# Narrators and Voice-over Specialists of note **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 6, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076 "2012-05-06T17:30:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/1 "2012-05-06T17:30:33Z")
The voice of F. Murray Abraham narrating an eposode of _Nature_ is wafting in from the other room and it makes me curious how many well-established voices keep coming up in such settings and in commercials and PSAs. Help me name some of the more recognizable ones working today. Peter Coyote Alec Baldwin David McCullough Michael C. Hall ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/2 "2012-05-06T18:36:29Z")
Other names to add appear on this list at[Nature \> Season 28](http://www.watchfreemovies.ch/watch-tv-shows/1982/watch-nature-220470/season-28/episode-1/) and there are several woman whose names I wasn’t able to pull out of thin air. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/3 "2012-05-06T18:37:34Z")
The ubiquitous Dunald Sutherland. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/4 "2012-05-06T18:55:32Z")
Patrick Stewart ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/5 "2012-05-06T19:00:03Z")
Morgan Freeman Robert Redford ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/6 "2012-05-06T19:03:50Z")
Does Mike Rowe count? Even without his Ford commercials and “Dirty Jobs,” he has been a familiar narrator of programs, most notably “Deadliest Catch.” His voice has been familiar to me for years. William Shatner narrates many science specials, as do Avery Brooks and Michael Dorn. Their voices are instantly recognizable. I have also heard Harry Shearer narrate a few programs. Sigourney Weaver has also narrated quite a few nature shows. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/7 "2012-05-06T19:09:54Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Does Mike Rowe count? Even without his Ford commercials and “Dirty Jobs,” he has been a familiar narrator of programs, most notably “Deadliest Catch.” His voice has been familiar to me for years. Yes, indeed! In fact, I’m hoping by way of this thread to put names with some of those voices that keep coming up in so many places. I’ve done some preliminary poking around at Wikipedia with no great luck for lists of well-known voices. _Nova_ and other PBS shows have some I would love to be able to associate a name with. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/8 "2012-05-06T19:50:31Z")
Tom Selleck ---
**Author:** ![Feyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Feyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feyrat)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/9 "2012-05-06T19:56:01Z")
Jim Dale!! ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/10 "2012-05-06T20:11:13Z")
The late great George Page. Werner Herzog – he sort of deserves his own category. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/11 "2012-05-06T20:19:21Z")
Sam Waterston on PBS. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/12 "2012-05-06T21:46:00Z")
The Voice: James Earl Jones ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/13 "2012-05-06T21:51:57Z")
Gene Hackman does a lot of voice work for commercials. He’s voiced ads for CNN, GTE, Lowes, Oppenheimer Funds, and United Airlines. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/14 "2012-05-06T22:09:47Z")
Brooks Moore. (How It’s Made). ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/15 "2012-05-06T22:22:19Z")
I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned Don LaFontaine yet. He truly deserves his own category. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/16 "2012-05-06T22:42:02Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned Don LaFontaine yet. He truly deserves his own category. That would be the “Posthumous” category. ---
**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 7, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/17 "2012-05-07T01:08:41Z")
Opening up the posthumous category full throttle: Rod Serling (Jacques Cousteau) Richard Basehart Olivier (The World at War) Alexander Scorby (classy voice-overs in the 1960’s) Another ubiquitous classy voice-over from then; I can’t remember his name, but he played Woody Allen’s lawyer in “The Front” (not Stephen Boyd, but his voice was similar). ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/18 "2012-05-07T04:13:54Z")
Liev Schreiber has an extensive record of doing PBS voiceover work, Nova and [Nature](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKqt05iR9WI) in particular. He’s also the go-to guy for HBO sports documentaries too. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/19 "2012-05-07T12:09:43Z")
Last week my daughter was watching a NatGeo nature special, and the narrator sounded so familiar, I had to go and look it up. Turns out it was **Richard Kiley** , and I recognized him from Jurassic Park. I had to chuckle as I thought that the nature special had spared no expense! ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076/20 "2012-05-07T12:22:03Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Opening up the posthumous category full throttle: > > Rod Serling (Jacques Cousteau) > Richard Basehart > Olivier (The World at War) > > Alexander Scorby (classy voice-overs in the 1960’s) > > Another ubiquitous classy voice-over from then; I can’t remember his name, but he played Woody Allen’s lawyer in “The Front” (not Stephen Boyd, but his voice was similar). How could you forget Richard Kiley? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narrators-and-voice-over-specialists-of-note/621076.md?page=2)