Gromit, one of Britain’s most beloved characters, is finally going to speak after almost four decades on our screens. Since 1989, Wallace and Gromit have embarked on various adventures, from Were-Rabbits to a dastardly penguin, but the claymation dog has never uttered a word. His expressive face and body language have always been loud enough to let viewers know exactly what he’s thinking – but then we invented audiobooks.
Martin Freeman Chosen as Narrator
Gromit is releasing an autobiography this month and it will be available in audiobook form, so Nick Park, animator and co-creator, faced a conundrum. ‘Who could possibly be the voice of a character everyone feels they know, but nobody’s actually heard?’ he asked. Turns out the ‘obvious choice’ was Martin Freeman, and Nick was ‘genuinely thrilled and honoured when he said yes.’
Martin, 55, is best known for his underappreciated and underestimated hero roles, a situation that Gromit is only too familiar with. He starred as the put-upon sidekick Dr John Watson in the Bafta-winning BBC Sherlock, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch as the famed detective. Meanwhile, in the adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, he’s a young Bilbo Baggins who proves to be exactly the burglar-hobbit that his dwarf companions needed. Then there’s the exasperated Tim from the UK version of The Office, trying to give David Brent the benefit of the doubt while being utterly fed up with his incompetence. Sounds like a dog we know.
No Impact on Future Films
Most recently, Gromit outwitted Feathers McGraw, who was hell-bent on revenge and controlling an army of evil robot garden gnomes. The poor pooch has also put up with Wallace’s questionable love interests and even more baffling inventions, all without uttering a word. Nick explained that Martin isn’t going to be doing a Gromit ‘voice’ and won’t impact future films.
‘He’s reading Gromit’s story as Gromit put it: his inner thoughts, his candid insights and endless witticisms, bringing to them his usual colour, thoughtfulness and wry humour,’ he said.
Book Release and Exhibit
The book, Grand: The Autobiography of Gromit, as told to Nick Park, is out everywhere on October 22. There’s also an immersive exhibit on the way, titled Larger Than Life, which will share behind-the-scenes moments, projected across four 11-metre walls. It’s set to open on October 14 at the Lightroom in King’s Cross, London.
