Ned Luke

Last updated

Ned Luke
Ned Luke by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Luke in 2024
Born (1958-10-04) October 4, 1958 (age 66)
Other namesNed von Leuck
OccupationActor
Years active
  • 1984–2007
  • 2009–present
Spouse
Amy Sax
(m. 1997)
Children1

Ned Armstrong Luke (born October 4, 1958) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Michael De Santa in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V . [1] Luke also voiced Raffles in the animated movie Rover Dangerfield . He has appeared in 29 movies and television shows as well as over 100 commercials.

Contents

Early life

Ned Luke was born on October 4, 1958 [2] [3] in Danville, Illinois, to Cindy (née Smith) and Fred Luke.[ citation needed ]

Career

Luke's first major voice role was in Rover Dangerfield , where he played a sheepdog named Raffles opposite Rodney Dangerfield. He was cast as a guest star in several TV shows throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and has appeared in about 100 television commercials featuring products such as Budweiser and Burger King.

In 2007, having grown disenchanted with show business and desiring that his son experience where he grew up, Luke decided to take a break from acting and moved his family from Los Angeles to his hometown of Danville, where he opened a restaurant with his brother. After two years, he decided to return to acting and he and his family moved to Ossining, New York. His agent suggested he audition for the role of Michael De Santa, one of the three protagonists of Rockstar Games' 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V . Luke initially scoffed at the idea of being in a video game, but after reading the script he decided to proceed with the audition and, alongside Shawn Fonteno and Steven Ogg, was eventually cast. [4] Grand Theft Auto V went on to set several sales records and has become the 2nd highest grossing video game in history. [5]

He continued to work with Rockstar Games after the release of Grand Theft Auto V, providing uncredited voice work on the 2018 game Red Dead Redemption 2 . Luke also guest starred on Boardwalk Empire . [6]

Personal life

Luke has been married to his wife Amy Sax, since 1997. [7] Together, they have a son. [1]

On November 23, 2023, Luke was swatted during a Thanksgiving livestream of Grand Theft Auto Online on his YouTube channel. While some fans accused Rockstar Games of failing to protect players' IP addresses, Luke refuted these claims and attributed the incident to his personal information being previously leaked online. [8] [9]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984 The Bear Football Player
1991 Rover Dangerfield RafflesVoice only, supporting role
1996 The Nutty Professor Construction WorkerUncredited
1999Citation of MeritSergeant SmithShort film
2017American GothicBill

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1992 Angel Street OfficerEpisode: "The Blonde in the Pond"
1994 Guiding Light Sheriff2 episodes
1995 NYPD Blue LawyerEpisode: "Cold Heaters"
1996 Murder One Conspiracy GuyEpisode: "Chapter Eleven"
1996 Renegade Andy WarwickEpisode: "The Milk Carton Kid"
1997On the LineOfficer AlTelevision film
1997 The Burning Zone 2nd OfficerEpisode: "Critical Mass"
1997 High Incident Gary ButterworthEpisode: "Remote Control"
1999 General Hospital Body Guard2 episodes
1999 City Guys Lonnie CollinsEpisode: "Miracle on 134th Street and Lexington Avenue"
2000 The Pretender David ArnoldEpisode: "Junk"
2000 JAG Senior Chief Petty Officer BrackenEpisode: "Drop Zone"
2000 The Huntress Detective EllardEpisode: "The Kid"
2000 Diagnosis Murder TimmonsEpisode: "The Patient Detective"
2002
2003
2013
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Mr. Wilmont
Roger Swanson
Mr. Thurber
Season 3: "Popular"
Season 4: "Mercy"
Season 15: "Surrender Benson"
2004 Third Watch Ron ConnellyEpisode: "Greatest Detectives in the World"
2005 As the World Turns Detective Langstorm2 episodes
2005 Jonny Zero Officer MuncieEpisode: "To Serve and to Protect"
2002–2005 All My Children Fire Chief / Private Investigator3 episodes
2005 Law & Order Ken CosgroveEpisode: "New York Minute"
2009KatanaExecutiveEpisode: "Pilot"
2013 Boardwalk Empire Boorish ManEpisode: "All In"
2015UnfilteredRandolph WileyLead role, unreleased

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2013 Grand Theft Auto V Michael De SantaVoice and motion capture
2018 Red Dead Redemption 2 Various strangersVoice unreleased, motion capture

Commercials

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2024 Asus -Republic of Gamers [10]

Accolades

YearNominee/workAwardResult
2014 Grand Theft Auto V Behind the Voice Actors Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Video GameNominated

Related Research Articles

<i>Grand Theft Auto: Vice City</i> 2002 video game

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the fourth main game in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2001's Grand Theft Auto III, and the sixth entry overall. Set in 1986 within the fictional Vice City, the single-player story follows mobster Tommy Vercetti's rise to power after being released from prison and becoming caught up in an ambushed drug deal. While seeking out those responsible, Tommy gradually builds a criminal empire by seizing power from other criminal organisations in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockstar Games</span> American video game publisher

Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was established in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, using the assets Take-Two had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. Founding members of the company were Terry Donovan, Gary Foreman, Dan and Sam Houser, and Jamie King, who worked for Take-Two at the time, and of which the Houser brothers were previously executives at BMG Interactive. Sam Houser heads the studio as president.

<i>Grand Theft Auto III</i> 2001 video game

Grand Theft Auto III is a 2001 action-adventure game developed by DMA Design and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 1999's Grand Theft Auto 2, and the fifth instalment overall. Set within the fictional Liberty City, the story follows Claude, a silent protagonist who, after being left for dead by his girlfriend during a robbery, embarks on a quest for revenge leading him to become entangled in a world of crime, drugs, gang warfare, and corruption. The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. Its open world design lets players freely roam Liberty City, consisting of three main areas.

<i>Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas</i> 2004 video game

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the fifth main game in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and the seventh entry overall. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, the game follows Carl "CJ" Johnson, who returns home after his mother's murder and finds his old street gang has lost much of their territory. Over the course of the game, he attempts to rebuild the gang, clashes with corrupt authorities and powerful criminals, and gradually unravels the truth behind his mother's murder.

<i>Grand Theft Auto</i> Video game series

Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is an action-adventure video game series created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is primarily developed by British development house Rockstar North, and published by its American parent company, Rockstar Games. The name of the series is a term for motor vehicle theft in the United States.

<i>Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories</i> 2005 action-adventure game

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is a 2005 action-adventure game developed in a collaboration between Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North, and published by Rockstar Games. The ninth installment in the Grand Theft Auto series, it was initially released as a PlayStation Portable exclusive in October 2005. A port for the PlayStation 2 was later released in June 2006. At the time of release, the recommended retail price of the PS2 port was around half the price of the PSP version, because the PS2 version does not feature the custom soundtrack ripping capability of the PSP version. Ports for iOS, Android and Fire OS devices were also released in December 2015, February 2016, and March 2016, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lazlow Jones</span> American writer and voice actor

Jeffrey Crawford "Lazlow" Jones is an American writer, producer, director, voice actor, and radio personality. He is best known for his work with Rockstar Games, with which he has worked on the Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, and Red Dead Redemption series and for his radio shows Technofile and The Lazlow Show.

<i>Grand Theft Auto IV</i> 2008 video game

Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and the eleventh entry overall. Set in the fictional Liberty City, based on New York City, the single-player story follows Eastern European war veteran Niko Bellic and his attempts to escape his past while under pressure from high-profile criminals. The open world design lets players freely roam Liberty City, consisting of three main islands, and the neighbouring state of Alderney, which is based on New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Philips</span> Fictional character in Grand Theft Auto V

Trevor Philips is a character and one of the three playable protagonists, alongside Michael de Santa and Franklin Clinton, of Grand Theft Auto V, the seventh main title in the Grand Theft Auto series developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. He also appears in the game's multiplayer component, Grand Theft Auto Online. A career criminal and former bank robber, Trevor leads his own organisation, Trevor Philips Enterprises, and comes into conflict with various rival gangs and criminal syndicates as he attempts to secure control of the drugs and weapons trade in the fictional Blaine County, San Andreas. He is portrayed by Canadian actor Steven Ogg, who provided the voice and motion capture for the character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Houser</span> English video game producer (born 1973)

Daniel Houser is an English video game writer and producer. He is one of the co-founders of Rockstar Games alongside his brother Sam Houser. He served as the head writer and vice president of creativity until his resignation in 2020. His brother is the current president of Rockstar Games.

<i>Grand Theft Auto: London 1969</i> Mission pack for Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto Mission Pack #1: London 1969 is an expansion pack for the 1997 action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto, developed by Rockstar Canada and published by Rockstar Games. It was released for personal computers and the PlayStation in April 1999. The expansion adheres to the same gameplay mechanics of the main game and takes place in a fictionalised version of London during the 1960s. Players assume the role of a criminal who works for several London-based crime syndicates, and complete levels by achieving a set score, within an open world environment that allows them to do whatever they wish alongside jobs to achieve their goal.

<i>Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars</i> 2009 video game

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is a 2009 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar Leeds in conjunction with Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. The game was released for the Nintendo DS in March 2009, PlayStation Portable in October 2009, iOS in January 2010, and Android and Fire OS devices in December 2014. It is the thirteenth game in the Grand Theft Auto series and a follow-up to Grand Theft Auto IV, and is the first entry to be released for handheld consoles since 2006's Vice City Stories. Set within modern-day Liberty City, the single-player story follows young Triad member Huang Lee and his efforts to recover a sword gifted by his late father after it is stolen from him, while inadvertently becoming caught in a power struggle amongst Liberty City's Triads.

<i>Grand Theft Auto V</i> 2013 video game

Grand Theft Auto V is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV, and the fifteenth instalment overall. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, based on Southern California, the single-player story follows three protagonists—retired bank robber Michael De Santa, street gangster Franklin Clinton, and drug dealer and gunrunner Trevor Philips, and their attempts to commit heists while under pressure from a corrupt government agency and powerful criminals. Players freely roam San Andreas's open world countryside and fictional city of Los Santos, based on Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Ogg</span> Canadian actor (born 1973)

Steven Ogg is a Canadian actor. Ogg is best known for playing Trevor Philips in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V and Simon in The Walking Dead. He has also appeared in the Breaking Bad spin-off, Better Call Saul.

Development of <i>Grand Theft Auto V</i> Development of 2013 video game

A team of approximately 1,000 people developed Grand Theft Auto V over several years. Rockstar Games released the action-adventure game in September 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, in November 2014 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, in April 2015 for Windows, and in March 2022 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The first main Grand Theft Auto series entry since Grand Theft Auto IV, its development was led by Rockstar North's core 360-person team, who collaborated with several other international Rockstar studios. The team considered the game a spiritual successor to many of their previous projects like Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3. After its unexpected announcement in 2011, the game was fervently promoted with press showings, cinematic trailers, viral marketing strategies and special editions. Its release date, though subject to several delays, was widely anticipated.

<i>Grand Theft Auto Online</i> 2013 video game

Grand Theft Auto Online is an online multiplayer action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 1 October 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, 18 November 2014 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, 14 April 2015 for Windows, and 15 March 2022 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game is the online component of Grand Theft Auto V. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto Online allows up to 30 players to explore its open world environment and engage in cooperative or competitive game modes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shawn Fonteno</span> American actor and rapper

Shawn Darnell Fonteno, also known as Solo, is an American actor and rapper. He is best known for playing Franklin Clinton in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V. Aside from his portrayal of Franklin Clinton, Fonteno has acted in films such as The Wash.

<i>Grand Theft Auto</i> modding Modification in the video game series

User modification, or modding, of video games in the open world sandbox Grand Theft Auto series is a popular trend in the PC gaming community. These unofficial modifications are made by altering gameplay logic and asset files within a user's game installation, and can change the player's experience to varying degrees. Frequently created by anonymous modders, modifications are presented in the form of downloadable files or archives. Third-party software has been indispensable for building Grand Theft Auto mods, due to the lack of official editing tools from the developer, Rockstar Games. Mods for Grand Theft Auto are generally developed for use on the PC versions of the games, since the platform does not prevent modifications to installed software; however, similar content for console and mobile phone versions does exist to an extent.

<i>Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition</i> 2021 video game compilation

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is a 2021 compilation of three action-adventure games in the Grand Theft Auto series: Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002), and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004). Developed by Grove Street Games and published by Rockstar Games, all three games are remastered, with visual enhancements and gameplay upgrades. The games feature different protagonists and locations within the same continuity. Grand Theft Auto III follows silent protagonist Claude in Liberty City; Vice City, set in 1986, features mobster Tommy Vercetti in the fictional Vice City; and San Andreas, set in 1992, follows gangster Carl "CJ" Johnson within the state of San Andreas.

<i>Grand Theft Auto VI</i> Upcoming video game

Grand Theft Auto VI is an upcoming video game in development by Rockstar Games. It is due to be the eighth main Grand Theft Auto game, following Grand Theft Auto V (2013), and the sixteenth entry overall. Set within the fictional open world state of Leonida—based on Florida—and its Miami-inspired Vice City, the story is expected to follow the criminal duo of Lucia and her male partner.

References

  1. 1 2 Gaudiosi, John. "Preview: 'GTA V' actor Ned Luke talks". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  2. Luke, Ned [@ned_luke] (October 18, 2013). "55 is the new 35 bitches" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021 via Twitter.
  3. Luke, Ned [@ned_luke] (October 5, 2020). "Thanks all y'all for the birthday wishes. Much appreciated" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021 via Twitter.
  4. Molina, Brett. "Interview: Crime pays for 'Grand Theft Auto V' actors". USA Today . Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  5. Chalk, Andy (November 7, 2017). "Grand Theft Auto 5 is the best-selling videogame of all time in the US". PC Gamer .
  6. Furn, Daniel (September 8, 2022). "GTA 5 voice actors: Full cast and where you know them from". Radio Times. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  7. Luke, Ned [@ned_luke] (November 12, 2022). "She's put up with me for 25 years now...Happy Anniversary to my much better half #Amy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" (Tweet). Retrieved September 7, 2024 via Twitter.
  8. Phillips, Tom (November 24, 2023). "GTA 5 Michael actor Ned Luke swatted while playing on Thanksgiving stream". Eurogamer. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  9. Dinsdale, Ryan (November 24, 2023). "Actor Who Played Michael in GTA 5 Swatted While Streaming, Defends Rockstar Despite Fan Outcry". IGN. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  10. Prescott, Lane (August 16, 2024). "ROG teams up with iconic voice actors in cheeky new video". Asus (ROG). Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.