I came across this post by total accident, looking at some sites I love to read about gadgets, t shirts, games, just anything fun really. This just caught my eye over at Boing Boing and I had to immediately go over to Film Critic and check it out.
It’s their all time top 100 voices in the movies. It counts down from 100, and as soon as I started scrolling I was surprised. Arnie at 99? Come on now, with lines like “If it bleeds we can kill it”, “Come with me if you want to live” and the ultimate “I’ll be back”, how can that so recognisable voice be that low?! To see Elizabeth Hurley much higher than Elvis as well, for me the list was rapidly becoming poor.
There are some I agree with though, just not in the proper places, James Earl Jones who sould so easily have been number one, Christopher Walken, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, just some of the excellent choices to be had. Here’s their top ten:
10. Peter Sellers
9. Holly Hunter
8. John Wayne
7. Al Pacino
6. Marilyn Monroe
5. Jack Nicholson
4. James Earl Jones
3. Christopher Walken
2. Orson Welles
1. Clint Eastwood
So what would your top three (or more) be? Who is an iconic voice of the cinema? For me, I would struggle to pick some out from the rush of top spots for Wayne, Eastwood, Earl Jones, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, James Stewart…oh god, you could so easily go on and on. You’d have to tip a nod to the trailer voice over men too – John, note for Movie Blog, I do a great voice over man. Everyone, make your choices…
i agree with most of the list. i couldn’t beleive(sp?) that alan rickman didn’t make the list, the guy has an incredible baritone voice that has always stuckout in my mind when it comes to famous voices
1. Arnold Schwarzeneggar
2. Sean Connery – especially when he does a russian accent :)
3. james earl jones
4. Katherine hepburn
5. Mr. T – Id definately recognise his voice on anything because he would always “pity da fool”
1. James Earl Jones (In everything except CNN spots)
2. Frank Oz (Any or all of his voices)
3. Marilyn Monroe (Her sex appeal wasn’t all visual)
4. Richard Harris
5. Jimmy Stewart
6. John Wayne
7. Katharyn Hepburn
8. Sean Connery
Sorry I just couldn’t pick only 3
im not sure if all these got a mention but my fav’s are Gregory Peck, Orson Wells, Michael Keaton (Batman), Bruce Campbell, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Iron, Samuel L. Jackson, Sir Antony Hopkins, Sir Alec Guiness.
theres my 2 cents for today
Benicio Del Toro has a pretty recognizable voice.
But I’d rank it like this:
3. Jack Nicholson
2. R. Lee Ermey
1. Ian McDiarmid (Maybe I’m just in a Star Wars mood)
what about keifer and donald sutherland and robin williams, peirce brosnan. clive owen.
its wierd..i recognized josh hartnetts voice immediately at the beginning of sin city…possibly he could be on his way to have a recognizable voice.
hmmm…women…sarah jessica parker, susan surandon, helen hunt
How come on one mentioned about Jeremy Iron in “The Lion King”?
The people they’ve listed are great, and it’s true the list could go on and on. Still, I’d put Bernadette Peters and Carol Channing on the list somewhere.
I would have liked to seen Keith David on the list. I know he may not be a big movie star, and I may know his voice best from cartoons, but his voices is unmistakenable, deep, low, and gravelly.
For me
1) Sean Connery – Why Mish Money Penny
2) Roger Moore – (Highbrow raised) The names Bond, James Bond
3) Clint Eastwood – Go ahead make my day!
A big shout has to go to the really gravely voiced voice over man. The one who makes every film sound like its the greatest action packed thrill ride of a movie ever.
I will agree Rich, this list could quiet easily go on for ages.