# Voice actors whose characters are their real voices
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 1, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599 "2009-04-01T18:12:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/1 "2009-04-01T18:12:04Z")
I flipped on NPR this weekend and caught a bit of the Harry Shearer show ([Le Show](http://harryshearer.com/projects/radio/)). The entire time all I could think is “wow, this is pretty much the Principal Skinner show” - as Shearer is a voice actor on _The Simpsons_ and his regular voice sounds pretty much like his voice for Principal Skinner.
Who else sounds much like one of their characters in real life?
I think all of Stephen Root’s characters sound the same. He’s Bill on _King of the Hill_ and was also Jimmy on _Newsradio_ and Milton in _Office Space_. BUT…he either puts on an accent when he’s Bill or gets rid of it when he’s Stephen. Not sure.
Jim Henson always sounded like Kermit to me.
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/2 "2009-04-01T18:15:55Z")
Sticking with The Simpsons, both Yeardley Smith’s (Lisa) and Nancy Cartwright’s (Bart) real voices sound like the characters.
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### Author:  [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/3 "2009-04-01T18:17:43Z")
Seth McFarlane’s real voice is very close to Brian, and Billy West’s real voice is very close to Fry.
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### Author:  [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/4 "2009-04-01T18:19:28Z")
Not exactly the same thing but…
The scene at the beginning of _The Blues Brothers_ when Jake is being released and Frank Oz is giving him his possessions back, made me realize how much Frank’s voice (I’m assuming it was his natural voice) sounded like Fozzy Bear’s.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/5 "2009-04-01T18:21:25Z")
I assume we’re not counting the celebrity voice actors in animated films who don’t make any attempt to sound like anyone else.
Many of the incidental characters in Warner Brothers cartoons were voiced by Mel Blanc using his real voice. For instance, the scientist briefing Duck Dodgers: “Our supplies of Illudium Phosdex, the shaving cream atom, are alarmingly low.”
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### Author:  [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/6 "2009-04-01T18:27:37Z")
Bill Fagerbakke - the guy who does Patrick the Starfish sounds exactly like his character Dauber from Coach
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/7 "2009-04-01T18:33:18Z")
Dan (Homer) Castellaneta uses his real voice, or something very close to it, on one minor recurring Simpsons character. Unfortunately the name is escaping me right now.
Edit: he also appeared as himself once, but that’s not who I mean. 😉
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/8 "2009-04-01T18:38:28Z")
Another Simpsons: Yeardley Smith sounds just like Lisa.
Elsewhere…
Stephanie Beard used her natural voice when voicing Rini in one of the later dubbed seasons of Sailor Moon. This is my personal favourite, since that’s not a voice you expect an adult woman to have.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/9 "2009-04-01T18:48:16Z")
> [@Shark\_Sandwich](#):
>
> Not exactly the same thing but…
>
> The scene at the beginning of _The Blues Brothers_ when Jake is being released and Frank Oz is giving him his possessions back, made me realize how much Frank’s voice (I’m assuming it was his natural voice) sounded like Fozzy Bear’s.
I was going to mention Frank Oz but I wasn’t sure if I’ve heard him much outside of character. All I could think of is how much Yoda sounds like Grover 🙂
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/10 "2009-04-01T18:58:44Z")
All of Patrick Warburton’s characters sound like Patrick Warburton. Joe on Family Guy, the principal on Kim Possible, Buzz Lightyear, etc.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/11 "2009-04-01T19:01:08Z")
I saw Billy West speak years ago. He sounds like Doug, only with more use of the phrase “it blows.”
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/12 "2009-04-01T19:05:44Z")
> [@Johnny\_Angel](#):
>
> I saw Billy West speak years ago. He sounds like Doug, only with more use of the phrase “it blows.”
Which is to say he also sounds like Philip Fry.
You know which character I’m talking about, **mobo85**?
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/13 "2009-04-01T19:34:25Z")
Has anyone ever heard/seen an interview with [Lorenzo Music](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo_Music)? He was the voice of “Carlton the doorman” on Rhoda, Garfield, one of the _Gummi Bears_ and one of the cartoon _Ghostbusters_.
All of those characters have exactly the same voice, but I am not sure if it’s his natural voice or not.
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### Author:  [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/14 "2009-04-01T19:43:08Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#):
>
> Has anyone ever heard/seen an interview with [Lorenzo Music](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorenzo_Music)? He was the voice of “Carlton the doorman” on Rhoda, Garfield, one of the _Gummi Bears_ and one of the cartoon _Ghostbusters_.
I find it ironic that both he and Bill Murray played Garfield and Peter Venckman.
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/15 "2009-04-01T20:09:20Z")
Oddly enough, whenever I heard Mel Blanc speak, his “natural” voice sounded like an odd mixture of all his cartoon voices!
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/16 "2009-04-02T05:07:21Z")
William Daniels used his real voice as KITT the car in Knight Rider.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2009, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/17 "2009-04-02T05:18:17Z")
And was instantly recognizable as the guy who said, “Muggahs!” in _The President’s Analyst,_ listed as The Coolest Movie Ever, based on its complete, total, and non-discriminatory attitude. Watch it and you will see how the decades melt away as TPC (The Phone Company)attempts to invade your head.
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### Author:  [@bufftabby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bufftabby)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/18 "2009-04-02T05:33:06Z")
I saw MC Chris in concert, and was surprised that he talks just like his character MC P Pants on _Aqua Teen Hunger Force_. He’s also very short.
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2009, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/19 "2009-04-02T13:57:31Z")
> [@Hampshire](#):
>
> Sticking with The Simpsons, both Yeardley Smith’s (Lisa) and Nancy Cartwright’s (Bart) real voices sound like the characters.
Yeardley Smith, yes. I saw her on an episode of _Dharma & Greg_ and had a helluva time placing her. I knew the voice, but her looks threw me.
Nancy Cartwright, no. She sounds very ordinary in real life. She occasionally does the “Do you know who I voice” bit in real life, but she doesn’t sound like Bart.
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### Author:  [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voice-actors-whose-characters-are-their-real-voices/491599/20 "2009-04-02T14:25:18Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#):
>
> All of Patrick Warburton’s characters sound like Patrick Warburton. Joe on Family Guy, the principal on Kim Possible, Buzz Lightyear, etc.
Good one. I don’t know why this is so, but Warburton’s voice is just hilarious in and of itself.
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