The voice of the Headless Horseman
by Mike Schramm 
Oct 27th 2008 at 3:00PM
It is over, your search is done! Let fate choose now, the righteous one."Over here, you idiot!" ring a bell? We've had a bunch of readers ask us lately just who does the voice for the Headless Horseman -- corny poetry aside, players are really loving the laugh and timbre of the guy who doesn't even have a throat to speak with. The most common guess we've heard is Gerard Butler, star of 300, but that doesn't really compute, as Blizzard usually uses lesser known voice actors and even most of their sound crew and artists (Chris Metzen does quite a few voices, actually, including most of the Orcs in game).
We've got two guesses for the Headless Horseman: the first is voice actor Michael McConnohie -- he's done a few other voices for Blizzard before (including Kel'thuzad). While his voice is definitely recognizable (he sounds like the Human male to me), the other strong male voice we know has worked for Blizzard is Mark Graue, who runs a voice studio in LA, and has worked on WoW since the beginning (he did the Undead emotes). Here's Graue's demos -- he sounded to me like the Horseman for sure when I first listened, but a few times in, I'm not so sure any more.
You can listen to the voice demos for both those guys and judge for yourself. Again, those are just guesses, based on who's worked with Blizzard in the past -- we don't really know for sure who it is. But we do have a query in to Blizzard on just whose manical laugh that is you hear when you throw a Jack-o-Lantern on your friend's head, so if they get back to us with a name, we'll post it here.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Events, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Quests, Bosses, NPCs
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kyle Oct 27th 2008 3:06PM
I don't think it's McConnohie. He's one of my favorite voice actors and I can usually nail him in any role, but the Headless Horseman doesn't sound like him to me.
Still awesome voice, though.
WoWie Zowie Oct 27th 2008 11:16PM
i did headless horseman before i ran kara a year ago.
instantly recognizable, i know the same guy did the voice for the announcer during the opera event.
"and now...On with the show!"
Laynne Oct 27th 2008 3:11PM
You know how you get songs stuck in your head? Now I have the Headless Horseman stuck in my head.
Ug.
It is a fantastic voice though. It's perfect for him.
Will Oct 27th 2008 3:27PM
When I first heard it, I thought it sounded a lot like Michael Crawford, the original Phantom of the Opera. Kinda doubt that it'd be him though.
Malyfactian Oct 27th 2008 3:29PM
"Get over here, you idiot!" makes me chuckle every time....
zumacrume Oct 27th 2008 3:34PM
Tis you I scorn, now feel.....THE BURN!
Chris Anthony Oct 27th 2008 4:37PM
"spurn". :)
That's actually one of my least favorite lines, just because the meter is stretching so far in the second half.
Bjara Oct 27th 2008 5:09PM
Mine too! I was kind of surprised. I mean, no one at Blizzard needs to churn out epic pieces of verse or anything, but you're right--it's an awkward little piece of rhyme there.
jbodar Oct 27th 2008 9:01PM
I thought I was the only one annoyed by that. Nice.
Rastakitty Oct 27th 2008 3:34PM
I loved sitting around tristfal glades just so i could hear the yells. Great work whoever it is. Hopefully Wowinsider can get us the answer to this.
MDS Oct 27th 2008 3:37PM
Whoever does the horseman also does Barnes in Kara and I *THINK* Selin Fireheart. Figure out those two and you've got it.
darian Oct 27th 2008 3:47PM
The Horseman's voice actor does Barnes as well as Shade of Aran. Selin Fireheart is a different voice actor.
paper Oct 27th 2008 3:51PM
I noticed that the dragon-riding boss of Hellfire Ramparts also sounds similar. Might that be the same guy also?
Salculd Oct 27th 2008 6:59PM
I always thought that guy sounded like Lrrr from Futurama.
RogueJedi86 Oct 27th 2008 3:59PM
It'd be nice if y'all wowinsider crew could try to make a good list of all the voice actors and their roles. Since several are anime voice actors(and I'm an anime nut), I can name a few. Like Quinton Flynn is Kael'thas, and McConnohie also voices Epoch Hunter in Old Hillsbrad. The WoW credits only give names(no roles), and BC's credits don't even list any VA names. I'm not sure if WotLK has VAs credited in the credits. Still, many of us players are geeks and would be greatly interested in the voices. :D
Wasuremono Oct 27th 2008 4:04PM
I hate that voice. People seriously enjoy it? It sounds so stilted-- I mean the lines are horrendous so it would be hard not to sound stilted but I just do not like that voice.
Mihn Oct 27th 2008 4:11PM
I know Micheal Dorn is in the game. Something I learned recently.
This guy, is a mystery to me, though. Me being someone who is aspiring to be a voice actor, and, can name some more of the obscure ones out there.
Evadne Oct 28th 2008 11:32AM
Yup! Michael Dorn does do quite a few of the Orc voices. Somehow, it was just perfect :)
Keyra Oct 27th 2008 4:29PM
The laugh is insidious enough, but the beginning portion just sounds a little too forced as far as I'm concerned. Great voice, otherwise...
...I just wish they'd nerf how far it carries.
I mean, I'm hearing it and reading the yell at the east sanctum, and it's coming from Falconwing Square? Come on, Blizzard, WTF?
Same thing with Brewfest - Sen'jin Village and I'm reading "SOMEONE TRY THIS SUPER BREW!" from just outside of Orgrimmar when the Dark Iron dwarves invade. Um...yeah.
Oh well...it's still fun :-)
Stealthfire Oct 27th 2008 4:38PM
HHM=Emperor of Britannia? Yeah, that'd be pretty funny. I don't think it's him though, but it's hard to tell. The other guy I don't know well enough.
I really wish they'd list the voice credits somewhere.