Doug Cockle Discusses His Role as Geralt in Netflix's The Witcher

While Henry Cavill may be the most recognizable face to have portrayed Geralt of Rivia, within the gaming community, Doug Cockle is revered as the definitive voice of the character from CD Projekt Red's acclaimed RPG series. Now, the worlds of Cavill and Cockle's Geralts have intertwined, with Cockle lending his iconic voice to the character in Netflix's new animated film, "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep."

In this new venture, Cockle does not mimic the live-action Geralt portrayed by Cavill or his successor, Liam Hemsworth. Instead, he was encouraged to maintain the same vocal style that fans have cherished for nearly two decades. This approach allowed Cockle to bring the familiar, gravelly tones of his Geralt to the animated screen, ensuring continuity and authenticity for fans of the game series.

Cockle developed this distinctive voice back in 2005 during the recording of the first Witcher game. He recalls the challenge of finding the right pitch, saying, "The thing I found most challenging about recording Witcher 1 was actually the voice itself. When I first started recording the game, (Geralt’s) voice was very, very far down in my register. It was something I had to push towards." Initially, the long recording sessions took a toll on his throat, but over time, his vocal cords adapted, much like an athlete conditioning their muscles.

The release of the English translations of Andrzej Sapkowski's books during the recording of "The Witcher 2" marked a significant turning point for Cockle. He eagerly consumed "The Last Wish," gaining deeper insights into Geralt's character. "The developers kept saying, ‘He's emotionless’," Cockle explains. "And I was like, ‘Okay, I get it, I get it, but I'm an actor. I want to play with emotions.’ But I better understood [when reading] the book why they were pushing for as flat as possible of an emotional life for him."

Cockle's appreciation for Sapkowski's writing deepened, particularly with "Season of Storms," a novel he hopes to voice in future adaptations. He describes it as a thrilling yet graphic tale that would translate well into an anime or TV episode.

In "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep," based on the short story "A Little Sacrifice" from the "Sword of Destiny" collection, Cockle's Geralt navigates a conflict between two kingdoms sparked by a mermaid's love for a human prince. While the film features intense action and political drama, Cockle appreciates the lighter moments, such as a humorous exchange between Geralt and Jaskier by a campfire. These scenes highlight Geralt's often overlooked lighter side, which Cockle enjoys exploring. "I enjoy the gravitas of Geralt when he's all serious and mopey and whatever, but I do also like those moments when he's trying to be light. When he's trying to crack a joke and it just doesn't go very well for him most of the time because he's just not funny," he says.

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While much of Cockle's work on "Sirens of the Deep" felt familiar, he faced a unique challenge: learning to speak a fictional language for the mermaids. "I found doing this really difficult," he admits. "I got phonetic spellings of the words and things so I could get familiar with it and hopefully be okay on the day. And then I got in front of the mic and… it wasn't like performance anxiety or anything like that, it's just that it was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be."

Cockle's return to the world of video games in "The Witcher 4" promises to be a smoother experience. Revealed at The Game Awards, the game will feature Geralt in a supporting role, with Ciri taking center stage. Cockle anticipates this shift in focus, saying, "I think it's a really good move. I mean, I always thought that continuing the saga, but shifting to Ciri would be a really, really interesting move for all kinds of reasons, but mostly because of things that happen in the books, which I don't want to give away because people, I want people to go read. So yeah, I think it's really exciting. I can't wait. I can't wait to see what they've done."

For more insights into CD Projekt Red's plans, check out our in-depth interview with the creators of "The Witcher 4." And to see more of Doug Cockle's work, watch "The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep" on Netflix, or follow him on Instagram, Cameo, and X.