Speak easy: 20 actors who have iconic voices

This legendary Oscar winner might go down as the actor with the most famous voice of all time. Morgan Freeman has lent his recognizable lilt to films like Bruce Almighty, The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy, and The Dark Knight over the years, entertaining millions from every generation with his deep and soothing voice. 

In diametric opposition on the vocal spectrum from Morgan Freeman is Fran Drescher, best known for her role in The Nanny. Drescher’s shrill, nasal tone and signature sense of humor made her famous, and while her speaking voice isn’t necessarily one you’d want to fall asleep to, it’s still iconic. 

James Earl Jones has an iconic voice, and he knows how to use it. He’s responsible for the voices of some of the most legendary characters in film history, like Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King. Jones was so good as Mufasa that he was tapped for the role again for the 2019 live-action remake. 

Samuel L. Jackson’s voice is recognizable and has delivered some of the most memorable lines in film history over the past three decades. Even if you haven’t seen the film, you can surely hear Jackson, clear as day, yelling about snakes on that motherf—king plane. 

Whether you know Alan Rickman’s voice from his roles as Hans Gruber in Die Hard, Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, or even the Blue Caterpillar in the live-action remake of Alice in Wonderland, you know his voice. The late actor’s sound is a prominent part of his respectable legacy. 

Sean Connery ascended to nearly unreachable levels of fame through his role as James Bond, and his voice helped him get there. You don’t have to have seen a single Bond film to know his “Bond, James Bond” line or to have even referenced it. Connery is a veritable icon, and he always will be. 

Liam Neeson is another actor to be used in the argument of what makes a line: the words or the actor’s voice? If you close your eyes, you can hear Neeson promising to find his daughter’s captors and assuring them that they should fear his “very particular set of skills.” 

If you don’t know Holly Hunter by name, you know her by voice. Hunter was acting long before she became a Pixar superhero, but a sure part of her legacy will be her role as Helen Parr, aka Elastigirl, in The Incredibles. “Leave the saving of the world to the men? I don’t think so.”

Have Saturday Night Live actors impersonated anyone more than Christopher Walken? The actor is known just as much for the tone of his voice as he is for the syllables he stresses, his unique way of speaking, and even inspired a Walken family reunion bit on the sketch comedy show. 

Robin Williams had a voice synonymous with comfort. People from almost every generation have a film they love that includes Williams. Whether it be Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting, or one of his other legendary roles, Williams and his voice brought happiness to almost everyone who’s seen a movie. 

Donald Sutherland is one of those celebrities who absolutely cannot make his own reservations. The person on the other end will almost certainly recognize his voice. Even if they can’t put a name with a voice, they know they’ve heard it in something. 

Reputations precede some. A movie line precedes Anthony Hopkins. Even though the Mandela Effect has tricked many a viewer into misremembering the line as “Hello, Clarice” when Hopkins just says “Good morning,” his eerie voice is remembered all the same, and it might not have been nearly as memorable had it been uttered by someone else. 

A routinely underappreciated actress, Angela Bassett is a national treasure with a voice to match. Rich and powerful, Bassett’s sound elevates films and makes roles far more memorable than they would have been otherwise. 

Meryl Streep didn’t garner the most Oscar nominations of all time by ordinarily using her voice. Simultaneously breathy and powerful, Streep’s sound has helped her become one of the most decorated actors in film history. 

Julie Andrews has just as beautiful a speaking voice as she does a singing voice. Some are most familiar with her voice from The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins, but thanks to her enduring career, a whole new generation got to know her from The Princess Diaries, and even more know her iconic voice from Bridgerton. 

Tim Curry needs to be cast as a villain more often. He can easily use his unique British sound for evil characters. Nevertheless, Curry has played some iconic characters during his career, and each of them is memorable due in part to his voice. 

Eddie Murphy has a fantastic voice. He’s used it to make characters like Mushu from Mulan and Donkey from Shrek truly come to life. It’s hard to imagine anyone else voicing those characters.

Matthew McConaughey is equally known for his southern drawl and catchphrase “alright, alright, alright.” The two are so intertwined it’s impossible to hear anyone else’s voice, even your own when repeating the signature saying. 

Chris Rock is genuinely funny, but the tone of his voice makes his comedic work that much better. He’s used his voice in many animated features, including Madagascar and PAW Patrol, and we’d love nothing more than to hear him in more voiceover roles in the future. 

Nobody in Hollywood sounds like Tom Hanks. He's a genuinely talented actor with a recognizable sound, so it’s no wonder he’s been so successful. From Forrest Gump to Woody and everything in between, cinema has been blessed with Hanks’ contributions.