The Witcher’s Doug Cockle on Becoming Netflix’s Latest Geralt

While Henry Cavill is undeniably the most famous actor to portray Geralt of Rivia, Doug Cockle—the voice of Geralt in CD Projekt Red's acclaimed RPG series—remains the definitive White Wolf for many gamers. Their Geralts have now converged, with Cockle lending his iconic voice to Netflix's animated film, *The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep*.

Interestingly, Cockle wasn't asked to emulate either Henry Cavill or Liam Hemsworth's portrayal. This allowed him to utilize the same vocal approach that defined his Geralt for nearly two decades, resulting in the familiar gravelly tones fans have come to love.

Cockle developed that distinctive voice back in 2005 while recording the first *Witcher* game. He recalls the initial challenge: "The thing I found most challenging about recording *Witcher 1* was actually the voice itself. When I first started, Geralt's voice was very, very low in my register. It was something I had to push towards." Long recording sessions (eight to nine hours daily) initially strained his voice, a process he humorously compares to an athlete building muscle.

The development of *The Witcher 2* brought another significant change. "The books started coming out in English while I was recording," Cockle explains. "Before that, the developers taught me about Geralt. As soon as *The Last Wish* came out, I tore through it. Reading the book clarified aspects of Geralt's character that I hadn't understood before. The developers kept saying, 'He's emotionless,' but the book helped me understand why they wanted that flat emotional life for him."

Cockle embraced Sapkowski's writing, drawing parallels to his childhood love of Tolkien. *Season of Storms* stands out as a favorite, a story he'd relish the opportunity to voice in a future Netflix project.

"It's one of those stories that when I read it, I was like, 'Oh, this is horrible, this is awful,' but it's thrilling," he says. "There are some really graphic fight scenes that Sapkowski gives us, and I think that would be a really fun story to turn into an anime or a TV episode."

In *Sirens of the Deep*, Cockle's Geralt is featured alongside Jaskier and other Netflix cast members. While the film features intense action and political intrigue, Cockle particularly enjoys the lighter moments, such as a campfire conversation highlighting Geralt's softer side. He explains, "I enjoy the gravitas of Geralt when he's serious, but I also like those moments when he's trying to be light, trying to crack a joke—and failing miserably because he's just not funny."

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While most of Cockle's work involved his established voice, *Sirens of the Deep* presented a unique challenge: speaking Mermaid. "I found doing this really difficult," he admits. "I got phonetic spellings, but in front of the mic, it was harder than I thought."

Cockle's return to video games in *The Witcher 4*, revealed at The Game Awards, promises a smoother experience. While Geralt will have a supporting role, focusing on Ciri, the reduced dialogue load will be a welcome change. Cockle remains tight-lipped about the game's details, expressing excitement about the shift in perspective: "I think it's a really good move. Continuing the saga, but shifting to Ciri is interesting, mostly because of things that happen in the books—which I don't want to give away!"

To learn more about *The Witcher 4*, explore our in-depth interview with its creators. And to connect with Doug Cockle, check out *The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep* on Netflix, or find him on Instagram, Cameo, and X.