Behind the Scenes: Burt Reynolds’ Infamous GTA Vice City Meltdown
Burt Reynolds’ notorious on-set behavior reached new heights during the making of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, prompting Rockstar Games to rethink their approach to hiring Hollywood talent for future projects.
Big-name actors often let their fame get the best of them, and Burt Reynolds was no exception. Even after his days as a box office draw faded in the early 1980s, Reynolds never lost his reputation for being a handful on set. While he wasn’t disliked by everyone, he certainly had enough run-ins to make his presence known long before he arrived. Reynolds was never shy about speaking his mind, which led to plenty of clashes with directors, producers, and fellow actors—some of which even turned physical.
In his later years, Reynolds mostly appeared in direct-to-video flicks, TV movies, and the occasional cameo. Thankfully, his legacy is tied to classics like Smokey and the Bandit, Deliverance, and The Cannonball Run, rather than lesser-known projects like In the Name of the King or Not Another Christmas Movie. As technology advanced, video games became a new avenue for actors—both current stars and those past their prime—to cash in. With more detailed graphics and bigger casts, studios started bringing in recognizable voices to boost interest and sales.
Hollywood Meets Gaming: A Rocky Collaboration
Reynolds made his video game debut in 2002’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, voicing Avery Carrington, a key character who runs the Shady Acres company. The game’s cast was packed with stars like Dennis Hopper, Ray Liotta, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, Danny Trejo, and Debbie Harry. But while the rest of the cast worked smoothly, Reynolds quickly became the standout for all the wrong reasons. According to Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser, Reynolds was a major factor in the company’s decision to stop hiring big-name actors.
“I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, poor bugger,”
Houser said,
“But we don’t bring in name actors anymore because of their egos.”
Studio Tensions and Unforgettable Moments
During recording sessions, Vice City director Navid Khonsari got a firsthand look at Reynolds’ difficult side. When asked to redo a line, Reynolds refused unless he got some positive feedback.
“You know, you need to give people an ‘atta boy,”
Reynolds insisted.
“People do something good, you gotta give them an ‘atta boy.”
Khonsari, though puzzled, played along and gave him the encouragement he wanted.
The studio was sweltering, and Reynolds was sweating so much he needed a fresh shirt. His manager dashed out to buy one, and when Houser let him know,
“your shirt’s here,”
Reynolds took offense.
“There’s going to be two hits here,”
he shot back.
“Me hitting you, and you hitting the floor!”
Houser was so frustrated he considered firing Reynolds and cutting his character from the game, but Khonsari convinced him to let it go. Once the recording wrapped, both men were relieved to see Reynolds leave.
“We got the performance,”
Khonsari told Houser.
“He’s a total cock, but let’s move on.”
The Fallout and Lasting Impact
Whether by chance or not, Avery Carrington returned in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, but this time, he had no lines and was quickly killed off—his character even ended up as a cannibal’s meal. Reynolds’ time in the recording booth left a mark, not just on the game, but on how Rockstar approached casting in the future.