Trevor represents 'pure escapism,' says GTA5 voice actor

Some Grand Theft Auto 5 players see Trevor as a reprehensible homicidal maniac. Others, including Trevor's voice actor Steven Ogg, see him as a man who represents the escapist nature of gaming itself.

Ozzie Mejia

October 1, 2013 2:15 PM

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Trevor has been a very controversial figure in Grand Theft Auto 5, mostly for his crazy, unhinged demeanor that he carries with him over the course of the entire game. But if you ask the man that helped bring the character to life, voice actor Steven Ogg, Trevor largely represents the escapist nature of gaming itself.

"It’s certainly fun because you just get to be nuts," Ogg told GQ. "The thing about Trevor, this character that I so love to play, is that he kind of represents the gaming world and this idea of pure escapism. He gets to be that guy who gets to say whatever he wants, to do whatever he wants, to f*** whatever he wants. Everyone has that fantasy, right? Trevor just does it. It's very liberating. So, to play that, you basically have an impulse, you feel it, and you try it. There's someone there to help you with when to pull back or let you know what doesn't work, but it's very freeing."

While some recoil at Trevor's more extreme actions in the game, there's also a section of players that recognize him as an absurd caricature. Ogg is among those, adding that Trevor isn't meant to be taken seriously.

"I also love that people are recognizing his sense of humor," Ogg added. "That was Trevor for me. Walk that line. Bring in the f***ing intensity. Bring in the violence. But also, through that, find a sense of humor and allow people to laugh at it. When you do that, it sends that message that you’re not taking yourself too seriously."

With all that said, Ogg recognizes that GTA 5 isn't for younger players, noting that he doesn't let his own son play the game. "We've got copies of it and he wants to play it, but he's just too young."

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?