The Most Unique Voice in ‘Hazbin Hotel’ Has an Equally Interesting Backstory
Hazbin Hotel has been receiving high praise since it began rolling out on Prime Video. One of the most appealing aspects is the colorful cast of characters, including the intriguing and terrifying Alastor.
Also known as the “Radio Demon,” Alastor is believed to be one of the most powerful characters in the series. During his life, he was a radio show host and notorious serial killer, which earned him entrance to Hell. But of all the demons in Hell, Alastor stands out as a powerful Overlord who strikes fear into the majority of the realm’s inhabitants. Despite being brutal and cannibalistic, he also maintains an unsettling cheerful demeanor, frequently displaying his sharp, yellow teeth with his wide grin. At first glance, Alastor appears to be quite a sophisticated and posh demon. Still, the ruthless manner in which he deals with other demons and the antlers that sprout from his head when he’s angry warn others to steer clear.
Viewers also have yet to see the full extent of Alastor’s powers and motives. Even though he seemingly enjoys hanging around Charlie Morningstar’s Hazbin Hotel, it’s quite clear that he’s not there to help Charlie on her mission out of the goodness of his heart. He seems to be playing some kind of game, which is why he’s so pleased to be at the Hotel, though his ulterior motives remain unknown. Needless to say, viewers will be quickly drawn to Alastor and eager to learn more about the powerful demon.
Meet the voice actors behind Alastor
In addition to his unique story, the best thing about Alastor is his voice. To add to his sophisticated and educated aura, he speaks with a bit of a transatlantic accent. This kind of accent was often heard in Hollywood films from the 1930s and ’40s, which makes sense given that Alastor is believed to have died sometime in the 1930s. It’s pretty clever to give him a voice that viewers can connect to his life on Earth, but there are actually a couple of voice actors behind Alastor.
Edward Bosco is credited with originating the voice of Alastor in the Hazbin Hotel pilot, while Gabriel C. Brown provided the character’s singing voice. Bosco has countless voice acting credits to his name and is quite well-known for his anime and video game roles. In addition to voicing Alastor in Hazbin Hotel, he voices Joe and Striker in the show’s spinoff Helluva Boss. He’s also lent his voice to Doom Eternal, Resident Evil Village, One Punch Man, and much more. Meanwhile, Brown is a prominent YouTuber who also boasts over a dozen voice-acting credits.
To complement Bosco’s and Brown’s talented voice acting skills, Hazbin Hotel uses a filter to make Alastor’s voice sound as if it’s coming from an old-time radio. The video below shows what Alastor’s voice sounds like without the radio effect.
Unfortunately, when Hazbin Hotel was picked up for season 1 by A24 and Amazon, the majority of the cast from the pilot were replaced. This drew some backlash given how much viewers loved these voice actors in the pilot. That backlash intensified when several former voice actors, including Brown, began speaking out, alleging that the cast wasn’t informed of their replacements nor provided an explanation for the change. The cast changes meant that Bosco and Brown were replaced by Amir Talai, who is known for his voice roles in Turbo FAST and Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.
Despite the controversy, Talai’s Alastor voice sounds very close to Bosco’s with the transatlantic accent and radio filter. Even fans of Bosco admit that Talai does a fantastic job as Alastor.
Although Bosco and Brown didn’t return for Hazbin Hotel season 1, their influence is still evident in the series as Talai puts his own spin on the unique voice they created for Alastor.
(featured image: Prime Video)
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