INTERVIEW – In the animated film adaptation of The Quest – Csongor&Tünde, Péter Geszti voices Kurrah, a mischievous little demon whose playfulness and cheeky attitude surprisingly mirror the lyricist-actor’s own personality. We spoke with him about preserving his inner child, the freedom of voice acting, the contradictions of today’s music industry, and why the world of controllers never really appealed to him.

In the animated version of Vörösmarty’s classic play, Péter Geszti brings to life a character who is both playful and a little sinister—Kurrah, the mischievous imp. Hungarian audiences have long been familiar with Geszti’s voice from animated films, commercials, and songs, but this role feels particularly close to him. It’s about preserving his childhood spirit, embracing the freedom of performance, and channeling creative instincts that date back decades. In this interview, he discusses the challenges of voice acting, the contradictions of the digital music industry, the question of state funding, and even whether he would lend his voice to a video game character.

theGeek: How did you get involved with The Quest – Csongor&Tünde animated film, and what attracted you to the role?

Péter Geszti: Honestly, I’m not exactly sure why they called me, but I have a few guesses. One reason might be that I acted as a child in the animated film Ludas Matyi, and maybe some memory or trust lingered because of that. Another is simply that I always enjoy these kinds of opportunities. To me, it’s like playtime—a journey back to childhood activities that help me stay inspired and keep an open mind. I make a conscious effort to preserve that childlike perspective even as an adult.

tG: How was voicing Kurrah different from your previous voice work, like playing the sloth in Ice Age?

G.P.: The most important thing was not to slip back into the sloth’s voice. It’s easy to get stuck in an old character, especially if you don’t do voice acting regularly. Kurrah is a bit mischievous, and when searching for his voice, I kept thinking of Péter Haumann’s take on Gargamel from The Smurfs. That’s where the voice director becomes crucial—to nudge you if you’re heading in the wrong direction. I still carry this playful instinct, and I often use different voices casually, like when joking around with friends. So for me, it’s not work; it’s pure fun.

tG: Do you find voice acting more difficult than music or performing live?

G.P.: Thankfully, I never became a full-time actor—and honestly, that’s a good thing. I would probably make a lousy actor. I’m best when I can bring parts of myself—humor, irony, self-irony—into a character. Whether it was the sloth in Ice Age or the disco DJ in The Fifth Element, the roles always had some exaggerated, playful dimension. Kurrah is like that too. He might seem evil, but I see him more as playful. There’s no malice in me, but I’m always up for a good game.

tG (Anikó): The script for the film is brilliant.

G.P.: I completely agree—and that’s thanks to Dávid Speier. He rewrote the entire script, and I have to admit, he did an outstanding job. If it had been up to me, it probably wouldn’t have turned out this well. Even today, while coming here through Moszkva Square, I jotted down a new line idea in my notes—my playful, lyricist side is always active. And that’s one of the film’s biggest strengths: the dialogues.

tG: You’ve worked in so many creative fields—how do you see the music industry today?

G.P.: It’s very mixed. Technology has made it possible for anyone to create music, which sounds great in theory. But in reality, it hasn’t led to an explosion of real hits. Digital platforms flood us with thousands of hours of music daily—it’s impossible to keep up. Now AI can even generate voices—including mine. We might soon reach a point where someone can create a “Geszti song” at home, with my voice singing like Freddie Mercury. It’s both fascinating and terrifying. Legally, it needs regulation, but artistically, it opens up a whole new world.

tG: And what about Hungary’s music industry?

G.P.: Only those who can perform live and manage to get at least one out of ten songs to reach people will survive. On the other side are the state-funded performers, who benefit financially but often lag creatively. It’s a damaging trend. I never needed state support—and yet I sold out arena shows twice. If you’re working for the market, you should survive on the market. State funding should be reserved for experimental and high-art projects.

tG: In recent years, you’ve returned to music full-time. What brought you back?

G.P.: Three years ago, I left the advertising business behind. Since then, it’s been only about music and performing. I’m much happier this way. I deeply regret the decade—between 2000 and 2010—when I wasn’t making music. Now, I feel alive and creative again, and I love it.

tG: Which of your musical projects are you most proud of?

G.P.: I’ll name three. First, my latest arena show, “Geszti Sixxy.” Ten months of hard work went into it, but we achieved a new level of visual and emotional impact—thanks to my AI-artist friend Dávid Szauder and director András Lakatos. Second, the songs for The Jungle Book and The Paul Street Boys. These have become deeply woven into community and school culture. Third, I was recently invited to perform for World Autism Awareness Day. The children chose songs I wrote, and hearing them interpreted through their performances gave the songs a whole new meaning. The theme song for the TV show Ász was among them. It was incredibly moving. Honestly, if nothing else had happened in my last ten years, that alone would’ve been worth it.

tG: theGeek is a video game portal, so we have to ask—what’s your relationship with gaming?

G.P.: None, really. I’ve never played video games. I just never made time for them. I enjoyed The Witcher as a series, but the last video game I saw firsthand was when we were batting a pixel back and forth between two lines on a Videoton TV.

tG: If you were asked to voice a character in a video game, would you do it?

G.P.: Absolutely, I’d love to. I’m not sure I’d be great for monsters, but a humorous character would be right up my alley. Honestly, I’m a bit afraid of games—not the work, but the games themselves. I’m worried I might get hooked. I have a playful streak. Even when playing soccer, I care more about the game itself than winning. But songwriting became my true playground. That’s where I found my world.

Interview by Gergely Herpai “BadSector”