Actor Stephen Root — the voice of Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland on King of the Hill, and one of Hollywood’s most recognizable character actors — confirmed in an interview with the Associated Press that he voices a character in GTA 6: Brian Heder.
Stephen Root at a 2011 convention — years before lending his voice to Brian Heder in GTA 6. Photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The secret that wasn’t much of one
The official confirmation came late — but surprised almost no one. Brian Heder had already appeared in footage Rockstar Games released as far back as GTA 6’s second trailer, in May 2025, and Root’s distinctive voice was recognizable to anyone following the franchise closely. In his own words, he admitted keeping it under wraps had become nearly impossible:
“Yeah, you’re gonna see me in it.”
— Stephen Root, to the Associated Press, confirming his role in GTA 6
In the game, Brian Heder is described as a classic drug runner operating out of a boatyard in the Florida Keys — Rockstar’s fictional take on the real Florida archipelago. He’s married to Lori, a character who houses Jason, one of the game’s two protagonists, in exchange for help with local activities.
And the release date?
In the same interview, Root also mentioned, almost in passing, the game’s release timing:
“It’s coming out November 19, that’s the latest I know of.”
— Stephen Root, to the Associated Press
It’s not a scoop: November 19, 2026 is already the officially locked date, confirmed publicly by Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick after two prior delays. Still, it’s one more confirmation — this time straight from someone inside the production — that, unlike the pattern of delays that has defined much of the game’s development, the current date is holding.
Credit: Rockstar Games.
GTA 6 launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 19, 2026, with pre-loading opening on November 12.
