Shawn Fonteno has been part of the Grand Theft Auto world for a long time, starting with his voice work in GTA: San Andreas and later playing Franklin Clinton in GTA 5.
While on Kai Cenat’s stream, he talked about how Franklin’s life mirrors his own, even down to having scars from bullets. “When they picked us, they picked the right people for the job… Like my experience is just like that dude, Franklin. I got bullet holes all in my body [from] gang-banging,” he said, lifting his shirt to show the marks. He also shared how being Franklin wasn’t hard because it felt natural. “It was easy for me to be that character,” Fonteno explained. “I didn’t have to act like nobody else. I didn’t have to change my voice… You know, I had to pull up and interview with a bunch of dudes y’all ages. So I was like. ‘Man, I ain’t going to get this.’ But I guess they liked the voice, and the persona, and who I was. They called me back, and that’s when I met the dude that plays Lamar… Slink Johnson.”
During the stream, Fonteno chatted with Slink Johnson, who plays Lamar in the game, and even called his cousin Young Maylay, the voice of CJ from San Andreas, for a quick talk.
People often wonder about what’s next for GTA, but Fonteno didn’t spill any secrets about GTA 6. However, an ex-Rockstar developer mentioned fans would be “blown away” by the new game, and Rockstar has confirmed it’s set to come out in Fall 2025.
