# Looking for actors/actresses with beautiful speaking voices **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 9, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435 "2012-05-09T22:27:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/41 "2012-05-10T23:55:34Z")
Ian McKellen. I have an audiobook of him reading _The Odyssey_ and even the endless descriptions of banquets are great. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/42 "2012-05-10T23:57:25Z")
Peter Lorre! [When I grow up . . .](http://www.tomsmithonline.com/lyrics/peter_lorre.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/43 "2012-05-11T00:13:14Z")
Ken Nordine > **[Ken Nordine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Nordine)** > > Ken Nordine (April 13, 1920 – February 16, 2019) was an American voice-over and recording artist, best known for his series of word jazz albums. His deep, resonant voice has also been featured in many commercial advertisements and movie trailers. One critic wrote that "you may not know Ken Nordine by name or face, but you'll almost certainly recognize his voice." > The son of Theresia (Danielson) and Nore S. Nordine, a contractor, Ken Nordine was born in Cherokee, Iowa. His parents were Swedish. T... ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/44 "2012-05-11T00:18:36Z")
Juliet Stevenson Jeremy Irons Diana Rigg ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/45 "2012-05-11T02:10:50Z")
John Gielgud Albert “stop! that! train!” Finney Alan Ladd. No really: everyone remembers him for wearing elevator shoes, but he had a great voice. John Hurt (not an actor, but my favorite Southerner) David Brinkley (also not an actor, but if you ever heard him you never forgot his voice): Senator Everett Dirksen (R-IL) ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/46 "2012-05-11T04:01:26Z")
Does Garrison Keillor count as an actor? He plays a lot of roles on APHC and has been in some movies. My sister had a cockatiel that would dance and preen whenever GK’s voice was on the radio. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/47 "2012-05-11T10:02:18Z")
> [@laina\_f](#): > > Does Garrison Keillor count as an actor? He plays a lot of roles on APHC and has been in some movies. Speaking of APHC, I used to have \*such \*a voice-crush on [Ivy Austin](http://www.ivyaustin.com/) for her work on that show. A seriously lovely voice. And a small correction: Jeffrey **Tambor** ’s name is u-less. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/48 "2012-05-11T11:38:31Z")
Will Arnett. His regular speaking voice is perfect. He can also control it to do any type of voice in commercials. You hear him a lot more than you realize. I had to look up the name, Iain Glen. He plays Ser Jorah on Game of Thrones. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/49 "2012-05-11T18:14:54Z")
Another for Stephen Fry. I love listening to the Hitchhiker’s Guide because of him. Another is Nigel Planer when he’s not being whiny. His audiobook reading is wonderful. Sam Elliot. His voice makes me go weak at the knees. ---
**Author:** ![Labor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Labor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labor)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/50 "2012-05-11T18:27:19Z")
Miranda Otto. Dolly Parton - just love her speaking voice. I hate to say it but Kevin Costner has a very honest sounding voice. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/51 "2012-05-11T20:27:52Z")
Unless age has ruined her voice, Jane Fonda. Her voice was so beautiful that I noticed it as a horny teenager watching “Barbarella.” ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/52 "2012-05-11T20:30:26Z")
> [@PalJuicy](#): > > James Mason > Peter O’Toole Yup. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/53 "2012-05-12T00:29:39Z")
Just remembered… [Julian Barratt](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af9oaW3OorE) Simon Pegg As a bonus, they sound very similar to each other at times (not their accents but their voices). ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/54 "2012-05-12T01:10:02Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > Unless age has ruined her voice, Jane Fonda. Her voice was so beautiful that I noticed it as a horny teenager watching “Barbarella.” Nice call. Sharon Stone was the narrator for the kids’ show Harold & the Purple Crayon and… well, it gets my Purple Crayon going. Lindsay Wagner also has/had a soothing-yet-sexy voice. ---
**Author:** ![Arabella\_Flynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@Arabella\_Flynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arabella_Flynn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/55 "2012-05-12T21:42:24Z")
Someone already mentioned Benedict Cumberbatch, because someone always mentions him when this comes up. 🙂 I don’t think anyone’s mentioned Peter Davison. Which is a shame. ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/56 "2012-05-12T22:52:55Z")
Not an actor, but Trey Anastasio (Phish) has an incredibly soothing and lovely speaking voice. I didn’t even notice it until one day, my mom, of all people, said, “I could listen to this man read washing machine assembly directions.” He has a terrific smile as well. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/57 "2012-05-12T23:31:17Z")
Howard da Silva, character actor from the 60s. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/QxL3vcwOL8E/maxresdefault.jpg "The Great Gatsby (5/9) Movie CLIP - Meyer Wolfsheim (1974) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxL3vcwOL8E) I love Franka Potente’s voice (Run Lola Run). ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435/58 "2012-05-13T14:39:32Z")
I always thought John Vernon (Dean Wormer) had great timbre [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-actors-actresses-with-beautiful-speaking-voices/621435.md?page=2)