The original English videogame voice of Sonic the Hedgehog, Ryan Drummond, has revealed that one particular line from the Dreamcast era still makes him cringe decades later.
In a recent interview, Drummond reflected on his time voicing Sonic in Sonic Adventure, admitting that one moment from the game’s opening still “haunts” him.
“There are definitely some lines, from, say, the original Sonic Adventure, that I would redo,” Drummond explained. “There’s one line from Sonic Adventure that haunts me more than any other, and that, of course, is right at the beginning, where he says, ‘Watch out, you’re going to crash.’”
The line occurs early in the game during the opening events in Station Square, when Sonic sees Tails flying by on the Tornado and loses control of the plane. While the moment has become a memorable quote among fans, Drummond says it remains the delivery he would most like to revisit.
Over the years, the line has taken on a life of its own within the community. According to Drummond, fans have even turned the quote into novelty merchandise.
“I’ve had people make me T-shirts and jewelry with that terrible line on it,” he said. “I wish I could go back and change that. But now that it’s all these years later, it’s kind of become this quirky, fun thing. It’s become less horrifying as the years have gone on.”
Despite his self-criticism, Drummond acknowledged that performance is always subjective and that fans have largely embraced the line as part of the early Dreamcast-era charm.
“There are always things that I wish I could have done or would have done better,” he added. “But that’s just the nature of life.”
Drummond also recalled the simple direction he received from SEGA when he first began recording dialogue for Sonic. According to the actor, the character’s personality was originally summarized with just four words: “cool, blue, rebellious teenager.”
He used that description as the foundation for Sonic’s voice, gradually expanding on it with traits such as humor, loyalty, and confidence while maintaining the rebellious edge that defined the character.
Drummond’s portrayal during the Dreamcast era helped establish Sonic’s modern voice in fully voiced games, shaping the character’s tone during the early 3D era of the franchise. His performance laid groundwork that later actors would continue building on across games, animation, and film.
Outside the Sonic series, Drummond has also provided voice work for numerous commercial campaigns, including advertisements for brands such as Pizza Hut, Petco, and Chrysler.
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