Clint Eastwood Inspired Geralt? The Witcher was Meant to Sound Like Character From This Movie
Actor Doug Cockle, who is known, among other things, as the voice of Geralt in the English version of The Witcher, gave an interview to the editors of GamePressure.com. The artist talked a bit about the process of preparing for his role and his inspiration from Clint Eastwood.
Often in society we come across the opinion that voice actors have a much easier job than stage artists. It turns out, however, that the truth may be quite different, because the former have only their voice at their disposal, with which they have to captivate the audience as well as the stars in front of the cameras. Thanks to an interview granted to the editorial team of GamePressure.com by Doug Cockle - the actor playing the role of Geralt in The Witcher - we got to know the behind-the-scenes of the difficult work on the English version of games developed by CD Projekt RED..
It turns out that although the role of the monster slayer was not too different from his previous performances in terms of dubbing alone, the whole process (especially with the first installment of The Witcher) was extremely demanding for the American. Cockle revealed that he had to lower the tone of his voice more than ever before, which he practiced constantly.
The actor also added that the role of the cold and stern Geralt required him to get rid of all emotion from his lines. Interestingly, Cockle was then helped by... Clint Eastwood and his title role in the classic Dirty Harry. You can check out a fragment from the interview below.
GP: As a voice actor, how did you prepare for a character like Geralt? Did you have any reference and most importantly: how did you find the voice for such a character?
Doug Cockle: Hm, the voice... In video games I often play the roles of laid-back anti-heroes. In the end, we decided on a voice that was not depart too much from my previous roles. It was, however, different. Much lower in tone compared to the one I was used to, and it was difficult for me to achieve the right timbre in the first The Witcher. I had to really make an effort. Over time, however, it became a natural part of my voice. I would walk around the house and talk to myself, saying, for example: "damn, I have to wash the dishes again," even wearing Geralt's expression at such a moment. However, it was very difficult for me at first.
I was motivated by the creators, saying during the hearing: "lower, no emotions." They absolutely did not want any emotions. Geralt had no emotion for the things he said, he just cares about getting the job done. Someone, however, suggested that I think of the role like Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry. You hear that, don't you? I lean into the microphone and say this: "go ahead, make my day".
It is worth emphasizing again at the end that this is only a part of our conversation with Doug Cockle. The full interview with the actor will be published on April 14, so we would like to invite you to read it.
