Doug Cockle, the iconic voice of Geralt of Rivia in CD Projekt Red's Witcher games, reprises his role in Netflix's animated film, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep. Unlike the live-action series, Cockle's performance wasn't adjusted to match Henry Cavill or Liam Hemsworth's portrayals, allowing him to maintain the distinctive gravelly tone he perfected over nearly two decades.
Cockle recalls the challenges of creating Geralt's voice for the first game in 2005, spending extensive hours each day pushing his vocal range. The process, he admits, was akin to an athlete training their muscles. His understanding of Geralt deepened significantly with the English release of The Last Wish, providing valuable insight into the character's emotional depth, which initially conflicted with the developers' direction of portraying him as emotionless.
Cockle, a fan of Andrzej Sapkowski's writing since discovering the books, particularly enjoyed Season of Storms, expressing a desire to voice Geralt in an adaptation of that novel. In Sirens of the Deep, based on the short story "A Little Sacrifice," he appreciates the lighter moments, showcasing Geralt's less serious side, a facet he enjoys portraying.
7 Images
A unique challenge for Cockle in Sirens of the Deep was voicing lines in a fictional mermaid language, a task he found unexpectedly difficult despite phonetic preparation.
His return to the video game world in The Witcher 4, where Geralt takes a supporting role to Ciri, is highly anticipated. Cockle expresses excitement about the shift in narrative focus, highlighting the potential for compelling storytelling based on events in the books. He remains tight-lipped about specifics, emphasizing his eagerness to see the game's release. To learn more about The Witcher 4, he encourages readers to explore interviews with its creators. Fans can find Cockle on Instagram, Cameo, and X.
