Stephen Root Confirms He's in GTA 6 as Keys Drug Runner Brian Heder

The First Name to Break Cover

Rockstar keeps its cast list locked down, but Stephen Root — Milton from Office Space, his turn on HBO's Barry, a longtime voice on King of the Hill — went on record anyway. Asked about GTA 6 in an interview with the Associated Press, Root said: "Yeah, you're gonna see me in there."

Variety reports Root voices Brian Heder, described in Rockstar's own character guide as "a classic drug runner from the golden age of smuggling in the Keys," still moving product through his boat yard with his third wife, Lori. Root was born and raised in Florida — a fitting pick for a character rooted in the fictional Leonida Keys.

The Secret Was Already Out

Root said fans clocked him the moment Rockstar started rolling out footage. "I think from the first rollout of GTA that they were doing maybe almost a year ago, they had my character in there," he told the AP. "And there were too many people who knew me from King of the Hill and my voice. So I think that secret kind of got divulged then."

Variety notes GTA 6, the first major release in the franchise in more than 10 years, lands November 19. Same week, Root picked up his first Emmy — supporting actor in a comedy for Apple TV's Widow's Bay — making him, at 74, the oldest winner in the category.

Source: Variety — https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/stephen-root-gta-6-drug-trafficker-1236863082/