# Actors/performers with distinctive voices **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 10, 2021, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606 "2021-02-10T12:41:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/21 "2021-02-10T16:26:09Z")
I’ve been listening to Old Time Radio and the most distinctive voice there was William Conrad. He was once of the busiest actors in radio in the 40s and 50s. John Dehner also is easy to spot. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/22 "2021-02-10T16:48:20Z")
Sam Elliott could read me bedtime stories every night. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/23 "2021-02-10T16:55:15Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > This reminds me of [Norah Jones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norah_Jones), a fantastically wonderful jazz/piano voice that I fell in love with back in 2000. Good call. Let us not forget [John Facenda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Facenda), the NFL’s [“Voice of God”.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDZ5BOLPcF8) There is no frozen tundra of Lambeau Field without Facenda. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/24 "2021-02-10T16:56:44Z")
When I saw “distinctive voice”, the first actor that popped into my head was [Wallace Shawn](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001728/). ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/25 "2021-02-10T17:04:54Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > When I saw “distinctive voice”, the first actor that popped into my head was [Wallace Shawn](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001728/) He reminds of a whole branch of distinctive voices that are meant to be annoying, or just are annoying anyway. Gilbert Gottfried and Bobcat Goldwaithe as examples. Mila Kunis would fit there with her most annoying voice, and maybe Fran Drescher the same way. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/26 "2021-02-10T17:10:57Z")
[Kristen Schaal](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1102891/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) is another that’s very easy to pick out when she’s voicing an animated character, and could probably also fall into that “annoying” category. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/27 "2021-02-10T17:13:20Z")
And her “Bob’s Burgers” castmate H. Jon Benjamin (minus the “annoying” part). ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/28 "2021-02-10T17:57:06Z")
“You’re not too smart, are you? I like that in a man.” ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/29 "2021-02-10T18:22:49Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > And her “Bob’s Burgers” castmate H. Jon Benjamin (minus the “annoying” part). I swear, I had something for this burger! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jinBlY9BpJ0/maxresdefault.jpg "Archer/Bob's Burgers - "I Had Something For This Burger"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jinBlY9BpJ0) ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/30 "2021-02-10T18:51:51Z")
Mr T., Joe Pesci, Kristin Chenoweth, Matthew McConaughey ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/31 "2021-02-10T19:01:59Z")
Emily Procter. I don’t know to what extent it’s characteristic of N Carolina or idiosyncratic to her in particular, but it’s very distinctive. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DUwm6WJRPIQ/hqdefault.jpg "West Wing - Leo interviews Ainsley Hayes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUwm6WJRPIQ) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/32 "2021-02-10T19:09:53Z")
I heard Donald Sutherland do a voiceover for a commercial once and recognized it instantly. It was a not a celebrity endorsement, so they didn’t identify him. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/33 "2021-02-10T19:11:01Z")
George Burns, R.I.P. ---
**Author:** ![Kelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@Kelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelby)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/34 "2021-02-10T19:17:50Z")
Mike Rowe. Men with powerful voices (forgive me, ladies) seem to have more authority with the things they say. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/35 "2021-02-10T19:37:22Z")
There was a while in, I don’t know, '90s, '00s, when half the commercials on TV has a voice over by Martin Sheen. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/36 "2021-02-10T19:38:35Z")
Will Arnett, Patrick Warburton. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/37 "2021-02-10T20:28:22Z")
Mike Rowe also jumped directly to my mind. He fits into my ‘smooth, baritone black guy’ type voice even though he isn’t a black guy. Avery Brooks, Keith David and Chuck Nice are three that have not already been mentioned yet in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/38 "2021-02-10T21:08:54Z")
Ronald Colman, Orson Welles, Erich von Stroheim, Joan Greenwood…so many others. And of course, Harpo Marx. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/39 "2021-02-10T21:24:41Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > [Brian Blessed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Blessed), who played Prince Vultan in [Flash Gordon.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_Gordon_(film)) And he is very entertaining as Gramp Rabbit in the children’s series, Pepper Pig. In this episode he, ironically, loses his voice. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CYTnGm9V-qw/maxresdefault.jpg "Peppa Pig - Grampy Rabbit in Space (50 episode / 4 season) [HD]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYTnGm9V-qw&t=71) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2021, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606/40 "2021-02-10T21:57:52Z")
[Andy Devine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Devine) > His peculiar wheezy voice was first thought likely to prevent him from moving to the talkies, but instead, it became his trademark. Devine claimed that his distinctive voice resulted from a childhood accident in which he fell while running with a curtain rod in his mouth at the Beale Hotel in Kingman, causing the rod to pierce the roof of his mouth. When he was able to speak again, he had a labored, scratchy, duo-tone voice. A biographer, however, indicated that this was one of several stories Devine fabricated about his voice. His son Tad related in an interview for Encore Westerns Channel (Jim Beaver, reporting from the 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival) that there indeed had been an accident, but he was uncertain if it resulted in his father’s unusual voice. When asked if he had strange nodes on his vocal cords, Devine replied, “I’ve got the same nodes as Bing Crosby, but his are in tune.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-performers-with-distinctive-voices/932606.md?page=3)