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 Year Title Role Notes 2019 Stop Marshall Movitz Short film
Television Year Title Role Notes 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 Year Title Role Notes 2008 Grand Theft Auto IVNiko Bellic Voice and motion-capture2009 Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and DamnedDialogue reused from the original game Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony 2011 Homefront Motion-capture 2015 Dying Light: Cuisine & Cargo Ronald "Razor" Tomasino Cuisine & Cargo DLC Content
Theatre Year Title Role Notes 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 Year Award Award category Title of work Result 2008 Spike Video Game Award Best Male Voice Actor Niko Bellic in Grand Theft Auto IV
References
External links Official website (archived)