Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up... as Michael Townley. Michael grew up poor in the Midwest. He was a good football player but his career never got off the ground. So he turned to crime instead.
Living... in Los Santos. With the riches he earned from his criminal past, Michael lives large in glamorous Los Santos, San Andreas, home of movie stars, millionaires, and other vain, shallow, greedy people.
Profession... retired bank robber. After a bank robbing job in North Yankton went sour, Michael entered Witness Protection. The Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) changed his family’s name to De Santa and told them they’d be safe as long as they stayed quiet.
Interests... old movies. Being an old gangster, Michael is a big fan of old gangster movies. So when he gets the chance to be an executive producer for the latest film from his director idol Solomon Richards, he gets more excited than he’s ever been.
Relationship Status... in a joke of a marriage. Michael is married to a former prostitute turned stripper named Amanda who constantly cheats on him with tennis and yoga instructors. His daughter Tracey desperately wants to be a vapid reality TV star, and his son Jimmy is a pothead unemployed wannabe gangster loser. It’s a pretty dysfunctional family.
Challenge... finally getting out of the game. When Michael’s old partner Trevor returns, and the FIB use their leverage to coerce them both into pulling off more heists, Michael finds himself once again stuck in a life of crime. However, this time he’s determined to finish it once and for all.
Personality... lost and depressed. Michael complains to his therapist about how dissatisfied he is in life. Being a wanted criminal was dangerous and exciting but being an ignored slovenly good guy husband is just boring. It’s a classic mid-life crisis really. As he says, “I’m rich, I‘m miserable, I’m pretty average for this town.”
