September 25, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Actor Brian Tyree Henry said during a recent late-night TV appearance that he would be the voice of Gritty. Through his people, Gritty responded: "To think that I would allow anyone to play me but me is laughable."
Late-night television raised an important question last week: What would Gritty sound like, if he had a voice?
Seth Meyers posed the query to "Atlanta" actor Brian Tyree Henry, who was recently in Philadelphia shooting "Sinking Spring," the upcoming AppleTV+ series. Henry envisioned a guttural growl with "a little bit of depression but grit at the same time." While the pair seemed to agree that the Flyers mascot is better off not talking, Henry enthusiastically volunteered to voice him.
The possibility, while amusing, is unlikely to happen. Through his people, Gritty responded: "To think that I would allow anyone to play me but me is laughable. I’m as method as they come. I do all my own stunts, I don’t believe in rehearsing, and I’ve never needed more than one take."
But all this chatter about who could voice the city's beloved orange monster and what he might sound like got us thinking: Can Gritty already talk?
Like so many costumed hype monsters who came before him, Gritty doesn't speak. But that doesn't mean he's silent. Both his hands and bulging belly button squeak, a feature Gritty has proudly displayed in his many public appearances. His cameo on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" suggests that squeak could also come from a hidden vocal cord, since the mascot makes noises even when he's not hitting Dennis.
Gritty is also an excellent written communicator. He delivered his 2019 Webby Award acceptance speech via a sign reading, "It Pronounced Wooder. Not Water." Before that, he re-created a much-parodied "Love Actually" scene with sports commentator Katie Nolan, in which Gritty confesses his true feelings on a series of handwritten cards. (His are a little meaner than the ones in the movie.) And when he's not on the ice at Wells Fargo Center, Gritty is usually trolling on X, formerly known as Twitter.
There's some evidence, however, that Gritty is conversing in other ways. Sir Patrick Stewart claimed that his mascot pal played one of the leads in "Romeo & Juliet" during their time in the Royal Shakespeare Company — and the Bard's words are pretty tough to tackle through miming alone. When Stewie Griffin told an animated version of Gritty, "I'm not going to pee in a cup for you, so stop asking," on "Family Guy," there was also not a notepad in sight.
A more recent stunt by the Flyers mascot raises even more questions. The team promoted its 2023-2024 season through a parody of the Nicole Kidman ad for AMC Theatres, starring Gritty in her familiar pinstripe suit. Just as Kidman provided voiceover for her commercial, an Australian-sounding voice extolling "hits you can feel" narrates the Flyers' video. It's definitely not Kidman's, despite an admirable imitation. So, following the logic of the original commercial, wouldn't that make the voice Gritty's? Has the chaotic embodiment of Philadelphia been a stealth Aussie this whole time?
flyers hockey feels good in a place like this pic.twitter.com/C5Md4LbvPJ
— Gritty (@GrittyNHL) October 17, 2023
The most convincing clue that Gritty speaks some kind of language comes from a special short he filmed with the "Queer Eye" cast in 2020, ahead of their fifth season in Philadelphia. The Fab Five set out to give Gritty a makeover before concluding, naturally, that he's perfect as is. But to help him manage gameday pressures, Karamo Brown suggests the Phanatic as an "accountability buddy." The furry friends embrace and then, in a wild turn of events, talk with closed captioning.
"Being a Philly mascot is a hard job," the Phanatic starts. "But you know what keeps me going?"
"Hot dogs? Cheesesteaks? Wooder ice?!" Gritty asks.
"Well yes ... I was gonna say the fans! You are so important to them and to the city of Philadelphia," the Phanatic replies.
So there you have it: Gritty can talk, even if we can't hear it. He may even be hiding some kind of voice behind that mass of hair and fur. But he is not ready to share it just yet, even if an Oscar-nominated actor is offering to help.
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