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Nick Frost Gobber live action transformation is here — and it’s as fiery and heartfelt as the dragons themselves. As DreamWorks’ beloved How to Train Your Dragon soars into live-action, one of its most beloved characters, Gobber the Belch, gets a gritty new avatar thanks to British comedy legend Nick Frost. And fans are loving his raw, real take on the battle-worn Viking mentor.
What Happened
Frost steps into the formidable shoes — or should we say peg leg — of Craig Ferguson, who originally voiced Gobber in the animated trilogy. Directed by Dean DeBlois, who also helmed the originals, the live-action version releases on June 12 in Australia and later globally. Speaking about the creative challenge, Frost shared that rather than replicate Ferguson’s iconic voice, he was encouraged to bring his own rough-edged charm to the role.
“Dean told me he liked my voice — that rough Cockney thing,” Frost said. “You kind of end up doing an impression of Ray Winstone… and he loved it.”
Why Fans Are Talking
For a franchise that’s been emotionally sacred to a generation, any reinterpretation comes with weight. But Frost’s mix of reverence and reinvention seems to have struck the right chord. “You have to respect what Craig did, but also unburden yourself from it — that gives you the freedom to reinvent Gobber,” he said.
He even used his real-life limp (due to a pending knee replacement) to add authenticity to Gobber’s physicality. “We made Gobber’s left leg the one that’s missing… so when you see him limping around, that’s me,” he chuckled.
On Set Wisdom and Winks
True to Gobber’s role as mentor, Frost took on a guiding presence off-camera too. “There’s a responsibility as an older actor — know your lines, be respectful, know everyone’s names. That’s professionalism,” he said.
The actor, known for his roles in Shaun of the Dead and Paul, also dished out filmmaking wisdom — like why actors should know the size of the lens they’re shooting with. “If you’re giving a 100% emotional performance in a wide shot where you’re a speck, it’s wasted,” he said. “Taper your performance to the lens.”
Legacy or Just the Beginning?
While Frost is reluctant to call anything “legacy” just yet, he’s thrilled at how streaming has revived some of his past work. “Paul just hit number three on Netflix in the US, and Simon [Pegg] messaged me like, ‘Are you still alive?’” he laughed.
For now, he’s focused on building this new chapter, hinting Gobber will have a bigger role in the sequels. “It’s the same, but different,” he said. “Like Doctor Who — you can love Tom Baker and Peter Davison.”
With dragons, prosthetics, and pure passion, Nick Frost’s Gobber might just become this generation’s favorite Viking mentor — all over again.
Credit: The Au Review.
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