Niko Bellic is a fictional character and the playable protagonist of Rockstar North's 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV, also featuring as a supporting character in its episodic content The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, all of which are published by Rockstar Games.
In Grand Theft Auto IV, Niko Bellic is a war veteran from Eastern Europe who moves to Liberty City, a fictional city based on New York City, to live with his cousin Roman Bellic and search for the man who betrayed his military unit. Eventually, Niko becomes entangled in a world of violence, crime, and corruption as he moves up in the city, earning work and payment, meeting new contacts and keeping himself from getting killed while searching for the traitor.
Niko's likeness was taken from a Russian actor Vladimir Mashkov, and specifically from his role of the Tracker in the 2001 movie Behind Enemy Lines. Mashkov was also offered to voice the character, but he ultimately turned down the offer. In the end, the character was voiced by Michael Hollick, who also provided some motion capture for the character.
Nationality
Niko's nationality is never specified in the game, and has been a subject of some debate. Prior to the game being launched, it was believed by some that he was Russian, Croatian, or Serbian. Executive producer Dan Houser spoke on the matter saying that Niko is "from that grey part of broken- down Eastern Europe ", suggesting that Niko's nationality was left intentionally vague or to the interpretation of the player.
Background
In the game's backstory, Niko's father is a violent alcoholic who physically abuses him, his mother, and his elder brother.
