Who voices Wirt in Over the Garden Wall? Unveiling the voice actor behind the character

Over the Garden Wall, the animated television miniseries created by Patrick McHale for Cartoon Network, remains popular with the old and the young alike even a decade after its original run. Broadcast on the network from November 3 to November 7, 2014, the miniseries contains 10 episodes.

The series is based on McHale's animated short film Tome of the Unknown, and it revolves around two half-brothers, Wirt and Greg. They travel across a mysterious forest called the Unknown, in search of their way home. They encounter a host of mysterious and fantastical things, and grave dangers on their journey.

Wirt, one of the two principal characters of the series, was voiced by Elijah Wood. The American actor and producer was in his mid-thirties when he voiced the character in Over the Garden Wall.

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Elijah Wood voiced Wirt in Over the Garden Wall

The characterization of the two half-brothers, Wirt and Greg, are a study in contrast. While Greg, the younger brother, is carefree and lively, Wirt is a shy and reticent person. Though still a kid, he is a serious boy who has no time for frivolities. The differing natures of the brothers often result in fights.

Elijah Wood was already famous for his work in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Paris, je t'aime (2006), among others, when he voiced Wirt in the Over the Garden Wall. Wood was 33 years old during the production.

In an April 2, 2015 interview, Wood told The Standard the following regarding the miniseries:

“It felt like an exploration of the fairytales that we kind of grew up on and that is less represented in animation certainly on television nowadays, so it was cool to kind of jump into fantastical world that provided the conduit for all these interesting stories that are very evocative of old dusty fairytales.”

News.com.au published an interview on December 9, 2014, in which Wood described what he thought of the character Wirt. He said:

“Wirt is a very idiosyncratic character. He is the older brother to Greg but because of Greg’s naiveties he actually has a very brave approach to everything.”

Further, he shared how he approached playing the character, saying:

“Pat described Wirt’s cadence as being like Woody Allen. Wirt is not necessarily neurotic in the way Woody Allen is but he is socially awkward. I ran with that (McHale’s Woody Allen suggestion) which was really exciting.”

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The plot of Over the Garden Wall

The synopsis of the series on Hulu reads:

“Over the Garden Wall is Cartoon Network’s 1st animated mini-series event that tells the story of two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who find themselves lost in a strange forest. With the help of a bluebird named Beatrice, they must travel across this strange land in hope of finding their way home.”

During their journey through the Unknown, Wirt and Greg come across various supernatural phenomena in this strange land. They are also stalked by the Beast, who has evil plans of turning them into Edelwood trees.

The second half of the series presents a twist in the story: it is revealed that Wirt and Greg are inhabitants of the real world who fell into a dream following a mishap. The entire episode of the Unknown happened in their limbo-like dream. However, the ending of the series also suggests that however unreal, the experiences of the Unknown left deep imprints on the brothers’ minds.

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Over the Garden Wall: Cast and crew

Apart from Elijah Wood, the voice cast of the series includes:

• Collin Dean as Greg
• Melanie Lynskey as Beatrice
• Christopher Lloyd as the Woodsman
• Jack Jones as Greg's Frog
• Samuel Ramey as the Beast
• Emily Brundige as Sara
• Mark Bodnar as the North Wind
• John Cleese as Quincy Endicott and Adelaide
• Tim Curry as Auntie Whispers
• Noureen DeWulf as Pumpkin Gal
• Frank Fairfield as the Toy Maker

The series was created by Patrick McHale, from a story developed by Amalia Levari, Tom Herpich, McHale, Cole Sanchez, and Bert Youn. The executive producers of the show include Jennifer Pelphrey, Curtis Lelash, Brian A. Miller, Rob Sorcher, and McHale.

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