Ray Liotta is doing just fine.

No ****. besides im certain ray liotta got enough money of off vice city. He wasn't some broadway actor who was willing to take a $100,000 pay check.

i meant that ray also wanted a bigger cut since he saw what a success VC was. i wasn't talking about the 100,000 part, jeez.

then voice actors and actors who to voice overs need to be alittle smarter when it comes to signing contracts for such roles. sign a contract with a clause in it that states for ever $100,000 worth sold you get such and such percent. If you use your voice for the trialers you get such and such percent.

same thing happened with the guy who voiced tommy vercetti.jiff_man12

Ray Liotta. I would've accepted the money regardless. It would've made my day.

Being in a GTA game, and getting paid? lol i wouldn't mind that at all.

lol, I disagree with you guys. I believe you're all speaking from your own personal finance situations and yeah sounds likes $100,000 would set you guys for life! News flash it won't. lol. It has nothing to do with reading contracts or him wanted more $ after the sucess of GTAIV or anything like that. It has to do with residual income! Are you guys kidding me? We all listen to this guy everyday, some of us for like 5-8 hrs a day. That's a full days job for most and you think he should have gotten $100,000. Someone mentioned it earlier that he should have not signed the contract unless there was a provision to be paid according to sales. I think that's exactly what he's saying don't you? Seems to me right now he is saying that is not allowed to happen for some reason. Some crazy video game or internet rule (I forgot how he put it). I have a question for you guys. Do you even know how much money GTAIV has made? And the voice of Niko gets $100,000. U got to be kidding me.

It's no different than voice acting for one of those cartoon animated movies. Even if you guys don't agree he should at least get paid everytime the commerical airs. Come on. Every other media operates in that fashion. I'm not saying the guy is poor or anything but what's fair is fair.

Thats a lot of money for some voice work. He should just shut up and enjoy all that money.mimic-Denmark

LMAO, OMG u guys r hilarious. $100,000 isn't alot of money. LMAO $100,000 doesn't even buy you a house today. LMAO. What r u guys talking about.

ONLY $100,000 for using his voice and maybe walking. Sounds more than enough to me. When he works a real, physical job making $10 hour then he can complain but when he makes as much as a doctor for doing nothing there is something wrong.xxxMoreBeerxxx

Wow, ok what dr. r u going to so I can know not to go to them. U have the cheapest dr. in the land. lol U might want to double that figure to get a dr.'s salary.

[QUOTE="mimic-Denmark"]Thats a lot of money for some voice work. He should just shut up and enjoy all that money.rrandolph

LMAO, OMG u guys r hilarious. $100,000 isn't alot of money. LMAO $100,000 doesn't even buy you a house today. LMAO. What r u guys talking about.

[QUOTE="oOoOoGibboOoOoO"]

being honest this is just stupid before he started voice acting he should of just asked how much would he get in the end

SuperBeast

He knew exactly how much he would get. Then he probably read a few articles talking about how much Rockstar is making and decided he wanted some. $100k for 15 months is damn good money, plus all of the publicity is priceless.

Exactly. 100,000 for 15 months, how is this bad? It's not like he's an Artist being exploited by Itunes or something...He didn't MAKE the game, he did some VO work...It's not even like he has the rights to the character.

He got more than enough, he had absolutely no creative involvement, why should he reap the benefits?

Your name in the credits for the main character, in this record shattering game, what more can you ask for?

I think it's funny how he's acting like he's being exploited like the writers strike...No sympathy. Comes off like a publicity stunt to me.

[QUOTE="mimic-Denmark"]Thats a lot of money for some voice work. He should just shut up and enjoy all that money.rrandolph

LMAO, OMG u guys r hilarious. $100,000 isn't alot of money. LMAO $100,000 doesn't even buy you a house today. LMAO. What r u guys talking about.

So, he should get a house for doing some voice work? People that save others peoples lives should be getting entire countries if we follow your logic then.

100k for 15 months and he's complaining?? He'll see no sympathy from me, what about those of use who do more than just talk into a microphone for a living hmm?

I should be complaining I get less than $900 a month.

He doesn't deserve any more than he got. There are people working real jobs for fourty plus hours a week while he sits in front of a mic. Honestly, there are plenty of people who could have voiced niko. He wasn't that important

Some people in this thread are making statemtents as if Hollick were an actor who literally portrayed Bellic. This is simply not the case. Large_Soda already pointed out that a whole team of artists, performers, and programmers came together to create Bellic, not to mention the host of people who made everything else GTA4. If everyone of them is getting paid $80,000, then they're doing fairly well.

It's not like he could've demanded more anyway. So what if he said, "I'll only do this for two million dollars"? They'd laugh him out of the office, and find someone else who can do a Eastern European accent. It's not like he's irreplacable. You can't make Indiana Jones IV without Harrison Ford, but I'm pretty sure you can make Grand Theft Auto without Michael Hollick.

[QUOTE="Keitarourashima"][QUOTE="capthavic"]

I like how he ONLY got $100,000. Not bad for a bit of voice work.

While I am sympathetic but he really has no right to complain. Everyone knew GTA IV was going to be a mega hit. And if he didn't read the fine print before signing the contract then he has only himself to blame.

scottie300z

So what? thats why you ask questions and not just take jobs. Did he not care what it was that he'd be a part of?

Yeah what kind of an excuse is that?. Not once before or even during those two weeks did he ever ask what he was working on? I would think that would be the first thing you find out before you sign a contract.

And the second being how much you'll be paid.