Scottish actor Alexander Morton has died at the age of 81. British audiences will likely remember him best from Monarch of the Glen, but for players he carried a very different legacy. Morton was the voice of Zoltan Chivay in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, bringing to life the gruff, bearded dwarf who stood as one of Geralt’s most loyal friends and allies across the series.
CD Projekt Red paid tribute to the actor on Instagram on Friday, saying it was deeply saddened by the news of Morton’s passing. The studio described him as the beloved voice of Zoltan Chivay in both The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, offered its condolences to his family and friends, and ended with a line that hit fans exactly where it needed to: Thank you for bringing Zoltan to life. The Continent is already missing you.
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From a gaming perspective, Morton may not have been one of the most frequently discussed voice actors in the industry, but as Zoltan he brought precisely the rough, bitter, and strangely warm presence that made the character work so well. Zoltan was never just a loud, foul-mouthed side character standing next to Geralt. He was the kind of figure who could be brutally honest, dryly funny, and completely dependable at the same time. Morton’s voice fit that personality perfectly.
His career, of course, extended far beyond The Witcher. In British television he was widely known as Golly Mackenzie in Monarch of the Glen, but he also appeared in series such as Take the High Road, Taggart, Luther, and Shetland. He was no stranger to video games either, with credits that included LittleBigPlanet Vita, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Killzone 2, Fable II, Age of Conan, Viking: Battle for Asgard, and Heavenly Sword.
Even so, there is little doubt that Zoltan Chivay will remain Morton’s most significant legacy for players. In The Witcher games, he was the friend who never wrapped his opinions in politeness, never babied the hero, but was always there when it mattered. He was one of Geralt’s oldest and most reliable allies, and it is now hard to imagine the character sounding quite the same without Morton behind him.
With Alexander Morton’s death, players have not only lost a veteran Scottish actor, but also the voice that gave one of fantasy gaming’s funniest, harshest, and most human characters his unmistakable edge. Zoltan Chivay will still live on in the games, but from now on there will be a different weight to hearing him speak again.
Source: Eurogamer
