Becoming a ‘Witcher’: A spirited conversation with alumnus Doug Cockle

Known as video game royalty, actor and voice-over talent Doug Cockle ’93 lowered his voice and growled a few words to demonstrate how he sounds as Geralt of Rivia.

Not a gamer? Geralt of Rivia is the sardonic protagonist of “The Witcher” series of fantasy action role-playing games developed by CD Projekt Red and based on the book series by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. This famous “witcher” is voiced by Cockle, who earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts from the School of Performing Arts, which is now part of College of Architecture, Arts, and Design. Cockle, nominated for a British Academy Film Award for his work, is based in the United Kingdom.

The gaming series, which began in 2007 with the release of “The Witcher,” is known for its intricate narratives, morally ambiguous choices, and attention to detail in creating rich and immersive worlds for players to explore. A cult classic until it wasn’t, "The Witcher" series is both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.

Cockle, a featured guest at Roanoke’s Comic-Con from Aug. 2-4, sandwiched a visit to Blacksburg in between comic conventions in Roanoke and Kingsport, Tennessee, to show his wife, Marianne, around his old Blacksburg haunts and meet up with a former professor or two. He spoke about his time at Virginia Tech, his transition into acting, and his technique in voicing the magically enhanced monster-hunter-with-supernatural-abilities Geralt of Rivia.

You originally applied to – and were accepted at – Virginia Tech as a pre-med biology major. What changed your mind?

My first year, I studied at Northern Virginia Community College, and Virginia Tech popped up on my radar in part because a girl I dated went there. Of course, the university is well known, especially in Northern Virginia. I wanted to go into medicine but when I pictured my future, 20 years from then, nothing excited me as much as acting.

I saw “Les Misérables” in Washington, D.C., the summer before I came to Blacksburg, and that solidified my decision. And let’s just say thanks to my education and training here and at Pennsylvania State University, plus a lot of luck and hard work, and it all worked out pretty well for me.

How did you break into acting for your first role?

I did local theatre in the Blacksburg area while I was in college, but my first professional acting job was for a hardware store commercial when we moved to Seattle after graduation. The store was a regional chain named McLendon’s Hardware, and the commercial was about a father and son – I was the son – who is about to get married. A few years ago, we were watching the Superbowl in Seattle and the commercial aired during the halftime show! We couldn’t believe it.

What prompted your move to the United Kingdom?

My wife and I were in the rare position of not having any strings to hold us here, so we had the chance to go anywhere we wanted to start our post-graduation lives. Her family is from the UK, so we decided to try it out there for a year, and now, decades later, we’re still there. And we will probably always be at least partially based there, since our sons have settled in the UK.

How did you land on “The Witcher”?

When we first moved to the UK, I talked my way into a professional job at a theatre and through that I met an agent – she ended up being my agent for 16 years until she retired. She liked me but didn’t know what to do with me in England. I was an American with a tell-tale accent.

Finally, she called me one day and told me about a vocal production studio that was looking for genuine Americans for this video game and I fit that part perfectly. That led to more work, and eventually I got cast in this game called “The Witcher.”

That was 2005, working with a very small development company in Poland. Nobody knew about “The Witcher” at the time. The books that the story was based on were still only available in Polish and although there was a television series in Poland, I didn’t know about it at the time.

I love fantasy so I really enjoyed working on the video, but I never thought much would come of it. It developed a small cult following, and then “Witcher 2” was in the works. I almost didn’t get cast in that because the developers wanted to shake it up and start from scratch, but I talked my way back into the role. “Witcher 2” came out, and then “Witcher 3,” and suddenly, I noticed that the developers kept dropping hints about how big and popular the game was going to be. When a leading gaming website asked to interview me, it dawned on me that the game was a big deal. Of course, it’s not just me; it’s the animators and character artists and sound designers and supporting characters all working together who make the game so good.

Has Geralt changed at all over the past decade or so?

He has. I always wanted him to show more emotion, like he does in the book, and the developers have let me do that as the game has grown. As an actor, I deal in emotions – it’s what audiences relate to, and it’s what art is all about.

You brought your wife to Blacksburg for five days to show her around campus. What were you eager to show her, and what did she think?

I knew she’d love it here. Lots of new buildings have popped up, but because the building style in terms of architecture and other commonalties is so consistent, it all feels organic. And we feel very much at home here; it’s a wonderful community. And you really can’t top the beauty of the area.

What advice would you share with students?

I’d say take classes that are outside of your major and outside of your comfort zone. It’s astonishing to me that some of the humanities courses I took on a whim are subjects that I draw from in my acting work. And it widens your horizons and leads you to interests that you may never have found otherwise.

Also, look around you and take in the beauty and nature that surrounds Virginia Tech. There’s so much to love about this area, and your time here is fleeting. Many students come here at the age of 18, and when they leave at 22, they’ve had such an intense and immense time of growth and learning. When I was a student here, we were all in such a rush to graduate and start our lives but try to take time to enjoy being a student. Be in the moment, and be present, and enjoy this time of your life.