Ask Mike: The Voices in Our Heads
Hey Guys,
The other day I saw a commercial with a voice I recognized but couldn’t quite place. It drove me nuts for a few hours until, suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks: Robert Redford.
The ad is for United Airlines, and, of course it isn’t the first to feature a familiar voice. In the past, I’ve noticed Tom Selleck gushing about orange juice, Joe Mantegna hocking luxury sedans, and David Hyde Pierce selling ice tea. I took a look through Yahoo! Answers and found many community members are just as interested in identifying the disembodied voices as I am. Here are a few examples…
Who did the voiceover for the “beef, it’s what’s for dinner” commercial?
The honor belongs to the one and only Sam Elliott. A character actor extraordinaire, Mr. Elliot is well known for his distinctively deep drawl. He also grows one heckuva mustache.
Who does the voice of the lizard in the Geico commercial?
English actor Jake Wood gives the gecko its cockney accent, according to regankc. Interestingly, he wasn’t the original voice. Kelsey Grammer of “Frasier” fame was the original insurance spokes-lizard.
Who does the voiceover for the Budweiser commercial?
Like the one with Robert Redford, the first time I heard this it drove me bananas. It wasn’t until a week or so later when I was watching “Ocean’s Eleven” that I figured it out. George Clooney. I should have just checked Yahoo! Answers.
Who does the voice on the new Chevron commercial?
It has a gravelly tone, authoritative, but not threatening. It’s familiar, but not too familiar. The answer is (drum roll please) Campbell Scott. The indie actor is probably best known for his work in “Singles” and “The Spanish Prisoner.”
Got any other mysterious voices driving your crazy? Leave a note below and maybe we can help you figure it out. Though, keep in mind, the companies in question probably don’t want you to know who they are. According to TIME, “voice-overs are most effective when people recognize the voice–but can’t quite put a name to it.”
Thanks for reading,
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Robert Mitchum did “Beef” before Sam Elliot.
Gene Hackman has done United Airlines and Lowes (”Let’s build something together”).
The late Richard Widmark did “Nobody sweats the details like GM.”
You forgot to mention Patrick Dempsey’s voice over of the State Farm commercial. Or the Zach Braff commercial as the puppy for Cottonelle.
I would have never thought that George Clooney was the voice for the Budweiser commercials.
Donald Sutherland voices the Florida Orange Juice commercial.
BOOOOOORING.
the Lowes adds are gene hackman
The voice for the certified Lexus commercials. I think it’s the same actor who plays the CEO type, Mr. O’Brian, character, in the movie Hitch,who confronts the main white protaganist character in the boardroom, Philip Bosco is the actor’s name. Does he do the Lexus commercials?
hi,
Doesn’t Gene Hackman do voiceovers for Lowes commercials?
I believe George Clooney has also done a voice-over for Aquafina water…
thx a bunch Mike! Im luvin “trivia”…I got a lotta voices (not only in my head) that Id care to identify, as soon as I can think of any I’ll look u up!!
boEvans
That was boring.
What about the voice for most movie trailers. DO you think it’s from the same man? the voice is the same everywhere..
Aflac duck = comedian Gilbert Godfrey
Cadilac = Gary Sinise
Pizza Hut = Queen Latifah
Panasonic = Christian Slater
Your’re right, there is an increase in celebrity voice overs in commercials (much to the dismay of professional voice over specialists). Personally, I like it. I find it fun…like a game…to match the voice to the face, even if I forget what the product was. It drives me absolutely batty when I can’t figure it out.
A few years ago, I learned there were many more celebrity television commercials in Japan than in the U.S. (I don’t remember how I learned this–perhaps a tv show or magazine article). If I remember the story correctly, some celebrities are more willing to do commercials in Japan (even when they won’t do them in the U.S.) because 1) they pay handsomely 2) it doesn’t affect their popularity there and 3) U.S. fans won’t likely see the commercial. I don’t specifically remember the names, but I do remember they were A-list celebrities. I find that interesting. What is it about the U.S. audience that convinces celebrities to avoid appearing too Capitalistic within the U.S.? What’s more, what is it about Japan’s people and their culture which makes it acceptable? There are several links which feature these commercials. A Yahoo Search yeilds the following:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=sfp&p=celebrity+commercials+in+Japan&SpellState=n-828322207_q-TDXPs4kI9%2FtTxe9QDd6lVwAAAA%40%40&fr2=sp-qrw-corr-top
richard thomas does commerical I think for merces benz
(I heard his voice but I’m not sure too sure of the commerical!
The infamous MasterCard commercials are done by none other than Billy Crudup. You know–Almost Famous, Big Fish, and the upcoming Watchmen!!
But you knew that already, right?
He even starred in one of the commercials that involved a couple at a gas station.
It took me a while, until I finally realized it was John Goodman in those “travel with Red” Red Roof Inn commercials.
You left out that the original “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner” was done by the late Robert Mitchum. Those are the ones I still think of.
And what a coincidence. I’m having steak tonight!
Here are some more for you:
AIG Auto Insurance- Stockard Channing
AOL- Julia Roberts
Quixtar- John Tesh
…I’m a sucker for trying to figure them out, too.
It took me forever to realize that the voice on the new Applebee’s commercials is actually John Corbett (”My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, “Sex and the City”).
The Lexus commercials have been done for a long time by an actor named James Sloyan. The only other things I’ve seen him in are a couple of “Star Trek” guest spots, as Admiral Jarok, a Romulan defector, and as the adult Alexander who came back in time to warn Worf that he would be murdered.
There are a lot of them, including Brad Pitt for Disneyland.
Let’s not forget Gary Sinise doing the voiceover for the Army commercials. Way to go Lt. Dan!
Thanks! I hate when I can’t figure it out, too.
Don’t forget that John Corbett was in that show that took place in Alaska with the moose that kept walking through town. Corbett did the radio show.
I remember one of those early encyclopedia CD’s that came with a new computer. I looked up Thomas Jefferson and it had an audio of Jefferson speaking. It took me several hours of listen over and over until I figured out where I heard that voice. It was Rush Limbaugh.
Oh yeah! Wanda Sykes did the Applebee’s “Apple” character too, I forgot that one.
Glad to know other people are playing the same game. My husband and I do this constantly and it’s always a thrill to come up with the answer.
Great content. I’ll keep coming back for similar posts which I cannot wait to read….
Kelsy Grammer did the Geico Gecko?
No wonder I love that little guy. Thanks.
The best voice over is James Earl Jones: “This is CNN”
Tom Selleck seems to have done a LOT of voiceovers. I am always recognizing him; he has a great voice. And don’t forget David Duchovny does the Pedigree commercials!
Doesn’t Steven Schnetzer (formerly Cass on Another World) do the voice on the Mercedes commercials?
I can always tell Morgan Freeman’s many commercials. He has such a great voice.
When my toddler began watching TV shows a few stumped me since I clearly recognized the voices, the narrator for Thomas the Train and the voice of Clifford the Dog. Finally placed Thomas as being (the now late) George Carlin, funniest thing to me being a fan of his, never would have ever thought he’d be doing chidlren’s television. Clifford dawned on me as being the voice of (also now late) John Ritter.
Interesting, sometimes I wonder too, thanks for finding the little things that entertain us.
it took me forever to figure out whose been doing the beef commercials recently! Matthew McCauhgnehey!
Is that Michael Douglas introducing the NBC nightly news with Brian Williams?
For the asker above, the most well known movie trailer voice-over guy is Don LaFontaine, who also did one of the Geico “this is an actual customer, not a celebrity, so we hired one” commercials.
Morgan Freeman-Visa (Olympics)
James Earl Jones- CNN
I’m also pretty sure that James Garner did the Beef commercials as well!
Antonio Banderas- Nasonex
Remember the jingle “Cotton: The Fabric of Our Lives”? Aaron Neville.
O yeah.
– G http://www.expatriate-games.blogspot.com
And for a while, Nicky, Thomas was narrated by Ringo Starr.
Actually, the new voice for beef is Matthew McCaughney…
Someone left a post about Donald Sutherland. The product is Simply Orange (OJ). His voice was also used by Volvo in one of their TV campaigns.
I had a REAL respect for Keiffer Sutherland since the ’80s movies I watched and grew up with. Now that he is the “voice” for the Bank of America commercials my opinion of him has diminished. I actually loathe Bank of America for several reasons I won’t bore you with. It sucks that someone I was so fond of is now in cahoots so to speak with something I don’t believe whole heartedly in.
And I figured out that Ragina King does all those Always commercials, “Have a Happy Period, Always”
Anyone who watches Noggin knows that the cartoon Oswald comes on a few times a day.
Fred Savage (The Wonder Years) is the voice of Oswald
David Lander (Squiggy on Happy Days) is the voice of Henry
Antonio Banderas The annoying bee in the Nasonex commercial.
Kevin Spacey’s pitching Honda. Kelsey Grammer does Disney. Kiefer Sutherland voices Apple commercials, There’s ), Sean Connery (Level 3 Communications), Gene Hackman (Oppenheimer Funds) — oh, and then there’s Julia Roberts.
Martin Sheen , voicing ads for Pepsi and Maxwell House in the 1980s.
Dont mind but it was BOOOOOOOOOORING!
You mean other people’s voices. I can often identify the distinctive voices of famous actors in ads. Their voices become embedded from enjoying their acting in good movies. Orson Welles had a great voice. Mae West and Bette Davis too! Yul Brenner comes to mind.
Who is the announcer on TV ahows? Like Mythbusters and on those old western shows. I would love to know. Thanks! -Alissa
Kaiser Permanente (”thrive”) by Alison Janney
don’t forget the actor that plays gil grissom on csi does a lot of commercials, i think att and the army or reserves or something
Kathy, the TV show with John Corbett, where he was radio host, was Northern Exposure!! LOVE THAT SHOW!
Keith David, the General from Armageddon, does the Navy commercials
I pride myself on being able to recognise these voices. It’s a little game my husband and I play.
I live in Ohio and all summer long I have heard these two commercials on the radio for Michagin. I think that it is Kevin Costner or Tim Allen. Who is it?
Allison Janney = Keiser Permanente
Did ever Ltd. WHARF (Michael Dorn) %Star Trek-2 Next Generation ever star in a commercial - or did a commercial ever use his voice-over?
THAT is a distinctive voice that everyone will recognise.
Who out there remembers the Mary Tyler Moore show? I always wondered who did the voice of the doorman that no one ever saw. Anyone know?
Susan Sarandon did Stouffers and Antonio Banderas is the Nasonex Bee.
Thanks… I was wondering for quite a while who the Geico gecko was… Still don’t know but at least I can put a name to it (lol)…
Jon Corbet (Aiden from Sex and the City) does the Applebees commercials.
Well you know who does the gieco gekco? Well it ain’t sir elton john. And it isn’t sean connery. That’s the only one I remember because I eat lizards. In fact I like snake meat it’s good, you don’t see any commercials for snake meat.
who’s the voice of “whataburger” listen to those commercials, who is that.
David Straithairn did the v.o. for last night’s Barack Obama video, the one that aired from Denver before his speech.
Are there any websites that have the audio captures of these commercials? — would be a good game, trying to identify the celebs by voice.
To answer Carmen’s “MTM” Show question — “Hello, this is Carlton your doorman” was actually a character from the spin-off, “Rhoda” and was voiced by Lorenzo Music, who also did the animated Garfield in the late 80s/early 90s. He’s got a great, deadpan delivery to all of his lines.
A few years back, in the UK, it would be professional suicide for an actor to do a voiceover but now they are all doing it. Keeps us all guessing sometimes.
One or two are advertising things like loans to people who have been turned down elsewhere which seems a bit dubious as the celebs all seem to be chosen for their “respectable” image and people may trust them not to lead them to the loan sharks.
Alright this has nothing to do with commercial voice overs, but just voice trivia.
The singing vocal voice over for 3 movies, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, and the King & I (for Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Wood, and Deborah Kerr) was Marni Nixon. She has only one she had an on screen credit for was:The Sound of Music, as a nun who sang one line in “How do you solve a Problem Like Maria”.
John Griffey (a name tht a saw in one of my moms notes)
James Spader = Audi
CORRECTION: James Spader = Acura
Who does the ads for Morgan Stanley? At first it sounded a bit like a serious Craig Ferguson–now I am thinking it sounds like Anthony Hopkins. And who does the UBS commercials?
Sela Ward does the commercial for Crest Whitestrips.
I’m almost certain actor Angus McFadyen is doing the Morgan Stanley ads. He has a great voice…you may remember him as the very conflicted Robert the Bruce in “Braveheart”. Not certain, but sure sounds like him.
I am willing to swear that Anthony Hopkins is the one doing the narration for the latest Morgan Stanley commercials on TV. The voice is undeniably his; I’ve heard him speak narration elsewhere and I will swear in court that it’s him.
Can anyone confirm or deny this?
Well, Jim, I think it’s a Welsh actor, but it’s not Ioan Gruffudd - it could be Anthony Hopkins, but I’m not certain … I have asked around all my friends in Hollywood who don’t know … I’d love to know who it is also
for Mary Tyler Moore fan, Lorenzo Music voiced Carlton the doorman. He was also part of the production team.
Hopkins, Ferguson, McFadyen ..you kidding me? The Morgan Stanley commercial is Gabriel Byrne
I’ve been stuck on the Morgan Stanley commercial too but after re-watching “The Lord of the Rings” the other day, I think it’s David Wenhem (Faramir) who does it.