Doug Cockle, the beloved voice of Geralt of Rivia in theWitchergames, has announced that he has prostate cancer. A little over a decade before Henry Cavill brought Geralt to life in Netflix’s live-action adaptation ofThe Witcher,Doug Cockle lent his gruff tonesto the mutant swordsman and monster slayer for hire in CD Projekt Red’s three main seriesWitchervideo games. Aside from Geralt, Cockle has appeared in TV shows likeBand of Brothers, was an extra inCaptain America: The First Avenger, and voiced characters in games likeTerminator: ResistanceandGhost Recon: Breakpoint.However, it is his memorable performance as Geralt of Rivia inThe Witcherthat has made Doug Cockle a household name among gamers. He has been highly praised for his work across all three games, and even won a Golden Joystick Award for hisperformance in 2015’sThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Naturally, many fans are hoping that Cockle returns to his role in the upcoming remake of the firstWitchergame, but he admits that he doesn’t know much about the project or if the game will simply reuse his lines from the 2007 original.RELATED:The Witcher 3 Reaches Impressive Sales Milestone Eight Years After ReleaseDoug Cockle alerted fans to some unfortunate news, announcing that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. TheWitchervoice actor revealed that this was discovered during a routine check-up, and that treatment is still ongoing. He assured fans that this treatment is looking good so far, while stressing that men over 50 get tested for prostate cancer regularly.
Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer found in men, and an estimated 1 in 9 men in the United States will be diagnosed with it during their lifetimes. Even worse, the early stages of prostate cancer have no symptoms, making check-ups like the onesThe Witcher’s Doug Cocklerecommended all the more vital to those at risk. In the meantime, Cockle has been met with a wave of support from fans ofThe Witchergames since his announcement, with many expressing their sympathy and wishing him a speedy recovery.
Geralt of Rivia is one of themost popular video game protagonistsin recent memory, and part of what makes him so beloved is Doug Cockle’s strong performance as a gruff and jaded mercenary that still maintains a deep code of honor across all threeWitchergames. Hopefully Cockle is able to fully recover from his prostate cancer, and his story will encourage more people to screen regularly for this and similar cancers.
The Witcher 4is in development.
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