The King of the Hill voice got ahead of Rockstar on a red carpet. The next day he won an Emmy with an age record. What is confirmed and what fans only suspect.
Rockstar has not announced a single GTA VI actor. The first was confirmed by the actor himself, as casually as possible: on a red carpet, asked by Associated Press about what the internet had been saying for months.
"Yeah, you're gonna see me in that," he said. He added why the secret did not last: from the first material "they had my character in there and there were too many people who knew me from King of the Hill and my voice."
And the next day, the Emmy
Twenty-four hours later, on 14 September, Root won the Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for playing Wyck in Apple TV's Widow's Bay. At 74 he became the oldest winner in that category's history, ahead of a field that included Harrison Ford.
It is his first Emmy. He was previously nominated for HBO's Barry.
Who does he voice?
Root did not say. The fan theory, which his recognisable voice makes very strong, is that he plays Brian Heder, the character heard at the start of Trailer 2. Rockstar's official site describes him as a "classic drug runner from the golden age of smuggling" who is "still moving product through his boat yard with his third wife, Lori".
The Extended Look shows Jason and Lucia going out for drinks with Brian and Lori.
Why you know him
| Work | Role |
|---|---|
| King of the Hill | Voice of Bill Dauterive |
| Office Space | Milton |
| Barry | Monroe Fuches |
| Get Out | Jim Hudson |
| Widow's Bay | Wyck (2026 Emmy) |
Root gave no more detail, but sounded pleased: "I am so happy to be involved with it. It's an amazing thing to look at."
Update: Rockstar reminds the cast about confidentiality
A week after Root's slip, Rockstar reportedly wrote to all of GTA 6's voice actors to remind them they are still under NDA and cannot announce their role until 19 November. James Jarvis revealed it on the GTA 6 O'Clock podcast, as reported by Insider Gaming on 21 September and GamesRadar on the 26th. Rockstar hasn't commented publicly, so this is press reporting, not an official statement.
Sources: Associated Press interview reported by Eurogamer and AP via KING 5; the Emmy via Variety. Portrait: Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
What this article is based on. Official Rockstar sources first; titles are shown in their original language.
- Insider Gaming Rockstar Games Email GTA 6 Actors To Say They're Still Under NDA, It's Claimed · September 21, 2026
- GamesRadar+ Rockstar reportedly reminded GTA 6's voice cast they're still under NDA after actor Stephen Root let slip he's in the game · September 26, 2026
- Eurogamer GTA 6's first confirmed actor is none other than King of the Hill's Stephen Root: "It's an amazing thing to look at" · September 14, 2026
- KING 5 Stephen Root confirms Grand Theft Auto VI role
- Variety Stephen Root Wins Emmy ‘Widow’s Bay’ and Becomes Oldest Winner for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series · September 15, 2026
