Some actors become so synonymous with their characters that people expect them to speak like them. However, most stars don't sound at all like their iconic voices. They have accents or tones that shock audiences or use a cadence as frightening or as comical as what is seen in the film. These stars have an amazing range of their voices, which enhances their performances. Whether it is through careful coaching or natural talent, the way they sound completely different off-screen speaks to the greatness of their craft and magic in bringing characters to life.
1) Tom Felton
Best known for his sneering portrayal of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, Tom Felton's real voice couldn't sound more different. While the accent of the clipped upper-crust Malfoy speaks for itself, Felton's natural speaking voice has a warmth and lack of snobbery to it; in interviews, his deep, slightly lower tone also surprises fans who associate him with Malfoy's lofty delivery. Felton admitted that he used the high-class drawl to play the snobbish character. His latest film, A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting, is more amiable, as it moves away from the arrogance of Malfoy.
2) Christina Ricci
She portrayed Wednesday Addams in the movies The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993). Her performance was iconic due to her deadpan, monotone delivery. However, in real life, her voice is bright and energetic in contrast to her stoic on-screen personality. She said that she had channeled a dry emotionless tone that would let Wednesday be remembered in the lines. Recently, her work as Misty Quigley in Yellowjackets has only emphasized her vocal range and proved how she can bring an entirely new voice and energy into her complex roles without being typecast by her early work.
3) Jodie Comer
Jodie Comer stunned the audience in Killing Eve as the multilingual assassin Villanelle, switching between accents with ease. Most of her fans thought she was Russian or American because of her convincing dialects, but the truth is that her soft Liverpudlian accent often comes as a surprise to fans. Comer attributes her mastery of accents to her childhood in Liverpool, where she was exposed to different dialects. In The Last Duel, she again modified her voice and with that role, she established herself as one of the most vocally changeable actors of her generation.
4) Angela Kinsey
Angela Martin on The Office is played by Angela Kinsey, who has a clipped, icy tone and stern demeanor. In real life, Kinsey's voice is warm, lively, and full of Southern charm because she's from Texas. Fans are often shocked when they meet her at events or hear her podcast, Office Ladies, where her bubbly personality shines. Kinsey claims that the creation of the tight-lipped tone by Angela Martin was a conscious decision, to make the character stiffer and more in control, than Kinsey ever was.
5) Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs' rich, aristocratic voice for Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films conveys menace and haughtiness. In contrast, his real voice is much more laid-back, even carrying a little bit of his London upbringing. He has said that using an exaggerated posh drawl helped to convey Malfoy's elitism and dislike of others. Lately, for example, playing Captain Lorca in Star Trek: Discovery, he has given himself over to different cadences, really displaying his versatility in voice work to find the character.
6) Stephanie Beatriz
Stephanie Beatriz is famous for playing the role of Detective Rosa Diaz in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. That character has a very deep, gravelly voice and presence. Beatriz's actual voice, however, is much higher and much more animated. She has joked that the tone of Rosa was so hard on her vocal cords at times that she sometimes needed tea breaks during filming. In Disney's Encanto, she welcomed her voice to play a sweet and relatable Mirabel, making fans who were accustomed to listening to gruff Rosa fall off their chairs.
7) Megan Mullally
Megan Mullally's ear-piercing nasal voice became one of the hallmarks of Karen Walker on Will & Grace. Interestingly, Mullally's actual voice is much lower and much less nasal. Mullally revealed that during the auditioning process for Karen, she found this tone and deepened into its comedic ability. People are often taken aback by her singing voice off-screen because she's a classically trained vocalist with a silky smooth and melodic range. It's funny because, with Mullally's distinctive vocal choices, she cemented Karen as one of sitcom history's most memorable characters, while in other projects, she was free to explore wildly different tones.
8) Chadwick Boseman
Chadwick Boseman's dignified, African-tinted voice as T'Challa in Black Panther (2018) was so compelling that many thought that this was how he sounded. Truth is, Boseman had an American accent from South Carolina. Boseman worked with dialect coaches intensely to get T'Challa's Wakandan accent right because he wanted it to be culturally correct for the character he was playing. Off-camera, Boseman's soothing, introspective voice reflected his humble self.
9) Danny Trejo
Machete Cortez in Machete (2010) is one such role, besides many macho characters in other films. Fans would always expect to hear the intimidating voice of the tough guy he portrayed. Surprisingly, his natural voice was warm and friendly. He once claimed that his toughness is usually magnified for films, but Trejo enjoys getting close to people through his approachable personality. His voice works recently for Minions: The Rise of Gru does him proud as a voice actor, at least; he has created something amusing and charming rather than menacing here.
10) Kerry Washington
In Scandal, Olivia Pope of Kerry Washington speaks with precise crispness and authoritative command. Washington's real voice is much softer and relaxed, with a demeanor of being approachable and earthy. She has narrated that she chose Olivia's cadence to give the sense of high stakes in Olivia's job as well as the intense nature of Olivia's personality. Her versatility in voice acting is most noticeable in Little Fires Everywhere when she toned her voice to present vulnerability and the instinct of a mother.
11) Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda's steady, calm tone as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and commanding voice in 12 Angry Men (1957) had become his screen image. However, the reality is that the voice Fonda was known for, as a man and as an actor, had been light, and conversational, unlike his most memorable screen roles. A method actor, Fonda had a natural ability to adjust his voice according to the weight and dignity required by each character. Offstage, his midwestern origins added a gentle sound to his speech that often surprised his fans, expecting the moral certainty that he so often exhibited in his performances.
12) Daniel Craig
As James Bond, Daniel Craig's clipped posh accent speaks of sophistication and authority; however, Craig possesses a considerable Northern English accent when simply speaking, for he has his roots in Chester, England. In stark contrast, since most audience members associate Craig with the delivery that is pure bond; he had many vocal lessons with coaches and honed Bond's accent just as required to match the espionage legend person. In his latest role as Benoit Blanc in Knives Out and its sequel, Craig demonstrated his versatility with an over-the-top Southern drawl, which has been a delight to audiences and proved his vocal adaptability.
13) Karen Gillan
Karen Gillan's Nebula in the Guardians of the Galaxy series speaks in a deep, robotic monotone suitable for her emotionless persona. In reality, though, her voice is distinctly Scottish, warm, and full of charm. Fans who know only Marvel films are often shocked when they hear her natural accent since it is retained from earlier roles, like Amy Pond on Doctor Who. Talking about her work, Gillan said how she changed her voice to be like Nebula, hence torturing herself into the character-a true dedication to playing characters from scratch.
14) Tom Hiddleston
Tom Hiddleston’s silky, villainous tone as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a blend of charm and menace. While Hiddleston’s natural voice retains his British accent, it’s noticeably gentler and friendlier than Loki’s commanding delivery. In interviews, fans often remark on his warm, slightly self-deprecating manner, which contrasts with Loki’s arrogance. He credits theater training in part with equipping him for some vocal manipulation, while, of course, recent playing experience on Loki, a series on Disney+, was instrumental in letting him express more feelings inside him without losing his speech's signature cadence.
15) Mads Mikkelsen
In the movie Hannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter was played by Mads Mikkelsen in a smooth, chilling tone with elegance and menace. However, off-screen, Mikkelsen's Danish accent and casual demeanor are a far cry from his most famous roles. He is known for playing enigmatic villains, and Mikkelsen has a knack for transforming his voice to suit his characters' complexities. In his most recent stint as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, he played much more understatedly, yet his use of vocal timbre was equally riveting.
16) Lena Headey
For Game of Thrones, Lena Headey was Cersei Lannister, and her voice acting was coldly aristocratic, just like the character, a calculating one. She has a warmer voice, which carries a noticeable British accent, far from the clipped RP accent she adopted for Cersei. Her fans would frequently tell anyone they can share her with how approachable and funny she is, the contrast being stark to the icy queen she portrayed. Headey has said that crafting Cersei’s voice was a collaborative process, one that allowed her to fully embody the role’s chilling presence.
17) Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen uses a high-pitched, fluttery voice to get the nervous energy of his angel, Aziraphale, across in Good Omens. Off-screen, his natural voice is much deeper and carries a strong Welsh accent, surprising fans unaware of his roots. Sheen is known for his skill with voice manipulation, just as he was in Tony Blair in The Queen or the dark Aro in The Twilight Saga. His vocal range enables him to transition easily from comedic roles, dramatic roles, and villainous roles with quite striking versatility.
18) Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes's terrifying depiction of Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series is characterized by a shrill, whispery timbre of menace. In truth, Fiennes's voice is more richly textured, with a quiet, measured quality that reflects his classical training. He has described modulating the voice to create Voldemort, to be serpentine. Recently, in The Menu, Fiennes was able to use a sharp, authoritative tone that suited his role as an intimidating chef, which proved to be a perfect fit for his voice.
19) Cate Blanchett
One can still vividly remember the ethereal and almost otherworldly voice of Cate Blanchett as Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings, but her actual speaking voice is quite different; she sounds remarkably Australian. Extensive work with dialect coaches was needed to find the poetic cadence that would characterize Galadriel as so full of timeless wisdom. Blanchett has continued to experiment with her voice in roles such as Lydia Tár in Tár, where the commanding, precise tone reflected the maestro's brilliance and arrogance, displaying her unmatched versatility.
20) Robert Patrick
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Robert Patrick's performance as the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day was minimal in terms of dialogue and monotone in his delivery, enhancing the robotic quality of this chilling character. Off-screen, Patrick has an animated voice with a Southern twang from his Georgia upbringing. In interviews, he has reported that his role as the silent antagonist forced him to play more to non-verbal cues and to stifle his natural cadence. Patrick's ability to don an unkind, autocratic voice recently in Peacemaker demonstrates that his voice range remains as vibrant as his acting.
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