A name like Doctor Octopus is incredibly on the nose. It's obvious what the influence for the character is, and one only needs to look at his mechanical arms to get the gist of it. When portraying Doc Ock, though, it might be a little difficult to channel an actual octopus, so actor Peter MacNicol found inspiration in a slightly different place.
Discussing the chosen voice for the character in an interview, MacNicol revealed that he used it as a tribute to the late Hollywood actor Laird Cregar. "Throughout his brief 1940s career, Cregar waged a war to the death against his own obesity, ultimately losing too many pounds too quickly; he was barely 30 when he died," he said. "In his two greatest movies, 'Hangover Square' and 'The Lodger,' he seemed so haunted and hulking, and I loved that soft, menacing voice of his." MacNicol added that he didn't try to imitate Cregar's performances, per se, but found inspiration in their "quality."
