We spoke to Michael De Santa - Ned Luke Interview | LIF #19

This week on Love it Film, we’re beyond excited to welcome legendary actor Ned Luke to the show! Best known as the voice and performance capture actor behind Michael De Santa in Grand Theft Auto V, Ned takes us through his remarkable journey—from shovelling horse stalls to starring in one of the best-selling video games of all time. In this episode, Ned shares behind-the-scenes stories from his early days in the industry, auditioning for Rockstar Games (without even knowing who they were), and how his time on GTA V felt more like working on a movie set than a game. We dive into his approach to performance capture, what it was like working with Steven Ogg (Trevor) and Shawn "Solo" Fonteno (Franklin), and how he handled being handed 17 pages of dialogue at the last minute. Ned also opens up about acting philosophy, rejection, ego, and the realities of being in the business for the long haul. Plus, he shares personal stories involving Patrick Swayze, the casting journey that led to his breakthrough, and his thoughts on riding that “15 minutes of fame.” Whether you're a GTA fan or just love hearing how actors hustle and evolve in Hollywood—this one’s for you. Thanks so much for joining us, Ned! 🎮 Want more from Ned? Catch him live streaming games like GTA Online and Uncharted 4 on Twitch and YouTube. Don’t miss out! ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 - Intro 4:52 - "I Don’t Recommend Being an Actor" – Early Career & Rockstar Audition 7:00 - "I Didn’t Know Who Rockstar Was" – Rejection, Ego & Acting Philosophy 9:53 - Patrick Swayze Stories – Acting Class Memories 13:00 - Landing a Universal Casting Agent 15:00 - Shoveling Crap to Booking Commercials – Jackie Birch & Jane Heights 18:50 - Ned on Not Being a Pretentious Actor 19:40 - GTA V & Motion Capture – "It Was a Film Set" 21:13 - The "Mansion" Set Was Pipes and Ropes 21:43 - Multi-Cams & Motion Capture Balls Explained 22:17 - Cutscenes vs Gameplay – Voice vs Performance Capture 23:30 - Frielander Scenes Were Last-Minute – 17 Pages Overnight 24:51 - Auditioning for 'Rush' – Becoming Michael 26:40 - Graveyard Scene – First Time Acting with Trevor (Steven Ogg) 30:20 - The One Note That Shaped Michael’s Iconic Line 32:00 - Shawn "Solo" Fonteno's Growth as an Actor During GTA V 33:00 - Jamie Shows His Original Copy of GTA V 36:00 - "Riding the 15 Minutes of Fame" 36:40 - Ned Says Hi to the Team – Post Interview Chat We now have a Patreon! If you enjoyed the episode and want to see more like this, you can support us directly by becoming a Patreon member: 👉 ⁠patreon.com/LoveitFilm⁠ The perks: 🔹 Shoutouts at the end of every podcast 🔹 Early access to new episodes 🔹 Exclusive subscriber-only content (coming soon!) Host: Jamie Lovett Producers: Chris Lovett & Jamie Lovett Founder: Chris Lovett Camera Operator: Carl Lovett Video Editor: Carl Lovett Sound: Carl Lovett Lighting & Grip: Carl Lovett All content in this video, including but not limited to audio, video, graphics, logos, and text, is the intellectual property of Love it Film and is protected by applicable copyright and trademark laws. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or use of this content without express written permission is strictly prohibited. © [2025] [Love it Film]. All rights reserved.