Best (male actor) speaking voice...

[upsidedownwalrus]

(which was good, it added to the mystery of it)

 

[DotCommunist]

I could never work out where his Usual Suspects Character was actually meant to be from.

Hong Kong was my guess. English looks, slight oriental tinge to the accent.

 

[butchersapron]

I could never work out where his Usual Suspects Character was actually meant to be from.

Liverpool.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Hong Kong was my guess. English looks, slight oriental tinge to the accent.

It's a very interesting one, as I've asked many different people this question, and nobody's ever said the same thing... people have suggested eastern europe... they've suggested asia... they've said posh english.

It's a truly enigmatic character IMO.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Liverpool.

 

[krtek a houby]

Ian McShane

 

[Meltingpot]

Oliver Reed's closing speech in Ken Russell's "The Devils," just before he's burnt at the stake. Magnificent.

 

[kittyP]

Oh my god Alan Rickman! (shivers with delight)

Also Steven Fry (obvious but still true in a very comforting way).

John Hurt (so so distinctive)
Jeremy Irons (yummy)

Erm.... I am sure there are more. I'll be back.

 

[paulhackett]

Kelsey Grammer?

 

[kittyP]

Oliver Reed's closing speech in Ken Russell's "The Devils," just before he's burnt at the stake. Magnificent.

Oh my god yes! Brilliant!

 

[ericjarvis]

Steve Toussaint.

Though many of the suggestions already made rank right up there.

 

[agricola]

Julian Glover.





edit: also Gielgud

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

oh, I forgot to add Jimmy Stewart to my list

 

[Cloo]

Patrick Stewart, mmmm 'Engage!'

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Patrick Stewart, mmmm 'Engage!'

Make it so

 

[llion]

Alec Guinness. Very hypnotic: 'Those aren't the droids you're looking for...'

 

[lang rabbie]

The most authoritative male voice of recent time was surely Paul Vaughan, former presenter of Horizon

Dental surgery hygiene is made to sound like Milton's Paradise Lost
(Click on "Clip18. Cross Infection" to play)

ETA He was also the narrator in "Threads", Mick Jackson's dramatised imagining of a nuclear attack on Sheffield. IIRC there was a tale (folk myth?) that the Government has asked him to be the official voice of their own public information films "in the event of a nuclear conflict" but he had turned down the job on principle.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

Brian Cox

 

[Cid]

For horror Christopher Lee and Vincent Price have to be at the top...

Allen Bennett's Pooh (more specifically his eeyore) is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life, and make me feel like a young child again every time I hear it. Roald Dahl's readings of his own books do the same thing.

e2a: Vincent Price's cooking programme is er... Had a look but couldn't find on youtube.

 

[Callum91]

For horror Christopher Lee and Vincent Price have to be at the top...

Allen Bennett's Pooh (more specifically his eeyore) is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life, and make me feel like a young child again every time I hear it. Roald Dahl's readings of his own books do the same thing.

e2a: Vincent Price's cooking programme is er... Had a look but couldn't find on youtube.

You beat me to Christopher Lee

 

[idioteque]

I can't remember his name, but he's British and his voice is really deep.

Matt Berry? I don't think anyone's mentioned him yet

 

[albionism]

Sid Owen






*runs*

 

[such and such]

Patrick Stewart, mmmm 'Engage!'

*wibble* I agree

 

[Upchuck]

He's not an actor, but anyone who heard Roald Dahl's recordings of his children's books would not dispute that he had a marvellous speaking voice.

 

[5t3IIa]

Michael Gambon has a good voice too

 

[stavros]

Not entirely serious answer: Tom Hollander has a lovely voice

On a related note, how about Peter Capaldi. The shear intensity and prolificness of his swearing is something to behold.