when the original voice actor is just too iconic

#TheWitcher #HenryCavill #videoessay
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Today we'll take a look at Henry Cavill's voice as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher Netflix series, and how it was influenced by Doug Cockle's voice as Geralt from The Witcher video games.
Written & Edited by Danny Boyd
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Music:
Folk Round by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
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Artist: incompetech.com/
Heavy Interlude by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
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[@CinemaStix]

Who’s a voice actor/actress you consider to be basically synonymous with a particular character? Like for me, Kevin Conroy IS Batman (animated).

[@DeadlyLazer]

Dante Basco IS Zuko, Ashley Johnson IS Ellie

[@NMJZ]

Troy Baker IS Joel Miller Mark Hamill IS the Joker

[@diniesafin9145]

Josh Keaton / Yuri Lowenthal are to me, the pitch perfect versions of Spider-Man in terms of performance. They just embody all aspects of the character oh so well

[@kylewindere2133er]

Never playing the games to compare too, the show is great imo

[@MrRemmington]

Steve Blum is Vincent Valentine / Grunt

[@chaoticneutralgiraffe5514]

It's sad, Henry is a true Nerd at heart, but in every project he's in, he seems like the only person that actually cares about the source material...

[@cpenner7086]

What the fk you mean? The show was a good adaption

[@benkraze3103]

@@cpenner7086 no

[@storiesuntold4487]

@@cpenner7086 Hell no

[@selfdescedgelord7699]

@@cpenner7086 no

[@AdityaWaghmare]

@@cpenner7086 Nope

[@hunkofflesh6078]

Henry Cavill is a true Chad, a gamer who truely cared about the show and tried to make it work. Huge respect for the man

[@guts9160]

He is, but not you

[@cpenner7086]

And the show was good

[@guidopasquetto911]

@@cpenner7086 the show is awful. The books are amazing

[@Blue_Azure101]

@@guts9160 what’s the point of this comment? Triggered much snowflake?

[@iNoms.]

@@guts9160 oh ye..bet yu rlly hurt his feelings w that one.

[@LauraCourtneyette]

Henry’s passion for original material would make him an excellent director

[@NoCloutJoey]

Henry Cavill is also a huge fan of the Warhammer series and he’s going to be acting / writing for a live action adaptation. I’m sure this is his shot at making something out of love again

[@LauraCourtneyette]

@@NoCloutJoey I heard about that an am very excited for it!

[@Lodgiefitness]

Enter, Warhammer 40k :D

[@LauraCourtneyette]

@@Lodgiefitness Henry’s a stone cold die hard fan of the video game - he’s been playing Warhammer for decades. For this kind of material I would trust a life long player and mega nerd like Henry far more than any other director who doesn’t have love for the game or delights in nerding out hard over something they love.

[@evoke2976]

like Zack Shenoider

[@Ch1l1C0nCarnag3]

I still remember when the script originally had Geralt make a wisecrack immediately after Roache dies, and Henry was the only one to say "this isn't what Geralt would do" and stopped them. That's when you know he was the only one who actually truly cared about the source.

[@em.1633]

One of the former writers for the show pretty much confirmed that the entire writing team hates the source material.

[@swimm8329]

@@em.1633 That's awful!

[@Covey7342]

Yep and know that they have the discount Hemsworth as Geralt they’ll be able to bastardize Geralt as much as they want. Hemsworth doesn’t have the leverage, or the love of the Witcher universe to put them in their place.

[@sha0tube]

@@em.1633 Whoever owned the source materials should have retained final edit approval or gave it to Henry. Now they are just basically condoning the wokefication and destruction of the Witcher lore for $$$.

[@em.1633]

@@sha0tube "Wokeification", lmao, whine much

[@ashesofhopesinabonfireofdr6341]

Henry made the character his own. You've to remember he wasn't just voice acting, he was doing a lot more. He put in a lot of physical and mental effort to become The witcher.

[@malcolmreynolds4099]

as true witcher would

[@pabloc8808]

Henry is a massive The Witcher fan, iirc he read all the books and played all the games, so he disagreed with some creative decisions and pointed out how it should be done. Some of it was indeed done his way, but clearly most of the show wasn't. Still, he said he was happy with how it turned out, because he's happy making this come to life even if it's not perfect like he wanted.

[@gambitbullet]

Finally!

[@PotatoMateYT]

*flashbacks to when Henry would keep flexing out of the costume* 😂

[@xephael3485]

I agree, they did a great job. Hopefully it's not screwed up by others as later seasons seem to be.

[@skyz6708]

Honestly the beginning clips actually made me realise how good of a job Henry does at Geralts voice

[@eddiek8179]

Yes. I actually think Cavill's take is easily much better. The other version is theatrical and less organic & grounded and that is simply because the medium requires the voice actor to project emotionality and nuance into the voice to be projected unto the listener. Cavill does not need to do that because if he does it would seem too theatrical so has to dial down his voice emotionality but he tempers the dial down projecting his emotions and intent visually through expressions to balance out the performance properly and more organically.

[@JustapErson]

Especially considering Geralt is probably 15 years younger here than he is in W3. Although I think he's almost 100 so maybe that wouldn't make much difference.

[@MRmanbearpig1993]

He sounded better to me... not saying he sounds more like Geralt. But like a better version

[@Llyd_ApDicta]

It seems I am actually the only one who prefers Doug's performance. I came from the books and when I played the first game I thought CDPR had *nailed* Geralt perfectly reg. looks and in particular his voice. He never lectures or is condescending and always sounds authentic. There is such a natural "coolness" in that voice that perfectly portrays someone who has had enough of humans, their scheming and lies and just wants to be left alone. With Henry Cavill - while I respect his performance - it does not convey the same authenticity, he feels almost forced at times, like trying to portray an image that he not really is convinced of himself. In fact I had preferred if CDPR would have produced the series as an animated one with Doug's voice. In particular with the absolute embarrassement that season 2 has become, since they probably would not have tempered that much with the source material.

[@frostfang1]

Yea I felt like the music was the only thing that made a difference with emotional impact.

[@Theekopje]

Im really gonna miss Henry as The Witcher. He was the one carrying the show on his shoulders, i doubt the show will survive without him.

[@getitstandswithukraine6637]

I honestly think the actor change will probably renew interest in the show with Hemsworth being more marketable. That said, I certainly feel bad for cavill.

[@ramschasar7654]

Jaskier is at least on par and was perfectly casted.

[@Theekopje]

@@getitstandswithukraine6637 I think the show runners will be able to direct Hemsworth more towards their own vision of Gerald, cause it was well known that Henry sometimes took charge to stay very true to book/game Gerald and refused to say certain lines. The fans obviously loved Henry for this cause he's just a big nerd at heart and fits so well in the targeted audience.

[@yessi1585]

Are there no more series coming??

[@TheOtherChosenOnes]

@@yessi1585 Liam Hemsworth will replace Henry Cavill after season 3, the show will keep running.

[@lazerfruit2121]

Cavill REALLY tried his hardest to make this show great and not just another fanatsy series. Directors had other ideas

[@Marta1Buck]

what happened? I haven't watched the second season yet

[@Fufu0117]

Shows literally great

[@lazerfruit2121]

@@Fufu0117 show is good but could have been much better

[@NavaneethMB]

@@Fufu0117 show's literally the most average thing ever made

[@Alberto_Lince_Gan]

@@NavaneethMB hey hey, average is better than bad man, look at the bright side

[@sockdong1544]

It's too bad cavill isn't like a Tom cruise, where he could've just produced the show himself and make it more accurate to the books

[@Zarastro54]

Cavill doesn't have those sweet Scientology bux.

[@tkraid2575]

Cavill isn't the richest actor, because he actually has some work ethic and creativity in terms of choosing his roles compared to *ahem* the rest of Hollywood. Same goes to other phenomenal actors like Robert Pattinson and Cillian Murphy.

[@Who-Uhm-Cares]

Tom Cruise is even going to space now. Dude has that Scientology Money right now.

[@rxge1]

@@Who-Uhm-Cares bruh why you say that as if Scientology financed Tom Cruise projects? He's literally one of the most hard working actor of all time, and I'm not necessarily talking about talent but hard work

[@matchesburn]

"It's too bad cavill isn't like a Tom cruise" You mean besides running in every movie and scene he can?

[@connorpierce9663]

It'll be a shame to loose Henry as Geralt, it's so refreshing to watch an actor who not only has a lot of respect for the source material but actually has played the games and read the books!

[@pooyaarsalany4299]

i aint gonna watch the next season because of this. they are litrally shitting on fans and they are removing the best part about the series which was henry cavils cast and they expect profit from that lmao. if people truly care about it they should do the same thing as well.

[@publicanimal]

The shame is that the Netflix series with its despicable showrunner was ever greenlit. It's an absolute blessing that Cavill left. The series is an abomination and the only hope that a proper version of The Witcher is brought to screen by somebody competent is if the Netflix series is cancelled without reaching a conclusion.

[@mariafedusyk5501]

A lot of fans are now signing a petition to remove showrunners who are making our favorite story a piece of garbage, and depriving us of a beautiful incarnation of The Witcher. If you need, I can share the link to this petition. That's how we can try to support him and protect his version of the Geralt of Rivia

[@mariafedusyk5501]

​@@pooyaarsalany4299 A lot of fans are now signing a petition to remove showrunners who are making our favorite story a piece of garbage, and depriving us of a beautiful incarnation of The Witcher. If you need, I can share the link to this petition. That's how we can try to support him and protect his amazing version of the Geralt of Rivia

[@BlazingFire9]

@@pooyaarsalany4299 i watched season 3 AND IT WAS TERRIBLE !!!!😭😢

[@bamboozla9977]

Doug Cockle was the senior lecturer of my course when I studied Acting I never knew about this game at that point and didn't realise how much of a big deal he is. When I had a class of some sort under him, doing shakespeare, I could see and hear why he was so well known for his voice work. Really soothing and calm voice

[@asummerday4448]

I am so jealous

[@stillred]

Oh, fellow aub graduate?:))

[@bamboozla9977]

@@stillred I am yeah 😁

[@chandllerburse737]

Thats like being taught by Kevin Conroy and not knowing he is the most iconic Batman VA

[@bamboozla9977]

@@chandllerburse737 I just wasn't into video games at the time too much lol I just knew he had great experience in Voice Acting

[@theprecipiceofreason]

Henry Cavill is the best possible outcome for the series, as Geralt. There is no one else that would have taken that much into account from a personal experience.

[@Monkeesh]

Best? Please. Mads Mikkelsen. But netflix too soft cast him.

[@theprecipiceofreason]

@@Monkeesh Mads is too old. He looks like he drapes his skin on every morning except all the hooks loose.

[@j-s-m]

​@@Monkeesh mads probably would've been a good fit for other Witchers.

[@edofluit6568]

@@Monkeesh always love it when people say something without giving any arguments

[@AGarnet29]

@@theprecipiceofreason what in the world are you on about, Mads looks great.

[@Cinxdr]

Respect to Henry for putting everything into Geralt he truly pulls it of and you can tell the role means so much to him.

[@spoons250]

He literally never got past the halfway point in witcher 3. Type in "Henry talks witcher 3" and he point blank says it. He only read parts of the book after being cast. He point blank says that aswell. What he DID know is people wanted more medieval fantasy after GOT and jumped on the train.

[@Cinxdr]

@@spoons250 it’s like he made Geralts his own character while staying true to the original source.

[@910Jaro]

@@spoons250 and he still pulled it off

[@chjtlusworld7105]

@@spoons250 so? He still is doing good on the role

[@vond5829]

@@spoons250 He played the games. That's more than most Hollywood actors when they're doing adaptation of any sorts.

[@johnsteiner3417]

Cavill delivers the F-bomb with such variety that his whole character pours through it. And I love that the series has a modern dialogue with the harsh language.

[@still34u]

Damn.. I never realized that the American accent is intentional to portray a Rivian accent. That's genius

[@KeytarArgonian]

It kinda is and isn’t. We get Dandelion, and Letho of Gulet also have American accents.

[@justinjackson7688]

Not to intentionally make it Rivian, as no one knows what a Rivian sounds like, but to convey a sense of otherness and a more stark contrast between Geralt and other characters

[@mrlucky9157]

​@@justinjackson7688 The truth is far simpler. All witchers, triss and dandelion have american accents because they had it in The Witcher 1. Atari was the publisher of this game and wanted Cd projekt Red to cast american actors so the game would sell better in the US.

[@RonnyWelles]

Mad respect to Cavill being literally the only on that show to show respect to not only Doug Cockle but the immense impact the games made.

[@mariafedusyk5501]

A lot of fans are now signing a petition to remove showrunners who are making our favorite story a piece of garbage, and depriving us of a beautiful incarnation of The Witcher. If you need, I can share the link to this petition. That's how we can try to support him and protect his version of the Geralt of Rivia

[@dyggas]

@@mariafedusyk5501 please do

[@TimLimDimSims]

Henry Cavill does a really good job of mimicking the video games voice whilst also making it his own. It's something I wish the rest of the show did

[@luchomscyfy]

For sure. The Witcher is standing on the shoulders of Cavill. Even if people like Yennefer or Ciri characters and story arcs, it's Cavill's charisma which stands out.

[@jilsonea6126]

While watching it sounded to me like he’s trying to sound deep and like the video game but he sounded off to me and not natural

[@denisebacher5040]

Same! It’s aggravating the showrunners care nothing about the source material.

[@dawson3776]

​@@jilsonea6126which fits as geralt tbh

[@manwithballsonarm6775]

If he sounded American like in the game I would of liked it more

[@anonview]

In a way, this shows how important and powerful voice actors are when it comes to bringing certain characters to life. Other examples: Tara Strong is still always associated with Bubbles or TT Raven. Tom Kenny is Spongebob, and Pat Carroll is Ursula. I guess Henry Cavill understood this at heart, realizing that to make his portrayal believable, he must balance his personal/subjective depiction of Geralt with what their target audience expects to see and hear on screen.

[@words007]

Men i liked the show only reason i give a shit because Henry tries to show his best and my own UNPARALLELED LOVE for any game that iv played and cant never forget : Witcher 3 confirmed 257 hours spent in game 7 years ago. Now i dont play any game but i still remember the beauty of this game ❤️

[@spectralassassin6030]

Cavill is honestly the only part of the show I really like. Other than that, there's not much. I don't really care for how Yennifer is portrayed (dialogue, not the actress). Ciri... I don't know exactly what it is but I don't care for her in the show either. If I didn't already know who most other characters where then I'd have forgotten them long ago.

[@vell6251]

Ashley Johnson (who plays Ellie in the Last of Us) plays Terra for Teen Titans btw

[@simonf9160]

Mark Hamill also set the staple for Joker's voice.

[@statueteethtv]

I disagree about tara strong she is mostly known for voicing and influencing all of us early 2000s kids

[@frankwren8215]

Considering the showrunners HATED the source material and constantly directed him to avoid it, he did a great job at giving the fans what they wanted in spite of this. He was literally the only person on staff for the whole show who gave a damn about giving the viewers what they want to see. Doug Cockle is irreplaceable. But Henry Cavill did a really good job and showed a lot of respect for Doug's established performance.

[@kaengurus.sind.genossen]

Afaik they also had ONE writer who cared. Got fired.

[@CLBOO6]

I was never impressed by Henry’s acting until Geralt. He was really excellent as Geralt. I could really see that he’s done a lot of homework and put a lot of thoughts and consideration to every line, every facial expression, and body movement.

[@elustran]

He was great in The Man from UNCLE.

[@VereskVeil]

@@elustran oh yes! He is so great there

[@_ion04]

​@@elustran i literally clicked on this comment to say this. I feel like that movie is super underrated.

[@grubbyarmadillo9863]

Plus he's also a fan of the franchise

[@pepelechad536]

Can you give me an example of how his acting elevated or brought depth to Geralt?

[@michadabrowski3120]

Fun fact: The Polish Languge version of Netflix Witcher used Michał Żebrowski to voice Geralt. Żebrowski was the first actor to play Geralt in the 2001 Movie/TV series.

[@michadabrowski3120]

@@vaclavstula2642 Going by cast list Geralt in all three game is voiced Jacek Rozenek in the Polish version of the games. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacek_Rozenek

[@martinsoukup562]

The original voice actor

[@eclip1991]

@@vaclavstula2642 Nope. In games, Geralt is dubbed by Jacek Rozenek

[@julietta2321]

And Jacek Rozenek is the best voice autor for Geralt and you can't change my mind

[@xXx___xXx]

@@julietta2321 100% agree

[@Psyfer6823]

I love that Witcher trailer so much, when Geralt said "Killing Monsters..." it always gave me chills.

[@CinemaStix]

Same. That trailer is what pulled me out of my gaming hiatus during college.

[@darekkonik9186]

Interestingly, Netflix has hired the original Geralt actor from the old 90's Polish adaptation to serve as a voice actor for Cavill in Polish version. That is a really nice touch and one worth taking a look at.

[@MrKing1990]

Fun fact if you listen to the audiobook the guy who narrates the voice also has a very similar voice for geralt. I truly love the fact that Henry is as nerdy as he is and tries to stay true to the source material in the projects that he works on. I honestly just love Henry Cavill.

[@SuperExplosivegames]

This whole video just made me love Henry Cavill. What a true cultural phenomenon, absolutely no one could have done better than him in that role in my opinion

[@Taima]

Probably only way to top it is to put Doug Cockle in Henry's body. Short of that, Cavill is king.

[@SHARPSHOOTA0870]

It's truly sad that Henry is so talented and loves the source material of everything he gets put in because it seems like he's the only one

[@applehazeva2739]

Its really an shame

[@xD3L3T3x]

I just imagine how Geralt will sound now that Henry is gone lmaooo

[@billymays1761]

Can’t wait to hear Liam Hemsworth try and fail miserably at replacing Henry.

[@manumaster1990]

@@billymays1761 please dont support that horrible person of a producer that pissed of Cavill! dont watch the show!

[@relicx3933]

I got a feeling their just gonna end up dubbing Liam's voice or something lmaoooo

[@mariafedusyk5501]

A lot of fans are now signing a petition to remove showrunners who are making our favorite story a piece of garbage, and depriving us of a beautiful incarnation of The Witcher. If you need, I can share the link to this petition. That's how we can try to support him and protect his Geralt of Rivia

[@samuelray8582]

I love Henry's acting in the Witcher, the way he talks, deliver dry humor and overall aesthetic is very entertaining in my book

[@asmodeus235]

Nice video. I couldn’t stand the directing decisions of the Witcher series, but Henry Cavill was so great. It’s such a shame really.

[@nathanielscheurer1821]

Same with Man of Steel, guy just can't catch a break!

[@ItsLoHere]

Yeah, the moment the showrunner made that public statement about not liking fantasy as a genre I knew the series was done for. Henry paying homage to the games and taking the time to understand that aspect is insanely respectable. I'm also convinced this man will pump hours into any game if it was the source material for his gig; if Blizzard ever does another Warcraft movie I swear he's overqualified, the man was almost late to the Superman audition (or narrowly missed Snyder's call, it's something along those lines) bc he was in a WoW raid lol

[@alklazaris3741]

Its all just eye candy to me. The show is... ok. But to see things from the books created into a tv show is pretty cool.

[@PhoenixIgnisChannel]

​@@alklazaris3741 Yeah, I've read the books but I don't really mind revisiting the story from another angle/creative perspective. And even the book writer said it (paraphrasing): You can't ever portray a TV show the same way you do with a book (Or a game), directors have to take their chances to make a good ADAPTATION if they want it to be any good. If the show where to be a carbon copy of the books, viewers would be bored to death watching Geralt monologue for 10 straight minutes lol.

[@patrickwalker9090]

I mean i think with any adaptations it’s pretty much going to be like that but if you separate the tv show from the source material and watch it as if it where completely original you can start to appreciate it as it’s own thing

[@nesano4735]

I was actually pretty impressed by how good Henry's Geralt voice ended up. It may have been the best part of the entire show.

[@mariafedusyk5501]

A lot of fans are now signing a petition to remove showrunners who are making our favorite story a piece of garbage, and depriving us of a beautiful incarnation of The Witcher. If you need, I can share the link to this petition. That's how we can try to support him and protect his Geralt of Rivia

[@Dark_Voice]

@@mariafedusyk5501 Considering how big was the GoT petition, they dont give a damn and laugh at how many idealists think they can actually make a difference by signing it.

[@foist101]

I was very skeptical of Henry's casting until I started seeing the interviews, now I don't know if I can see anyone else but him in an english live action adaptation.

[@aqn01]

Jacek Rozenek is so iconic voice (since games were made by Polish studio) for me and many players.

[@nikkolakis]

Breaks my heart everytime i think how much Netflix butchered the show. Henry Cavil tried to carry it on his shoulders, showing that he was clearly the only one who actually gave a fuck in there. Too bad that even our lovely Henry could't convince me to see the second season... Really breaks my heart.

[@nethanaelroberts6102]

First season was quite good, but second isnt the same.

[@sampat97]

@@nethanaelroberts6102 It wasn't, it had the blueprints for a good show but that show never materialized

[@rolfsonofrolf9286]

Geralt and Jaskiers chemistry is the only thing the show has

[@adriaan5432]

Wait, you gave up after the first season? The second season is almost unwatchable for anyone who read and cares about the books, but the first season is great.

[@nethanaelroberts6102]

@@adriaan5432 ye, I liked what they did with the first season but because most people didn't understand it they went simpler for the second season.

[@imchase7796]

The fact that he can maintain a body like that, while gaming, and ACTING. Is incredible, I’m sure he even has his own business of some sort as well

[@realhebplus1871]

It's called not being lazy

[@ypsilon4211]

If he's a business owner that would make me lose a lot of respect for him

[@realhebplus1871]

@@ypsilon4211 inhuman

[@KingAGBozz]

@@ypsilon4211 you a commie?

[@macdhomhnaill7721]

@@ypsilon4211 Very strange, with nonsensical reasoning I’m sure.

[@AlisteirCrowley]

Henry Cavill made an amazing Geralt. It all comes from the fact that he played the games and mimic'd it.

[@ziolan8970]

I’m so sad Henry is no longer the Witcher. I don’t think anyone else will be able to pull it off. I loved his portrayal.

[@jamescooke7243]

Henry did such an amazing job. You can tell he cares about getting his character right

[@Monkey-fv2km]

I like Mr cavill's work but I was sceptical about his casting... But after seeing the show I feel it's success is largely due to his performance, well done Henry.

[@simplekid4328]

By the time I had even heard about the Witcher series, it was already finished. So I saw the pictures of him and I was immediately impressed. I could only watch the first 3 episodes before I was taken out of it. The one thing that got to me was Yen's story. I hated it

[@lulu_Lm]

@@simplekid4328 how so? it's the same as the books.

[@Ultrasecond77]

I love watching deep dives and analyses of characters and the people that bring them to life, this was a treat. Geralt of Rivia is someone i don't actually know a whole ton about, only having played Witcher 2 very briefly a long time ago, but hearing you describe the nuance of each interpretation was wonderful. Kudos!

[@CinemaStix]

:)

[@zvezdoblyat]

I know NOTHING about the show, game, or book, but just by seeing what the character looks like, and hearing the description of what his voice is supposed to sound like, 8:38 is excellent, perfect really

[@randobandobby6443]

I'm not gonna lie, when I was playing through the Witcher I was kind of confused why Geralt Voice felt weird, then it hit me, it wasn't the how the voice sound, it was the accent, it made me confused, I wondered why Geralts voice sounded American, and then you solved it for me, it was suppose to feel foreign amidst British, Irish and eastern European accent.

[@jaylinsa]

Exactly. It adds to the sense that he's an outsider.

[@salvatronprime9882]

Triss, Shani, Vincent, and Carmen also have American accents. I don't think the theory really holds up.

[@dawson3776]

​@@salvatronprime9882could be from hanging around him a lot, I know in the game triss was in kaer morhen accprding to the first game

[@ReZhorw]

The worst part of the show is that they're diverging from the books when they absolutely don't need to

[@mightymochi6320]

I fucking hate when they do that shit, which seems like all the time.

[@Messiahs]

I read the books and I like the universe, but damn the books story is not that good, that you need to stick to hit that hard. The shows story is fine.

[@ethanangmar3549]

@@Messiahs season 1 is good even with the confusing time jumps up until it gets explained, season 2 just has a ton of unnecessary changes and additions that make future parts of the books hard to reach in terms of storyline

[@anitaremenarova6662]

Yeah, they have a limited amount of screen time and they decide to split it between not just 2 but 3 characters when the first two books were exclusively about Geralt.

[@anitaremenarova6662]

@@Messiahs *Doesn't like the books* opinion discarded, go read Game of Thrones or some other garbage since that will be more for your taste.

[@coopervaida1825]

This was a really great video essay and thoroughly entertained me throughout.

[@CinemaStix]

:)

[@IANDURBECK]

Both voices are absolutely fantastic! I love them both a ton

[@Samiju]

Henry is such a likable guy. He's truly one of us, the gamers, and actually cares about how he portrays the characters he's playing. Almost seems like he was born to be an actor.

[@swedneck]

he honestly feels like a mythical being, the fabled omnichad who is both absolutely jacked, a total nerd, passionate and willing to put work in, and a really nice guy i hope to god it doesn't turn out he clubs seal cubs every weekend

[@anxietyonline1947]

Yeah so true, it's shocking because of how good looking he is...I never expected him to be so into things like Warhammer 40k and such 🤣

[@Taima]

@@swedneck omg I never even thought about the possibility that he could be yet another unfortunate person hiding horrible skeletons (and not just normal ones lol) that will absolutely ruin his image/career/etc one day. Now I'm worried and sad that such a possibility is real. I'm gonna try to stick to my notion that he's just the sacred gigachad we all love and only minimally flawed lol.

[@dariyanvalentine3564]

@@anxietyonline1947 looks have nothing to do with stuff youre into.

[@anxietyonline1947]

@@dariyanvalentine3564 They absolutely do, if you sit around all day reading or playing video games your body will adjust accordingly unless you get exercise.

[@DeeDoctor]

Every time henry canvill plays an iconic role, they mess it up. edit: I feel terrible for henry

[@PLaStiiCMoNtAGE]

Man of Steel goes hard af, idk what you're on about

[@DeeDoctor]

@@PLaStiiCMoNtAGE I didn't say anything about man of steel. They did somewhat mess it up later on after man of steel

[@olsirmonkey]

I hear this and raise you "the man from uncle" (i think that's what it's called)

[@DeeDoctor]

@@olsirmonkey Ohhh fair point, that is a good movie honestly

[@Salamander676]

He was a dope bad guy in mission impossible but his role could have been better towards the end

[@RYXPfan]

Some great points raised here I hadn't considered about the character of Geralt. Nice work!

[@CinemaStix]

Thank you!

[@TheMesoria]

Both of Them are great. But it's Jacek Rozenek's voice that sends chills down the spine.

[@Gaskinmoo79]

The difference here is a voice actor is only doing a voice. Cavill also had to be The Witcher, project him as a character. I think voice acting is a very different skill set to regular in the camera acting. I suspect you can get away with a lot more re-recordings as well as its only the voice actor and the team operating the studio. When filming a scene I suspect there are a lot more people just hanging around waiting for you to get it right,

[@kanikagaral7637]

That's what people don't understand. Voice actors r just in a recording room. While henry is moving around while doing his lines. It affects ur voice. Speaking while doing a fighting scene will sound different when standing in one place.

[@jdavi6241]

@@kanikagaral7637 Voice actors also need to be able to act and express emotion. It helps them process the character and deeply affects the portrayal. They're not just stone-pokerface the whole time while they do their battlescreams or whatever. You'll notice this a lot if you look at behind the scenes for animated shows. But even if this is the case there is still a huge difference because there's no requirement of a camera for the physical aspect of a voice actor's performance. This means that unlike Mocap or screenplay they don't actually have that same pressure to focus on accurately balancing the physical performance and the vocal performance, rather that the physical performance is strictly and solely for the purpose of the enhancing the vocal performance.

[@kanikagaral7637]

@@jdavi6241 its still not same as performing on stage or on camera.

[@ScarilyOlivia]

@@kanikagaral7637 Both forms of acting have their own limitations. One is not necessarily more strenuous or easier than the other. The only real difference is one is on camera, one is not. Voice acting can be and is just as physical as being on a set/sound stage performing for a camera, especially with character work such as cartoons or animation and video games. It's not just being a voice, it's becoming that character.

[@thunderstallion6015]

@@kanikagaral7637 you either actually replied to that comment after only reading only the first sentence or one of your hobbies is repeating what people say back to them

[@BlackKing505]

I abslolutely love seeing Henrys passion for the Witcher series, so i greatly appreciate and respect how much thought and effort he put into trying to get Geralt just right

[@DaleTrevors]

Brilliant analysis. I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thank you Danny.

[@CinemaStix]

:)

[@hobolecho8507]

As a Polish person, the voice of Geralt will always be Jacek Rozenek. Just listen to his lines. They are acted SO GOOD. Altho, Cockels and Cavils versions are also realy good.

[@PanAM88]

Michał Żebrowski też wymiata ;)

[@deirenne]

"Grrraj muzyko" will stay in the back of my head till my dying breath, I swear.

[@BradLad56]

Understandable.

[@birubu]

3:42 I love how you edit this. It’s like reading through an article, as quotes are slid naturally into sentences, words written by the article’s author and those he’s referencing blending together naturally.

[@ItsWindHere]

Right!

[@mireadur]

He really nails the character. Shows his passion for the project.

[@xCorvy]

this video was paced fantastically

[@jacktheripper5112]

He really should just either direct or Co-direct the show , he knows far more about the material then the showrunner who mostly is trying to virtue signal if possible

[@Garry_Combine]

Didn't she say she didn't like the fantasy genre, plus she literally made penis helmets to represent patriarchy

[@alalalala57]

Lol no.

[@sexycenturion7074]

The show runner is like most show runners today who use an established ip to force an agenda that sidelines any male character or subverts them and the story is an afterthought. They only care about the theme of women being powerful but not intelligent or interesting they make them overpowered and boring. Most of these women showrunners can't write women and they adapt them terribly just look at she-hulk. Better call Saul has better written women in the story and it's written by a man.

[@underthecoveragent1653]

Yea theres also actors who direct their own movies or shows.

[@jacktheripper5112]

@@alalalala57 After how season 2 was, nope i want him to atleast co-direct or have more involvement in the show , the scene were roach dies was about to be a comedy scene if cavil hadn't intervened

[@CampingforCool41]

Oh I never thought about that being the reason Geralt in the game is the only one (one of the only ones?) with an American accent. That’s a cool detail actually. Usually a fantasy setting like that they just opt for a British accent.

[@neobellic7258]

Dandelion and Triss speak in american accent.

[@sparksfly6149]

@@neobellic7258 ....No they don't.

[@g-alicenine]

@@sparksfly6149 They do in the game.

[@samuelleask1132]

The other witchers in TW3 have US accents too

[@arkarmoethouk2445]

Geralt, Vesemir, Triss, Dandelion, Lambert, Eskel.

[@noobencesar]

Henry will always be the legend in our hearts, when ever has one fought so hard and been so devoted for the shows, one is hired to act in. Just incredible. Thank you Mr. Cavill, the entertainment industry needs more people like you!

[@Firevexx]

I've watched 3 videos in a row of yours without even knowing... earned the sub. Great work, your effort isn't wasted. keep it up!!

[@CinemaStix]

:)

[@BradLad56]

What? The voice sounding exactly the same didn't give it away? Haha

[@Avalan666]

It's very interesting to me as a person who was raised with The Witcher games in their original, polish, language. The way The Witcher franchise exploded in the west made me think about how it is not about the language, but the exposure. One, universally accepted adaptation (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt) created such a complex domino effect that resulted in this yt video being created. Which is excellent by the way.

[@myrech]

I recall watching an interview of some of the voice acting management people working on the witcher 3, and they said that when they were voice acting/writing witcher 3's dialogue (im not sure about the other games) they did not have an original language. that all the languages voice acted are the original language in a sense.

[@cobaltchromee7533]

@@myrech By original language everyone means langauge of the original books, and the language that people who developed the game speak in. By the way, it had to be translated at some point, because there's no way that people could've written the script in ALL the languages that were dubbed

[@GenX-Rising]

That's a good point. They don't use on place where there's one dialect, they use a region of an entire continent with numerous languages and accents.

[@piccoloatburgerking]

Well poland is also part of "the west" since europe as a whole is also "the west" to the rest of the world. But i get what you mean.

[@GenX-Rising]

@@myrech that's what I heard and I also saw a video of read an article where Henry said he trained himself to speak like 40 to 60 words a minute and added a subtle raspiness whenever he was calmly speaking to himself or others. He said that even though it's believed that Witchers lose all emotions, every boy reacts slightly different and Geralt is naturally more resilient and can feel some emotions but not be affected by them, and can feel some emotions strongly, like anger because of the elixirs and concoctions they take. He kinda explains that Geralt as having the ability to control the emotions he feels like the volume buttons on a phone. If he has a job to do, he can turn down or mute problems he's dealing with like when Yen plays games with him and he's on a contract hunt for a dangerous monster and get the job done. He's the second oldest Witcher left after Vesimir and I don't know why they don't give us a certain age but his ability to do this for such a long time has kinda made him more human than younger witchers and he tried to portray this in his acting to create a complex character. Personally, I love his performance and respect that he does all of the stunts himself but they're so many small caveats that go into creating what he is

[@InfernalPasquale]

Cavill raised the first series from a 7/10 to a 9/10 for me, really enjoyed it. The lack of Cavill in series two... 4/10 at best

[@InfernalPasquale]

@Emmanuel Araujo That's interesting to read your take 🙂 I haven't read the books, and only played a little of Witcher 3.

[@Krokpot7]

just finding this channel. this is a very well done video. the editing and takes are on point. good job. appreciate the content.

[@nothingspeaks]

also Great editing and style of video i like how you talked and the clips answered that was neat, usually dont see something like that

[@CinemaStix]

:)

[@kiukiura]

I love the witcher and I really liked henry personally, he was carrying it. I really liked the first season, second one not so much but still watched. I just wish henry could have more of a say, since he looks like the only one who actually has passion for the character and the story

[@stephenrabha2446]

Man I feel bad for henry cavill, he loves the source material and you can obviously feel his passion, the performance in the show is generally ok with henry being the highlight. The problem is everything else, the writing is terrible, the direction is aimless, the action is meh except for that one season scene, the set is ehhhh and the costume design is bland af.... Its a mediocre netflix show. and obviously the showrunners don't know shit. Cause CD projekt red produced cyberpunk edgerunners and it was one of the standout netflix animes of this year.... so what im saying fire everyone but henry.

[@asmodeus235]

Now this guy gets it.

[@SpeedDemon1152]

Perfectly expressed. Edgeunner adds so much to the Cyberpunk world, as an individual story and also being a part of the game. You can tell it was made with passion and that it felt like a perfect addition to the growing Cyberpunk franchise

[@billsmith30]

You can't pin Edgerunners entirely on CDPR. Trigger had a lot of creative say on it. They almost walked from the project over CDPR reluctance to let Rebecca be a character in the show

[@mr.mittens9123]

@@billsmith30 it wasn't that they didn't want Rebecca...

[@LanceVanceDance214]

I can still feel and remember the disappointment that I got after the Eskel episode.

[@KeytarArgonian]

Honestly I absolutely love Peter Kenny’s renditions just as much as cockles. His making Dwarves Welsh instead of Scottish was a nice change, having the Skelligan accent be Scottish instead, which fits really well to be honest with the names and culture (bagpipes etc) and even THEN he gives ciri a Scottish lilt because of how close Cintra has been to Skellige culturally was a great idea.

[@aniratir]

I could listen to all these man talking for hours... pure beautiful voices

[@gingerdehinger1091]

Just gotta say Peter Kenny absolutely killed it in the books. Pretty incredible the amount of range he has to go from geralt to ciri and all the other characters that he gave their own voice. Truly talented

[@mojanowa7961]

You got me! I thought you talk about original voice actor. I get it now, its that new one

[@nemurii36]

For me, what makes Geralt's voice Geralts' is the harshness. He is a killer after all. He kills monsters on a daily basis (people occasionally as well), so he must have seen horrible things done by monsters and people alike. I think his voice represents that, his experience and worldview. Also, his voice is sort of emotionless and it stays nearly the same no matter what happens. In Netflix series, Geralt sounds more like Geralt from the games regardless of the dubbing version. Also, the polish version is voiced by the same guy who played Geralt in the 2001 movie, yet these two portrayals sound nothing alike.

[@vamsiampolu8438]

Geralt's voice reflects the harsh life he has lived and the reality of his world. It's sharp and remorseless, stating facts as he sees them. It's the brutal truth whether you want to hear it or not.

[@zachjollimore4339]

Voice acting directors are severely underrated in the video game industry. Good direction helps, especially with dialogue

[@oldtimetinfoilhatwearer]

Highly disagree with this. He sounds extremely sardonic, always. Like everything he says sounds like he's laughing at whoever he's talking to, except maybe some of the other witchers

[@BlueCookieFrog]

Those two portrayals sound nothing alike, because those were two different actors. As stated in the video, in 2001 movie Michał Żebrowski played Geralt, and in games Jacek Rozenek was the voice actor for Geralt

[@piotrt4786]

@@BlueCookieFrog +1

[@Isoquant]

show deserves a better director

[@Memu_]

Always nice when one of your videos goes viral

[@fartloudYT]

The thing with Doug Cockle version that it is not 'just a video game'. I've read the books before the game and the moment i heard the voice i was like YEP, that is exactly how i imagined Geralt to sound like. Henry Cavill did not have to reinvent the wheel after that.

[@ChrisBicourt1]

Love the way Cavill doesn't move his eyes like he's actually trying to be CGI. This guy is more method than life itself.

[@Taima]

lol that's kind of a nonsensical comment on account of CGI characters being very capable of regular-enough eye movement, yet I knew exactly what you meant. Really I think it was about conveying that incredibly powerful, direct focus and gaze that he has, while also remaining plenty aware of his surroundings. Video game Geralt gives that vibe too, but less intensely.

[@empatheticrambo4890]

I watched the show, then played the game, then listen to the audio books. Peter Kenny is my definition of Geralt, but the other two are great as well The actual show isn’t so good, but Geralt is well acted

[@SamTheMan0425]

Peter Kenny is amazing, I prefer his accent for Geralt much more than the video games American accent

[@empatheticrambo4890]

@@SamTheMan0425 part of it for me is that I love how deep and varied the character of Geralt is in the books compared to the show or game - so that voice carries those good memories as well

[@honeyvanity4433]

yesss someone mentioned the hexer!!! also. i played the game before i read the books too and feel incredibly validated by what henry says about what he wanted: "to make sure that that intellectual nature came across, that philosophical lean, and the soulfullness of the character". perfectly put, i loved that so much. wish the showrunners had the same mindset.

[@ryuk5673]

awesome video, subbed!

[@zaselimgamingvideos6881]

The music at the back of these dialogues in the game also helps to make it more iconic. I also loved Henry's portrayal as well.

[@alexsurles]

and the reverb in his voice as well. lol

[@GenX-Rising]

Everyone loves Henry as Geralt and I don't remember any... degree of precedent skepticism.... or wherever he did

[@brocklewis7624]

I came to really appreciate the audiobook’s take on the Witcher voice. It’s more high pitched, somewhat ‘whiny’ maybe, but really captured the essence of this loner begrudgingly making friends and traveling the world.

[@akamai8097]

Peter Kenny is the goat

[@kabedondon]

I was going to say the same. I kind of struggled getting through the first book because Geralt sounded so jarringly different from the game, the pronunciation of the bard's name, and the (almost Shattner-like) cadence of the narration voice. I got over it though and finished the series and really found myself appreciating the narrator in spite of my previous personal preferences.

[@FortyOneYT]

Doug is a great guy. Got to spend a lot of time with him while at a convention and shared some panels together. I really hope that I can some day climb to his level of voice acting. It's such a competitive, unforgiving career to chase.

[@StevenM801]

Henry embodies every character he plays, thats why he is so incredible in my book.

[@0That_Guy0]

Good stuff! I wasn't all too familiar with The Witcher before watching the first season, but I enjoyed it - Mostly due to Geralt's character, so I think Cavill did a great job!

[@Welkon1]

This was the PERFECT actor for this role, he really made me think I was back in the game.

[@SangNguyen-ql3qm]

Great content my fellow Witcher!

[@tcchilling2511]

Thanks YT for recommending your channel.. Crate more like this mann ❤

[@CinemaStix]

You can count on it :) -Danny

[@MainBrainDaneInsane]

For those who haven't yet, make sure to check out the audiobook series narrated by Peter Kenny. Guy does an incredible job and really captures the nuance and personalities of the characters. His Geralt is great.

[@Fatfit2]

Voice Actors are really good at using their voice as the primary vessel of their artistic expression, an on screen actor such as Caville does a good job with his voice, but there's also the visual expression that is focused on as well.

[@thano.4]

Great video

[@PiotrMaciejczak]

While as a pole Jacek Rozenek is the "true" or "original" perfect voice for the character, when I think of the Witcher, watching at your analysis made for a very pleasant experience -- the production value is super high!!! subbed

[@empe8890]

I've read the books in Polish, I played the games in Polish and English, I watched the series, but my favourite voice acting comes from polish audiobooks. The voice actors made something magnificent, especially those who played Jaskier, Regis and Cahir

[@theheavenlyfb4071]

I love how the intro shows the complexity of Geralt, he's talking about not choosing the lesser evil, and yet his actions clearly show him going against his own code. He's a hypocritical character but for the right reasons, sometimes you have to choose the lesser evil or make a choice regardless because doing nothing is infinitely worse.

[@bernadettef6884]

Oh, that VOICE! I’m melting.

[@MephistoRolling]

I love what he did, its recognisably the same character, but has his own touch. Faithful and respectful.

[@-NoneOfYourBusiness]

I played the game earlier this year and got totally absorbed in The Witcher universe. I finished the first two seasons of the Netflix Series a few days ago and it was really (really) good. I wasn't sure at first but by the end of the second episode I was completely in. The cast of the series is seriously amazing (not just Henry Cavill). The characters are flawed and nuanced. Well written for the most part and really well played. Anya Chalotra as Yennefer was really good. MyAnna Buring as Tissaia and Freya Allan (Ciri) were fantastic. Joey Batey nailed a particularly difficult character to play. I am absolutely sure Henry Cavill being a great guy to work with helped in these great performances to happen. I haven't seen Blood Origin yet and I honestly don't know if I will.

[@panther-nk2hn]

I watched Season 1 a few years ago, can't remember exactly when. Henry's Geralt is the only thing I remember of the show, his dry humor and sarcasm, his otherwise strong and silent demeanor. I barely knew who Henry Cavill was before he decided to ditch the Witcher and subsequently blew up the culture podcasts I watch. And now that I know a little bit more about him, I'm looking forward to seeing him directing some WH40K. Very hopeful.

[@basshunter7077]

he really carried the whole show, must be amazing to play the character you like from a game, but guess thats why he is so good in that role

[@greeko7638]

What an amazing video 😍 Loved it till the end!

[@CinemaStix]

:)

[@shiron1076]

I love how Henry has so much respect for the character he's playing as

[@KyleWilson96]

Henry Cavel is an amazing actor and I think he was perfect for Garalt and it just sad the writers weren’t into it