Michael De Santa

Michael De Santa is the first character you control in Grand Theft Auto V and one of its three playable leads, alongside Franklin Clinton and Trevor Philips. He is a former bank robber who has stepped away from crime and now lives in a mansion in Los Santos under a new name.

Who he is

Rockstar’s Dan Houser told IGN that Michael was the first character the team created. The starting idea was to ask “what happens to a regular GTA protagonist after they retire?” Houser described him as a man in his mid 40s with a big ego and a short temper, who has money but finds that winning is not what he imagined.

His home life is a mess. His wife Amanda, his son Jimmy and his daughter Tracey show him little respect, and he spends part of the game in therapy. TechRadar notes that he grew up poor with an alcoholic father and turned to crime after his temper ended his chances of a football career. He and Trevor share a criminal past that drives much of the story.

Role in the story

Michael’s quiet retirement does not last. A chance meeting with Franklin pulls him back into the life, and he reconnects with his old associate Lester Crest to organize new heists. PC Gamer singled him out as one of the best characters in the series for his washed up, mid life crisis arc.

Gameplay

Like the other leads, Michael has a special ability that fills on a meter. Kotaku’s preview explains that he can slow down time while shooting, which suits his background as a gunman.

Voice actor

Michael is played by Ned Luke, who provided both the voice and the motion capture for the character, as reported by Kotaku.

Spoiler

Franklin’s final choice decides whether Michael survives. Kotaku and GamesRadar report that a line in the GTA Online update The Contract (2021) refers to a producer at the movie studio, which points to Michael being alive and working in film, and suggests the ending where all three leads survive is the one Rockstar built on.

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Updated October 27, 2026