10 Video Game Characters Stolen Straight From Hollywood

3. Niko Bellic - Sasha (Behind Enemy Lines)

Kratos American History X
Rockstar/20th Century Fox

The Serbian hero of the most subdued entry in the GTA series is a troubled guy. Haunted by nightmares of the war atrocities he was involved with back in the Balkans, and genuinely desperate to create a new life for himself, he inevitably gets pulled into a world that seems to be the only one he understands - crime.

In a way, he's a great 'what if' character based on ruthless Serbian hitman Sasha from Behind Enemy Lines; if Sasha left the Balkans and headed for the States, he'd probably be quite end up a lot like Niko. The similarities - from the face to the tracksuit - are no coincidence, as the man playing Sasha, Vladimir Mashkov, was rumoured to be Rockstar's first choice to voice Niko.

While Niko was eventually voiced by Michael Hollick, Rockstar kept the appearance that gives him an uncanny resemblance to Sasha.

Contributor
Contributor

Gamer, Researcher of strange things. I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.