Of all of the slasher franchises in horror, Child’s Play is one of the most fluid. Before the 2019 reboot took it back to its horror roots, the series had evolved from a dark slasher to a traditional horror comedy then back to horror. However, even when the Child‘s Plays films were in flux, Chucky’s voice remained constant. But the gruff voice fans have come to know wasn’t the director’s first choice.
When fans think of the Good Guy doll turned serial killer, the memories typically begin with his vibrant orange hair and immediately land on his rage-fueled tone. Chucky’s voice was brought to life by Brad Dourif, who made the character his own over the course of seven films. However, the initial screening of the first film didn’t even have Dourif voice the character. It was Jessica Walter instead.
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During an interview with the film’s original crew, it was revealed that director Tom Holland wanted Chucky’s voice to have a similar impact as actress Mercedes McCambridge’s portrayal of the demon in The Exorcist. He also desired to make Chucky sound as doll-like as possible, which he explained by stating, “I tried to use an electronic overlay to the voice, like a Robbie the Robot kind of thing, because that’s how the toys with sound chips worked.” With this in mind, the late Jessica Walter brought Holland’s idea to life.
The Arrested Development actress was best known, in horror, for her part in Clint Eastwood’s thriller Play Misty For Me. Her role as someone who stalked a radio DJ helped her immensely when voicing Chucky’s more threatening lines. However, when it came to his dark humor, it didn’t work as well. The lack of humor became a weakness that, when screened to audiences, wasn’t received nearly as well as the crew was hoping.
Following the original cut’s lackluster response, Chucky’s voice was given to Dourif, who ate up every moment of his scenery. In the early Child’s Play films, what made Chucky such a fan-favorite character among horror fans was his constant frustration about being a doll. As his curse slowly turned his doll form more human, he became more desperate and aggressive. As a result, Dourif put every ounce of himself into the character’s lines and painful screams. The audience responded well, and his cut was ultimately met with a more positive response.
While Walter didn’t voice the slasher icon, she used her talents to voice Mallory Archer in the hit animated series Archer. As for Chucky, Dourif went on to voice the character up until the 2019 reboot, which gave Mark Hamill the opportunity to put his touch on the role. While the original Child’s Play would go on to be a classic, it’s hard to believe that it almost existed without Brad Dourif as the character.
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