Carl Johnson

Biography

Carl Johnson, also known as "CJ", is a fictional character and the playable protagonist of the action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), the fifth main installment in Rockstar Games's Grand Theft Auto series. He is voiced by Young Maylay, who also served as the likeness for the character and provided some motion capture. Carl is the second-in-command of the Grove Street Families (GSF), a street gang based in the fictional city of Los Santos (inspired by Los Angeles). The gang is led by Carl's brother, Sweet, with whom he became estranged following the death of their younger brother Brian. After five years spent in Liberty City, Carl returns to Los Santos to attend his recently murdered mother's funeral, and is drawn back into the gangster lifestyle as he attempts to rebuild the GSF's power. Carl's quest to find the truth behind his mother's death leads him to develop alliances, take on rival gangs, and build up his own criminal empire while clashing with other criminals and corrupt authorities. Unlike Tommy Vercetti in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002), who was voiced by veteran Hollywood actor Ray Liotta, Rockstar Games sought a little-known actor to portray Carl, relegating celebrity voice talent to secondary roles. Executive producer Sam Houser felt that a then-unknown Young Maylay made Carl feel more human. The character received critical acclaim, with praise going to his complexity, lack of stereotype and his sense of conscience, and is regarded as one of the greatest video game characters of all time.

Bio from Wikipedia