Fans returning for second or even third viewings of Netflix’s The Witcher series have started dissecting every aspect of the adaptation and, in doing so, been left with a number of unanswered questions.
One particularly popular query pertains to Geralt of Rivia’s accent or, more specifically, where actor Henry Cavill ultimately drew his inspiration from. What with the character originally hailing from author Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy novels, the titular monster hunter’s vocal range has only ever been officially described rather than heard, leaving plenty of room for Cavill and showrunner Lauren Hissrich to interpret Geralt’s voice.
Without a doubt, Cavill took nods from Doug Cockle’s gravel-gargling interpretation in CD Projekt’s acclaimed The Witcher 3 for the tone, but what of the accent? Well, thanks to a recent interview, Cavill himself has revealed how the now-iconic voice came to be.
Speaking to The Wrap, Cavill reveals how he ultimately wanted to give the White Wolf a voice that would express the “essence of who he is in the books.”
So for me it wasn’t necessarily about giving Geralt a specific accent which was different from everyone else, because that would be impossible because there are a lot of English accents and eventually you’re gonna run into someone who has a similar accent because they are trying something different. So for me, it was about bringing a voice to Geralt which was expressing the essence of who he is in the books and bringing that to the space in the format that was allowed within the show.
In other words, Geralt’s unique accent wasn’t the result of an arbitrary choice to have him sound different to the rest of The Continent’s inhabitants, but as a means of reflecting his own personality. The downside? Cavill’s vocal cords surely won’t be a fan of his latest role.
Season 1 of The Witcher is available now on Netflix. Let us know in the usual place below how many times you’ve already sat through the eight-episode fantasy epic!
