Shawn Fonteno | |
|---|---|
 Fonteno in 2024 | |
| Born | Shawn Darnell Fonteno Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Solo, Big Solo |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Young Maylay (cousin) |
Shawn Darnell Fonteno, also known as Solo, is an American actor and rapper. He is best known for playing Franklin Clinton in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V. Aside from his portrayal of Franklin Clinton, Fonteno has acted in films such as The Wash.[1]
Fonteno was born and raised in Watts, Los Angeles. He never knew his father until the age of eight; he met him in the hospital after his father had been shot in an armed robbery shootout. He joined an African-American street gang the Neighborhood Crips from a young age, dealing drugs and beginning to rise through the ranks before several near-fatal shootings and kidnapping attempts on his family inspired him to leave the gang. He was later at one point the vice-president of an African-American motorcycle club called the Choppers MC. He was still committing criminal acts with his crew but eventually decided to settle down and leave the MC life behind in good standing.[2][3]
His rapping career was under the name Solo from his gangster nickname OG Solo. Fonteno was affiliated with several record companies including DJ Pooh's Lench Mob, Death Row Records, and Priority Records. He was at one point the hype man of a duo group with rapper Kam. Solo also appeared in Kam's "Peace Treaty" music video. The song "Where I Come From" was listed under the duo Kam & Solo. He made an appearance in a documentary "Beef 2" where he described a fight in which he claimed to have knocked Ice Cube out due to a disagreement about business and later stole his chain. The episode played a significant role in the bitter rivalry between Ice Cube's Westside Connection and Cypress Hill in the 1990s gangsta rap era.[4][5]
Fonteno voiced the character Franklin Clinton for the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V. In 2021, Fonteno reprised his role alongside Slink Johnson (who voiced Lamar Davis in the same game) in a live-action re-enactment of a cutscene where Lamar "roasts" Franklin.[6] The original scene had experienced a resurgence in popularity years later when parodies were uploaded online, usually involving Lamar's character model being replaced with various popular culture icons.[7][8] Later that year, Fonteno and Johnson again reprised their roles in downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto Online, which included a homage to the original roast cutscene.[9]
In 2022, Fonteno published a memoir titled Game Changer: My Journey From the Streets to Your Video Game Console, which details how he left his former life as a gang member to become an actor.[10][11]
Fonteno has a daughter named Bria.[12][13] Fonteno is also the cousin of voice actor and rapper Young Maylay who voiced Carl Johnson "CJ" in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[14] He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.[15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3 Strikes | Big Mo | |
| 2001 | The Wash | Face | |
| 2017 | Grow House | Bam |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Grove Street Families gang member | Voice – credited as "Solo" |
| 2013 | Grand Theft Auto V | Franklin Clinton | Voice and motion-capture |
| 2021 | Grand Theft Auto Online | Voice and motion-capture The Contract expansion |
