Actor Robert Bogue, who played FIB agent Steve Haines in Grand Theft Auto 5, says he auditioned for 60 roles in GTA 6, but was ultimately ignored by Rockstar Games.
The news comes courtesy of X user Burak, who DMed Bogue with some questions on Instagram. Despite the absurd secrecy revolving around Rockstar and GTA 6, Bogue was pretty forthcoming. The actor was asked whether or not he was involved GTA 6, to which he revealed that he’s not, much to his dismay.
“I’m a little bit down on Rockstar right now,” said the actor. “I had such a great time working with them. […] I so badly wanted to work on GTA 6. I must’ve auditioned for over 60 characters. Some were big, some were small. I didn’t care. I just wanted to be in it. I didn’t get any of them, and they never called me about any of them. I was so disappointed. I thought maybe they have an unofficial policy where they don’t reuse actors, because I thought, ‘You’re gonna say no to me 60 times? Even for a small character?’ So, I’m a little furstrated by them. I feel like someone who’s in love with a girl and then she just dumped me.”
Bogue went on to state that he doesn’t know anything about the game beyond what’s publicly out there. Once these comments surfaced, Bouge relayed another message through Burak.
“I’m sorry to throw Rockstar under the bus publicly about how many auditions I’ve had, but the truth is the truth. At the end of the day, the actor’s life is about rejection. It’s just, sometimes you need a victory once in a while.”
Bogue has worked with Rockstar more than once. He was Red Harlow in Red Dead Revolver, Troy in Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, and, as already noted, Steve Haines in Grand Theft Auto 5. It seems like Rockstar is definitely open to bringing back actors in other roles if it makes sense. Ned Luke, who played Michael in GTA 5, did a small role in Red Dead Redemption 2, but claims Rockstar removed his lines to avoid distracting players. It’s possible Rockstar felt that Bogue would stick out in GTA 6 or simply believed he wasn’t the right fit for any parts.
Nevertheless, Bogue’s frustrations seem to mainly stem from the fact he was ghosted and never officially given an official rejection. Whatever the case may be, it certainly seems safe to say we won’t see Steve Haines running around in GTA 6. That may not come as a total surprise, though, as players kill him in one of the game’s multiple endings, and that ending is widely believed to be the canon one.
Bogue’s frustrations are also not totally unique. Prior to GTA 5, Rockstar had several fallouts with actors, including Niko Bellic actor Michael Hollick. The actor told press that he felt he was underpaid, as he was only paid $100,000 for 15 months of work on GTA 4. When GTA 4 came out and was a massive commercial hit, Hollick felt frustrated that he didn’t see a penny of that. It’s believed that this dispute is why Niko didn’t get a cameo in GTA 5, while characters like Packie, Michelle/Karen, and Brucie did.
Ray Liotta also made comments about the pay on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City being subpar compared to the films he was used to. Over time, the relationship between Rockstar and actors appeared to become better, with people like Roger Clark, Ned Luke, and Shawn Fonteno having nothing but nice words about their experience. Fonteno has noted that Rockstar has been kind to him, even if he’s not entitled to any residuals. Both him and Luke have reprised their GTA 5 roles in updates for GTA Online, providing them additional work in a franchise they love.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
