*Originally published on 6/27/09
There are certain actors, some well known and some not so well known, who have awesome voices. It doesn't matter what they're saying, but hearing them say it just makes you all kinds of giddy. These guys could read tax forms and you would still be reveling in it. As this sort of thing is hard to quantify, I wouldn't qualify this as a "Top" list per se. At the very least the actors listed aren't in any particular order, who has the cooler voice is up to you.
Morgan Freeman
Hollywood has started to catch on to Mr. Freeman's awesome voice, as such he's gotten several roles where he narrates for a portion of the film. One could argue that his voice has gotten overexposed, luckily he has a pretty cool voice so we don't really care.
Christopher Walken
Comics have used Walken as impression fodder for years. Walken himself has pretty much been parodying himself as well. Listen to him on the old FMV game, Ripper. No other actor could get away with a performance that hammy, but Walken's awesome voice makes it awesome in a bizarre way.
Leonard Nimoy
Whether you liked Star Trek or not, it's hard to argue the inherent awesomeness of Leonard Nimoy. He has a certain gravitas that just makes any second you see him on screen ten times better. He's dabbled in voice acting, voicing Galvatron in the animated Transformers animated movie, doing a few guest spots for The Simpsons and even releasing some musical albums (I"m not joking, check Amazon if you don't believe me) but overall he's stuck to live performances. Either way, it's a joy to hear him talk.
Roddy McDowall
Many remember him for his role in the classic film, Planet of the Apes, but for me he stands out for his more recent voice acting work. The two roles that stand out most to me are his performances voicing The Mad Hatter in Batman: The Animated Series and as Brain's archnemesis, Snowball, in Pinky and the Brain.
Ron Perlman
Like Freeman, Ron Perlman has put his distinctive voice to good effect, doing voice work for several video games as well as animated series. His performance as Hellboy are pitch perfect, but his voicing Slade in the Teen Titans cartoon is the thing that I remember most. While the cartoon won't appeal to everyone, hearing his menacing tone is really something to behold.
Malcolm McDowell
McDowell is another actor who just seems to elevate the quality of whatever he stars in. His voice can bring charm and menace simultaneously to whatever role he takes.
David Warner
Some of you may not recognize this actor by the name alone. I have, and probably always will, remember him first and foremost as the guy who played the scientist in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II. He's had a steady career playing the bad guy in Tron, the personification of evil in Time Bandits, voicing Ra's al Ghul in Batman: The Animated Series, and playing a time travelling Jack the Ripper in Time After Time. He could keep you captivated simply by reading the phone book.
Sam Elliot
Anytime you have a movie with a cowboy, Sam Elliot should star in the role. I know, he's played the cowboy role a few times now but it never gets old. He just has that cowboy voice and I never get sick of hearing him talk. His voice is so awesome that it almost, I repeat almost, made the Ghost Rider movie watchable.
Keith David
While he's had some live action roles, most notably starring in the science fiction film, They Live, you'll most likely recognize Keith David for his voice work. This is the guy who voiced Goliath on the well received Gargoyles animated series. He also provided the voice of Spawn in the short lived HBO series and voiced Despero on a single episode of Justice League. His voice work really is something to behold. Hearing it is often awe inspiring.
Peter Cullen
Optimus Freakin' Prime, do I really need to say more? I defy you not to get giddy with excited glee when he reminds us that freedom is the right of all sentient beings.
Patrick Stewart
I already listed him as a runner up in my previous list, but Patrick Stewart has an awesome voice. Of course, Patrick Stewart in general is pretty awesome, but right now we're just talking about voices. He's put it to some use, narrating for some science documentaries and frequently guest starring on Family Guy and American Dad.
Christopher Lloyd
Another runner up, Lloyd turned in an excellent performance as Judge Doom. His voice is so perfectly suited to a villain's that he was able to deliver a speech about a freeway and actually make it sound menacing.
Christopher Lee
I honestly have no clue how I forgot to add him to the last list. His name didn't even cross my mind until after the article was published. If you've seen the Lord of the Rings movies or even the Star Wars prequels, you know how awesome his voice is. Alas, as great as it is, even it has it's limits. The CGI clone wars film was an abomination that not even Christopher Lee could save. For further awesomeness though, check out the Nightmare Before Christmas blu-ray. One of the special features is a reading by Lee of the original poem Tim Burton wrote. It's as glorious as you think it is.
Alan Rickman
Another actor who's voice is perfect for villainy. He was put to good use in the first Die Hard movie and in the recent Sweeney Todd film adaptation. He's played other roles as well, such as the voice of God in Kevin Smith's film, Dogma. He also had a supporting role in Galaxy Quest. While he hasn't done much in the way of voice acting (that I know of anyway) he did lend his voice to the clinically depressed robot in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Clancy Brown
Many will probably recognize him as the voice of Lex Luthor in the Superman and Justice League animated series. You'd be surprised to know that he's had a pretty extensive career. He also voiced the main alien villain in Megas XLR, lent his voice to a couple of characters on Gargoyles (I'm only six episodes in and he's already turned up twice). As far as live action, I was surprised to find out that he played the guard in the classic, The Shawshank Redemption, he also played the Kurgan in Highlander.
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