The top ten voice performances in movie history
7. Douglas Rain – 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY – I don’t know if there’s a more creepy voice only performance in film than Rain’s Hal 9000. Hal stole the show to the point that after the first time I watched this, I couldn’t tell you who the actors were with him or how many there were. The legendary Stanley Kubrick was supposedly so demanding that several actors tried and failed before Rain knocked it out of the park.
6. Tom Hanks – Toy Story – Pixar has given us a lot of great voice work over the years, but I always come back to Tom Hanks as Woody in the Toy Story films. Sure, Tim Allen was great, but Hanks’ Woody was incredible. Hanks has a natural charm and likeability to him and it shines through in droves with his voice work in these films. He makes Woody instantly relateable and loveable.
5. James Gandolfini – WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE – I’ve found that this movie is polarizing, but to those that love it (like me), it’s the voice performance from Gandolfini as Carol that truly sells the film. Carol and Max develop a special bond that’s tied with fear, laughter and insecurity, all of which exemplify what it’s like to be a kid. This comes through thanks to Gandolfini’s great performance.
4. Bradley Cooper – GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY – Rocket Raccoon was almost written to be loved, so I was hesitant to give Cooper too much credit here. But after watching the movie several times, I continue to get a kick out of his voice work. I loved that he disguised his voice so much and gave it so much life, whether he was cracking a joke or giving a heartfelt speech about his life. Cooper did a great job and gave us another reason to love the film.
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