Michael Hollick

Michael Hollick (born August 5, 1973) is an American actor and Broadway performer. He is best known for providing the voice and motion capture for Niko Bellic in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV and portraying Scar in The Lion King musical.

Early life

He attended Carnegie Mellon University, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Career

Since 1995, Hollick has appeared in numerous plays, including De La Guarda, Fuerzabruta on off-Broadway, and Tarzan and Jumpers on Broadway.

Other credits include minor TV roles in Law & Order, Hawaii Five-0, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Sex and the City. Hollick played the villainous character Scar in the Las Vegas production of The Lion King.

In 2004, he was hired by Rockstar Games to perform both the voice and motion capture for Niko Bellic, the lead character in Grand Theft Auto IV. Released in April 2008, the game received widespread critical acclaim and became a massive financial success, with Hollick receiving praise for his gritty, realistic portrayal of the troubled protagonist.

Following Grand Theft Auto IV's release, Hollick had a public dispute with Rockstar Games and their parent company Take-Two Interactive. Despite the game's financial success (earning over $600 million in its first week alone), Hollick was reportedly paid only $100,000 for 15 months of work. He publicly criticized Rockstar Games and the video game industry for underpaying actors, highlighting in interviews that, unlike film or television, voice actors in games at the time received no royalties or residuals—sparking a broader conversation about fair compensation in gaming.

However, Hollick primarily placed the blame on the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) for failing to secure better protections for voice actors, rather than on Rockstar themselves.

On July 12th 2025, Hollick joined Cameo.

Personal life

Hollick has been married to actress Angela Tsai since 2007. On July 22, 2010, Tsai gave birth to their son. In 2015, she gave birth to their daughter.

Filmography

Film

• 2019 — Stop — Marshall Movitz — Short film

Television

• 2000–2002 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Coach, Paramedic — Episode: "Wrong Is Right" "Justice"
• 2002 — Sex and the City — Dickie Sailor — Episode: "Anchors Away"
• 2006–2009 — Law & Order — Nick Carvahal, Minister — Episodes: "Fame", "Dignity"
• 2009 — Endorphin 2.7 Crash & Fall — Endorphin Guy Screaming — Episode: 2
• 2007 — Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Barry Epstein — Episode: "Privilege"
• 2008 — Internet Superstar — Niko Bellic/Guest — Episode: "Live in San Francisco"
• 2014 — Hawaii Five-0 — Naval Intel Officer Lt. Granger — Episode: "Makani 'Olu a Holo Malie"

Video games

• 2008 — Grand Theft Auto IV — Niko Bellic — Voice and motion-capture
• 2009 — Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned — Niko Bellic — Dialogue reused from the original game
• 2009 — Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony — Niko Bellic — Dialogue reused from the original game
• 2011 — Homefront — Motion-capture
• 2015 — Dying Light: Cuisine & Cargo — Ronald "Razor" Tomasino — Cuisine & Cargo DLC Content

Theatre

• 1995 — Cabaret — Singing Waiter
• 1995 — The Secret Garden — Timothy
• 1995 — The Most Happy Fella — Jake
• 1997–present — The Lion King — Scar, Pumbaa, Zazzu
• 1998 — Godspell — Performer
• 2004 — Jumpers — Greystoke
• 2006–2007 — Tarzan — Mr. Clayton, Kerchak
• 2007–2014 — Fuerza Bruta — Performer

Awards and nominations

• 2008 — Spike Video Game Award — Best Male Voice Actor — Niko Bellic in Grand Theft Auto IV — Won