Doug Cockle has voiced Geralt of Rivia for nearly 20 years, becoming synonymous with one of gaming’s most beloved protagonists. However, the actor has now revealed that his journey as the White Wolf almost ended after the original The Witcher, when a simple text message from a friend convinced him that CD Projekt Red was looking for a new Geralt.
Cockle shared the story during a recent interview with Polygon, reflecting on his long career with The Witcher franchise. While he is set to return as Geralt in The Witcher 4, there was a time between the first two games when he genuinely believed the studio had decided to replace him.
A friend’s text message made Cockle think Geralt had been recast
Following the release of The Witcher in 2007, CD Projekt Red began work on The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. The sequel represented a fresh start for the studio, introducing the proprietary REDengine and changing many aspects of the game’s production. Cockle explained that many members of the original voice cast were not returning, making him fear Geralt would also be recast.
At the time, Cockle was balancing his voice acting career with teaching acting at a university in England.
“During the entire time I was recording the Witcher games, I was also teaching acting at a university here [in England].”
One day, while checking emails, he received a text message from a friend who had just auditioned for the role of Geralt.
“‘I thought that was you,'”
the friend wrote.
The message immediately led Cockle to believe CD Projekt Red was replacing him.
“I thought they hated my performance. I must have done something awful. […] Or I mean, maybe I spat in someone’s eye and didn’t know it. Who knows, but obviously they’re casting for Geralt again.”
After initially assuming the worst, Cockle decided to contact Borys Pugacz-Muraszkiewicz, who worked as a writer on the first two Witcher games and later became the English adaptation director for The Witcher 3. Cockle told him he had heard the studio was casting Geralt again and asked to be considered for the role. Shortly afterward, he learned CD Projekt Red still wanted him as Geralt.
Looking back on the experience, Cockle said:
“I’m just glad they decided to keep me on the journey because it’s been such a great journey.”
Creating Geralt’s unforgettable voice
Cockle originally landed the role through a standard audition, despite knowing little about Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels because they had not yet been translated into English.
He recalled Geralt being described as “this grizzled kind of anti-hero,” while someone during the audition suggested he channel Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry to shape the character’s voice.
Recording the first game proved physically exhausting. Before modern voice acting standards limited recording sessions, Cockle often spent eight to ten hours speaking in Geralt’s famously gravelly voice.
“At the end of each recording day, my voice was wrecked and I would go back to my hotel room and I’d just sip on peppermint tea and not talk at all.”
Reflecting on those sessions, he joked they “felt like 18 hours” before adding:
“There were no guidelines. It was just truly the wild west.”
The Witcher 3 changed everything
After returning for The Witcher 2, Cockle noticed significant growth within CD Projekt Red as development progressed toward The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
“The major shift I felt was in terms of the maturity of the team’s understanding of the world and the characters within it.”
He praised the studio’s evolution, saying:
“I experienced a maturation in the team across the board, actors included and directors, in the telling of the stories. And that’s a great thing to be a part of. That’s magical.”
Released in 2015, The Witcher 3 became one of the most celebrated RPGs ever made, selling more than 65 million copies worldwide according to CD Projekt Red. Cockle admitted he never anticipated the game’s extraordinary success.
“I hadn’t a clue [it would happen].”
It took months before he realized how popular the game had become, with students recognizing him as Geralt and journalists seeking interviews following the game’s numerous awards.
Geralt’s voice lives on in The Witcher 4
Cockle most recently reprised the role in Netflix’s animated film The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep and is confirmed to return in The Witcher 4, although Ciri will take over as the game’s primary protagonist.
Even with Geralt stepping into a supporting role, Cockle hopes to continue voicing the White Wolf for as long as possible.
“I think when I’m 90, if I’m able to play a character like Geralt, I will be absolutely over the moon.”
He added:
“I want my voice to be Geralt forever and ever, ever, ever, but that’s me being selfish.”
For longtime Witcher fans, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else voicing Geralt. After hearing how close Doug Cockle came to losing the role, his return for future adventures may be appreciated even more.
