- 10 months ago
Get ready to be shook as we reveal famous faces whose speaking voices sound nothing like what you’d expect! From Hollywood icons to music superstars, these celebrities have surprised fans with accents, pitches, and styles that are a world away from their most well-known personas. Did your jaw drop as much as ours did? Let us know which star’s real voice shocked you the most in the comments below!
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00My first day on The Walking Dead feels like an eternity ago.
00:05Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for famous people who have the most unexpected vocal tones IRL.
00:12I mean, I get enormous pleasure from people's surprise at that.
00:17Number 30, Shaggy.
00:19The singer behind timeless hits like Boombastic and It Wasn't Me has an instantly recognizable voice.
00:30It is deep and raspy, perfect for toasting. However, that's not his real voice.
00:35The artist revealed on TikTok that he came up with his signature singing voice while serving in the Marines.
00:40It started as a mimicry of drill instructors in the military and made it to the studio simply because he thought it sounded cool.
00:47How long were you in the military?
00:48I was there for four years.
00:50Four years?
00:50Four years, we fought in the first Gulf War.
00:52Who knew it would make him a chart-topping hitmaker?
00:54Shaggy's natural voice, which is warmer, brighter, and considerably less gravelly, is heard in rare tracks like Big Up.
01:02You want me to come up with more material?
01:04I know, it was asking a lot.
01:05There's almost so much ass in a tank.
01:08Like, Michael, you must be Jamaican. You got mad jobs.
01:10Number 29, Nancy Cartwright.
01:13I'm actually stunned when people don't know that the voice of Bart really is a chick, you know?
01:18I say, yeah, I'm Bart Simpson, man. Who the hell are you?
01:21This legend is one of the finest voice actresses in Hollywood.
01:26For years, she played Bart Simpson in The Simpsons, bringing laughter to millions around the world.
01:31Nancy grew older, but Bart stayed the same 10-year-old troublemaker.
01:35Obviously, she doesn't speak like a prepubescent boy in real life.
01:39However, listening to her switch from her gentle feminine voice to Bart's bratty nasal tone is always amusing.
01:45Yeah, I think you and a lot of people, it still amazes me that people don't know.
01:49Because I feel like I just blah, blah, blah, blah, blah all the time, you know?
01:52When The Simpsons first came out, the network didn't want people to know a woman was behind the voice of TV's naughtiest little boy.
01:59However, as time passed, Cartwright stepped into the spotlight and received immense love from fans.
02:05Number 28, Lil Jon.
02:07Summers in the 2000s wouldn't be half as lit without this musician.
02:11Lil Jon paved the way for crunk and hip-hop, giving us bops like Get Low and Usher's Yeah.
02:24These hits have a permanent place in our party playlists, because his energetic ad-libs never fail to get us hyped.
02:31However, contrary to his explosive musical persona, Lil Jon has a calm presence in real life.
02:37His natural tone, as heard in interviews, is mellow, smooth, and pleasantly deep.
02:42That only makes us respect the full force of his chants even more.
02:46We shooting a video soon.
02:47Oh, that's going to be fun.
02:48So that's going to be fun-y.
02:49What a fun journey.
02:50Fun-y.
02:51You are a renaissance man.
02:54I'm trying, brother.
02:55Number 27, Rowan Atkinson.
02:57The BAFTA TV award-winning actor is best known for his role as the mostly silent man-child Mr. Bean.
03:04The character rarely spoke, both on the eponymous show and in the movies in the franchise.
03:09For scenes where he did speak, Atkinson gave him a low pitch, an exaggerated British accent, a pinched tone, and stiff delivery.
03:17It's not just a painting.
03:20It's a picture of a mad old cow who he thought the world's on.
03:27For years, that's the voice fans associated the actor with.
03:31Only when they branched out to explore his other works did they realize that Atkinson's real voice has an elegant charm.
03:37Johnny English, I'm here to see Pegasus.
03:41Still, no sense rushing things.
03:44He is soft-spoken, and his British accent has a classic feel to it.
03:48Each word is crisply enunciated, too, unlike Bean's muddled style.
03:53That said, we love both Rowan and Bean equally.
03:56The thing I find most tricky is when people don't recognize you particularly, but half recognize you.
04:01You know, it's that strange thing where they go...
04:0526. Ariana Grande
04:08The Grammy-winning songstress has captivated fans all over the world with her impressive vocal range.
04:14Outside of music, she is also a talented actress with a knack for comedy.
04:18Her impressions of celebrities like Shakita, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera prove that she's a woman of many voices.
04:32However, what surprised fans the most was the difference between her real voice and the one we're used to hearing from her.
04:39In several interviews, the star seems to go back and forth between pitches.
04:43Yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course, like with the thank you next hook, that's like one of my favorite stories is, um, Victoria.
04:52One moment, her voice sounds deep and velvety, and the next, it is light and airy with a much higher pitch.
04:58Regarding this, Ariana clarified on the Smart List podcast that the shift, though surprising, is a deliberate habit to preserve her voice.
05:06I'll change my vocal placement to kind of preserve, um, but that is just kind of something that's healthy for the voice and whatever.
05:1525. Pat Morita
05:17The stand-up comedian turned Oscar-nominated actor is synonymous with his role as Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid franchise.
05:24The pearls of wisdom dropped by the Karate Master in his gentle but authoritative and measured tone stayed with us long after the movies ended.
05:32Listen for whole life. Whole life. Have a balance.
05:40The character's voice is distinctly Japanese-accented, but California-born Pat Morita, whose parents were Japanese immigrants, had an American accent.
05:49I love it. I mean, you know, this is America, man. Japanese can do pretty much anything they want to do. Born and raised here, this and that.
05:56His real voice was also fairly higher than Miyagi's and lacked the character's sage-like gravity.
06:02Instead, he sounded pretty relaxed in interviews, which reflected the actor's friendly, warm, and natural humorous personality.
06:09Because, uh, comics about that time, they were either a Jackie this or a Pat, Pat that, and a Pat fit. I don't look like a Jackie.
06:18Number 24. Jennifer Coolidge
06:21The celebrated actress is beloved for her iconic film and TV roles, such as Stifler's Mom from American Pie, Paulette from Legally Blonde, and Tanya from The White Lotus.
06:31For each of these characters, Jennifer Coolidge developed a distinct voice, which came with its own unique quirks and inflections.
06:38I'm taking orders from them, and they're bossing me around, and they, you know, start stealing my medications, and then they disappear. This is just how it goes with me.
06:50These scene-stealing voices were exaggerated and often breathy with a language sing-song quality.
06:56Many fans were surprised to find out that Coolidge doesn't draw out her words or have a naturally flirty cadence in real life.
07:03She still sounds effortlessly charismatic, especially with her rasp, but it's far from how some of her most eccentric characters sound.
07:10O.J. Simpson told me he was going to get me my SAG card.
07:14Oh, yeah.
07:14Yes, he did.
07:15Did he seem like a nice guy?
07:17Well, yeah, but not that nice. He didn't get me my SAG card.
07:21Number 23. Andrew Lincoln
07:23This actor's breakout Hollywood role as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead convinced many new fans that he was from the southern United States.
07:31This was because Grimes, who hails from King County, Georgia, has a strong southern accent, which is delivered impressively by Andrew Lincoln.
07:39From the rhythm to the intonation, the star nailed his character's voice.
07:44Everyone who's made it this far, we've all done the worst kinds of things just to stay alive.
07:51While there were some moments when his southern pronunciation spawned memes within the fandom, like how he said Carl, no one expected Lincoln to be a Londoner.
08:00His actual British accent is polished, and his real voice is a baritone, with a smoothness you won't find in Rick's gruff tone.
08:10Needless to say, Andrew worked hard on Rick's accent, and it paid off.
08:14Number 22. Daniel Day-Lewis
08:29The three-time Oscar winner is widely recognized as a Hollywood legend.
08:34His portrayal of American characters, most notably the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, has earned him countless accolades.
08:42His American accent is as flawless as it gets, which often makes us forget that he's actually from across the pond.
08:48That's why I'd like to get the 13th Amendment through the house, and on its way to ratification by the states, wrap the whole slavery thing up forever and I as soon as I'm able.
08:58Now! End of this month!
09:00He's also a master of adopting distinct voices for his roles going beyond just accents.
09:05When he's not inhabiting a character, Daniel Day-Lewis speaks in a soft and poised manner, with a graceful English accent.
09:12His voice effortlessly commands respect and attention without being loud.
09:17Even if he was narrating a grocery list, we could listen to him for hours.
09:21She came close to making the film a couple of times with other people in place, and I was always hoping she would get to make that film, but after we were married, it never really occurred to me that we would do it together.
09:32Number 21. Austin Butler
09:34Yeah, I just arrived this morning. I was up at 5.30 to drive up here.
09:38Okay, good.
09:39From playing teen heartthrobs to embodying the king of rock and roll, this actor has come a long way.
09:45Baz Luhrmann's Elvis made him a superstar, earning him an Oscar nod.
09:49He was dedicated to method acting for this project, and it took a major toll on his physical health.
09:55While he eventually moved on from the character, fans noticed that he couldn't fully shake off Elvis' voice, which seemed to influence his natural cadence.
10:04Before Elvis, his normal voice sat in a higher register, and he spoke with little to no drawl.
10:10As Will kind of goes from boy to man and has such a big loss at the end of season one, how does he transform? What is the evolution of him?
10:20Nowadays, the actor sports a much lower and huskier voice, occasionally incorporating a subtle southern lilt.
10:26Needless to say, we're not mad at this new normal.
10:29It really made me self-conscious for a second, because I thought, am I being phony? Is this not my voice?
10:35And then I thought, no, I'd have to think consciously to not talk how I am right now.
10:41Number 20, James Marsders.
10:44I'm talking about me.
10:47Buffy, you've never met the real me.
10:50Whether you were irritated, whether he showed up, or you were hopelessly in love with him, Spike always brought fresh energy to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
10:59Actor James Marsders and his dashing British accent made it hard to be neutral on him.
11:05But for years, fans have been shocked over and over again when they hear Marsders' actual voice.
11:10Yes, I have a fabulous California accent, naturally, and the London one, I had to learn slowly.
11:20It got better. It wasn't actually very good, I don't think, in the very beginning, in season two.
11:25And Tony Head tutored me by force.
11:28He's not British at all, and that brooding darkness he also brings to the voice is purely for the character's sake.
11:34He's actually a California native.
11:36When he speaks, he speaks in a fairly neutral American accent and a lightness, totally at odds with his sound of Spike.
11:44Do I know you?
11:45Me?
11:46No.
11:47No, sir.
11:48I'm just an old pal of Xanders here.
11:51Number 19, David Suchet.
11:53Is there anything in the English cuisine that you like, Poirot?
11:56The English, they do not have a cuisine, my friend.
11:58They have only the food.
11:59Oh, that's a bit harsh.
12:00Like the meat, overcooked.
12:01The vegetables too soft.
12:02The cheese, inedible.
12:03And the day the English creator unwinds is the day I return home to Belgium.
12:08For almost 25 years, the London-born actor disappeared into Agatha Christie's famously finicky Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.
12:16David Suchet's performance was defined by its technical ambitions and attention to detail.
12:22He found Poirot's accent and voice by completely changing the way he sounded.
12:27Quite the reverse.
12:28That trademark delicate voice and crisp Belgian accent are actually a far cry from the actor's true voice, which has a deep and resonant tone.
12:45To find Poirot's voice, he had to find a mix between the sounds of French and Belgian, then use his head voice instead of his chest voice.
12:53Poirot, when he's talking to you, will really fix on you.
12:58And his famous line is, if I can use his voice now.
13:01Please do.
13:03Madam, I listen to what you say, but I hear what you mean.
13:09Number 18, Dacre Montgomery.
13:11The doe-eyed actor first made waves and sent hearts fluttering when he appeared as the gorgeous, but deeply disturbed lifeguard Billy Hargrove on Stranger Things.
13:28He really commits to that character's intense, bellowing and deep, menacing voice.
13:34You know whose fault it is.
13:36Say it.
13:39My ex.
13:42Say it.
13:46Say it!
13:47Billy is the quintessential 80s American bully, but Dacre Montgomery was actually born and raised in Australia.
13:54On top of that, his real voice is much more soothing to listen to when he's not playing such an abusive guy.
14:01There's something even sweet about his real voice.
14:03Especially when you know he can go fully and horrifyingly evil.
14:07There's a moment in the scene in the sauna when I smash through the window and I'm yelling at my younger sister Max.
14:15And I think it's one of the only times that there's like an expletive in the show.
14:22And it was so Australian.
14:24So Australian.
14:25Number 17, Stephanie Beatriz.
14:28Detective Rosa Diaz has a pretty dark and intimidating presence.
14:32It's not just that she doesn't suffer fools.
14:35There's a brooding presence to her.
14:37She's like if Daria Morgendorfer grew up and suddenly decided to become a cop.
14:42I'm fine at parties.
14:43I just stand in the middle of the room and don't say anything.
14:45Actress Stephanie Beatriz's weighty, deep voice for that character is purely an invention.
14:50In real life, she's bubbly and her voice naturally reflects that.
14:54Can you go into Rosa mode?
14:55Yeah, I can do it right now.
14:58I mean, I've been doing it for...
14:59This is our seventh season.
15:02Our seventh season is airing now.
15:03So it's like, it's second nature now.
15:05It's almost frightening how different she sounds when she's not in character as Diaz.
15:10But Beatriz's biggest stroke of genius is using her actual voice when the character is undercover.
15:16How deep does the deception go?
15:18Excuse me, officer.
15:20Yeah, sweetheart.
15:21Sweetheart?
15:22Seriously, Hank, is that how you talk to women who come in here?
15:25Jimmy jab.
15:26I didn't even make it past one person.
15:28Number 16, Catherine Langford.
15:31That's right.
15:32Don't adjust your whatever device you're hearing this on.
15:35There's no one word to tell you why I do the things that I make.
15:38It's me, live and in stereo.
15:41First coming to prominence in the controversial Netflix series 13 Reasons Why,
15:46Catherine Langford nailed her American accent.
15:49Not only did she have to play a main character,
15:51she had to narrate all of the early episodes.
15:55The margin of error was pretty small.
15:57Aside from slight vowel sounds here and there, she pretty much nailed it.
16:01Have you ever in your life been able to confront an issue head on?
16:06Have you ever even had an issue?
16:08If you didn't know she was actually Australian, you might not even notice.
16:12Appearances in Knives Out, Love, Simon, and further roles continued to cast her as American,
16:18leading to shock from viewers when they heard her Aussie dialect for the first time.
16:23I'm a little bit musical, so if I listen to something,
16:25so like I had to do a Scottish accent for this, I don't know, for a film,
16:30and I was watching Braveheart and I would just like repeat everything,
16:33so he'd be like, holoy, and I'd be like, holoy, and I don't know, like whatever.
16:36So if some actor does a bad accent, they could really throw you off.
16:40Oh yeah, I'm, that's it.
16:42Number 15, Melanie Linsky.
16:44We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful in what we pretend to be.
16:52And I asked myself about the present, how wide it was, how deep it was,
17:00how much was mine to keep.
17:01A well-rounded character actress can play anyone from anywhere.
17:05Melanie Linsky has been dazzling TV audiences on the psychological thriller Yellowjacket since 2021,
17:12and has been playing American characters for the better part of 30 years.
17:16But that flawless dialect is not her native one.
17:19Linsky is actually from New Zealand.
17:21The feeling of like, Brit and Jermaine got an HBO show, like, Taika won an Oscar,
17:27like it's just, it's so mind-blowing, people you've known since they were teenagers.
17:31She's been altering her relatively high-pitched voice and Kiwi accent for Project
17:36since making the crossover to American movies in the late 90s.
17:40Kelly Clarkson was all of us when she was thrown off by Linsky's real voice
17:44during an appearance on her daytime talk show.
17:46I feel like I only see you in movies and shows, and I'm just like, wait, what?
17:51With your accent, yes, and I love New Zealand.
17:53People get confused.
17:54Number 14, Teller.
17:56Teller, what are the origins of being silent on stage during your act?
17:59You're asking me the exact same questions that the New York Times guy did,
18:05just as if they were right on that piece of paper.
18:07Any person's voice would be a surprise if you've never heard them speak before.
18:11Teller is the silent half of the best-selling comedy magician double act, Penn and Teller.
18:16While his partner Penn Jillette does the talking,
18:19Teller's silence is a huge part of the comedy.
18:21I think we've shown that Penn and Teller don't need gimmicks.
18:25We don't need punchlines.
18:27We are indeed the best magicians working today.
18:30His muteness is purely for the stage.
18:33It was a conscious choice he made to combat what he thought of as cliche magician patter.
18:38It's also his counterintuitive strategy to command attention.
18:42It's almost even more hilarious that after all that time not speaking,
18:46in reality, he just sounds like some guy.
18:49You feel like an idiot if you're heckling a silent guy.
18:55And then eventually, you know, working with Penn all these years,
19:00what I've discovered is there's something absolutely incredible that happens when you don't talk.
19:05Number 13, Jodi Comer.
19:08She's just arrived from New York after one too many nights on the wrong side of the bridge,
19:13and she has a really, really, really annoying accent.
19:18The slippery assassin from the BBC's Killing Eve is a chameleon.
19:23She can slip into almost any accent so naturally that you almost forget there's a real person in there.
19:29This show was the first time many audiences, particularly Americans,
19:33really got to see actress Jodi Comer's immense talent for dialects
19:37and just being legitimately terrifying in general.
19:40So, what do you want?
19:47Gapia Tragedy, who fell in love with her coke dealer.
19:54Ah, a sun cream heiress from Sydney.
19:59Hers is actually a Scouse accent, a dialect native to Liverpool and its surrounding areas.
20:06It's a surprisingly strong sound for someone who can so easily dip in and out of other dialects with that much ease.
20:12In the audition, it was like, you know, she speaks many languages, and I was like, of course, so do I.
20:19And then, like, never thinking that I would, like, you know, it would happen,
20:22and then as each episode came through, I was like, oh, Russian, German, like, they all, yeah, they kept going.
20:28Number 12, Gilbert Gottfried.
20:30If there's one thing you can say about this comedian's voice, it's that it was distinctive.
20:36Hi, you schmucks!
20:38Four score and seven years ago, I was broke, just like you!
20:45But now I'm the president!
20:48Grating in Unmistakable, the late Gilbert Gottfried's shrill voice sounded like the wrong answer buzzer on a game show.
20:54The angrier he got, the more pronounced and funnier it became.
20:58But if you thought that was his real voice, we've got news for you, you've been fooled.
21:03Oh!
21:04Ah!
21:04Ah!
21:05I hate you, Willie Frank!
21:07Stop it!
21:08Over the years, fans got rear peeks behind the curtain,
21:12and there was a very clear difference between his show voice and his real one.
21:16However, that strong Brooklyn accent is the real deal.
21:19I don't think I could have imagined it,
21:23and I wish I could enjoy things fully.
21:28But I feel like I still haven't, uh,
21:32woken up and said,
21:33oh, this is my life.
21:34Number 11, Marilyn Monroe.
21:37Are you going to look for gold?
21:39I could stand a little.
21:40What would you do with it?
21:42Do with it?
21:43Oh, buy fancy gowns,
21:45live in the swell hotels in the big city,
21:48go to the opera.
21:49The movie star and style icon captivated the world with her highly stylized femininity.
21:55A delicate, breathy voice was a big part of Marilyn Monroe's star persona.
21:59In her most famous roles, she played on her presumed naivete,
22:03and that airy voice became a huge part of selling the fantasy.
22:07Don't you know that a man being rich is like a girl being pretty?
22:12You might not marry a girl just because she's pretty,
22:15but my goodness, doesn't it help?
22:17Some movies, usually the lesser known ones,
22:20gave her a chance to use her true vocal placement,
22:23which was deeper and earthy.
22:24But it was rare that she really got to use it.
22:27While she made gold out of these characteristically dimwitted or passive roles,
22:31it's just as thrilling to hear her sound like a real person.
22:35It takes me two seconds.
22:36It's taken...
22:37You've had two days.
22:39Sorry, George, but we can do it.
22:42Number 10.
22:43Megan Mullally
22:44What would classic sitcom Will and Grace be
22:46without its standout supporting character Karen Walker?
22:49Her shrill, nasally voice became a trademark of her character,
22:53making each line delivery hilariously iconic.
22:56So listen, Jackie,
22:57Stan and I had this tropical getaway planned for next week,
23:00but see this how he's in the prison
23:02warding off French kisses from a 500-pound felon named Tiny.
23:05I got an extra ticket!
23:06Actress Megan Mullally
23:07actually used her real voice in the pilot episode of Will and Grace,
23:11but from the second episode on,
23:13her voice became gradually higher
23:15as she settled into the quirks of her character.
23:17Grace,
23:18you're...
23:19you're what?
23:2040?
23:25I'll be 31 next month.
23:27So I rounded up.
23:28Karen Walker was such a breakout role for Mullally
23:31that many fans were surprised to learn
23:33that Mullally's real voice
23:35wasn't nearly as cartoonish as her character's.
23:37The character needed
23:39an energy that my regular laconic speaking voice does not have.
23:46And so I just kept making it a little bit higher
23:48and a little bit higher.
23:49And then that became, you know,
23:51a good character trait for her to have.
23:54More recently, Mullally's real voice
23:56has become a bit more well-known
23:58due to her scene-stealing performances
24:00as Ron Swanson's ex-wife Tammy in Parks and Rec.
24:03We're gonna spend 11 days in my cabin in the woods.
24:07We bought 10 cases of Gatorade
24:09and a 40-pound bag of peanuts for energy.
24:12Number 9.
24:13Steve-O
24:13The rough, gravelly voice of this jackass star
24:16seems to fit his up-for-anything-extreme-risk-taking personality
24:20so well, it's surprising that it's not his real voice.
24:24You think about how the last movie had, like, the credits
24:27which showed us when we first started
24:29and it was 10 years later.
24:31Yeah.
24:31And now it's another 10 years.
24:33That's right.
24:34Gotta say, I look great though.
24:35Even more shocking,
24:36Steve-O himself didn't know the sound of his real voice
24:39until just a few years ago.
24:41A meeting with an ear, nose, and throat doctor
24:43revealed that Steve-O had learned to speak entirely the wrong way.
24:47Rather than using his vocal cords,
24:49he spoke using his throat muscles.
24:52He said that I'm using to speak,
24:56I'm using, like, the muscles above my vocal cords,
25:00which is making this, you know, weird thing.
25:05And I was like, wow, doc,
25:06like, you're telling me after everything I've been through,
25:09I just suck at talking.
25:11The star has been working with a vocal coach
25:13to practice speaking in a healthier way,
25:15and hearing his normal voice is pretty jarring.
25:17Now the dilemma is keep the voice he's known for
25:20or embrace his new, healthier speaking voice.
25:23I worked with a vocal coach who was,
25:25who was making some progress
25:26and teaching me to speak, like,
25:29you know, like, a little bit more.
25:31Who?
25:32Who?
25:33Who?
25:34Number 8.
25:35Melissa Roush
25:36When Bernadette Rostenkowski was introduced
25:38in the third season of The Big Bang Theory,
25:41actress Melissa Roush was determined
25:43to make a memorable impression.
25:44Don't take him too seriously.
25:46A lot of what he says is intended as humor.
25:50Yeah, well, I don't think it's very funny.
25:53Me neither.
25:53But he just lights up when I laugh.
25:55Fans slowly grew to love the small but mighty microbiologist
25:59and her signature squeaky voice.
26:02After 10 years playing the same character
26:04on one of the most popular shows on television,
26:06Roush became closely linked to her character.
26:09Oh, hey, look, it's Bernadette.
26:11I can't tell you how many times
26:14Dr. Fowler was gonna give up
26:15and I would say to her,
26:17Amy, as your best friend,
26:19I'm not gonna let you quit.
26:21For this reason,
26:22many Big Bang Theory fans are surprised
26:24when they discover that Roush's voice
26:26sounds distinctly different from her characters.
26:29Interviews with the actress reveal
26:30that her squeaky voice was actually
26:32a brilliant character choice
26:34that made Bernadette instantly recognizable
26:36even before she appeared on screen.
26:38Bernadette's voice is very similar to my mother's,
26:41except without the Jersey accent, to say.
26:44But, yeah, it's, uh, it's my mother.
26:48It's not quite, quite that high,
26:51but it's in that tone, in that range.
26:54Number 7, Mia Goth.
26:56This actress has become a certified scream queen
26:59thanks to her recent roles in Ty West's X film series.
27:03It's not about what I want anymore, Mitzi.
27:05It's about making the best of what I have.
27:10Her impeccable southern accent
27:11in roles of both Maxine Minx and Pearls
27:14sounds so believable
27:15that many are shocked to learn
27:17that Goth isn't from the South
27:19and she's not even American at all.
27:21It's amazing.
27:21It's such an honor.
27:22I'm such a huge fan of his writing
27:24and the fact that he even knows that,
27:25you know, this trilogy exists.
27:27And it's, it's, it's amazing.
27:29Goth was born in London
27:31and lived in the United Kingdom, Brazil,
27:33and Canada throughout her childhood.
27:35But her natural speaking voice
27:37is distinctively English.
27:38Goth's ability to totally transform her voice
27:41is truly a testament to her incredible talent.
27:44I came out here when I was 19
27:46and, um, the first place I stayed
27:48was in this little hotel,
27:50which, funnily enough,
27:51I just drove past that hotel
27:53on my way, on my way to the Maxine premiere.
27:56Um, so that felt very full circle, I guess.
28:00And then it was that Maxine, uh, billboard
28:02that was on Sunset for a little while.
28:04Number six, Iggy Azalea.
28:06This Australian musician moved
28:08to the United States at age 16
28:10with dreams of becoming a famous rapper.
28:12It took a few years,
28:14but she eventually landed a chart-topping single
28:16with 2014's Fancy.
28:18Like we bring an idiot back.
28:20What?
28:20Bring the hoods in with a bass in.
28:23Champagne spilling, you should taste that.
28:25Azalea's voice in her music
28:26is clearly influenced
28:28by the rap and hip-hop artists
28:29who came before her.
28:31Given that the genre was created by
28:33and popularized by black artists,
28:35this has led some to accuse Azalea
28:37of putting on a black scent in her music.
28:40I just can't worry about no hate,
28:41it's gotta stay on my grind.
28:42Now tell me who dat, who dat?
28:44They do dat, do dat.
28:45Interviews of Azalea speaking
28:46in her Aussie-accented natural voice
28:49further highlight the artificial nature
28:51of her performing voice.
28:52Failure was really not an option for me.
28:54I just, I had to keep going
28:57until I couldn't go anymore
28:59and there was a point when I thought
29:01I was gonna run out of money
29:02and I would have to go home
29:03and that was right before I put out
29:05the first song of my mixtape
29:07called Ignorant Art
29:08and I kinda did a bit of a gamble
29:10and I made this mixtape
29:11and it ended up paying for me.
29:13Number 5.
29:14Hugh Laurie
29:15Of course this entry will be no surprise
29:18to British viewers,
29:19but Americans who know Hugh Laurie
29:21from his long-time role on House
29:23might be surprised to hear his real voice.
29:25With everybody being American around you,
29:27did it help make it more comfortable?
29:29Uh, no, I still, I still felt
29:32everything, it was like just
29:34trying to walk with everybody
29:35and you're the one,
29:36you're the one with a stone in your shoe
29:38and everyone else is just floating along
29:40and you're always going,
29:41ah, that didn't sound right,
29:42ah, that didn't sound right.
29:43Laurie was born in Oxford, England
29:45and rose to fame across the pond
29:47as part of a comedic duo
29:48with Stephen Fry.
29:50You must have been delighted
29:51to hear the news with a big push.
29:52Absolutely, sir.
29:53Our chance to show the hum
29:55that it takes more than a pointy hat
29:56and bad breath to defeat
29:57the honors of Ignorant.
29:58That's the spirit.
30:00Aside from a few film roles,
30:02Laurie was mostly unknown
30:04in the United States
30:05until House premiered in 2004.
30:07Boys do a home search,
30:09girls do lab tests.
30:11Pretty sure that's not sexist.
30:13Where have you been?
30:16Picking up dry cleaning,
30:17filling up a tank,
30:19violating the dead.
30:20Laurie's accent was so convincing,
30:22even House executive producer
30:24Bryan Singer didn't realize
30:25Laurie was British
30:26until after he'd already been cast.
30:28With Laurie in the starring role,
30:30the series was a massive success
30:32and ran for eight seasons.
30:34I got a flat.
30:36I know, right?
30:38So, you know,
30:40don't send out the Marines.
30:41I'll just be back on the road
30:43in a few minutes.
30:45Okay, bye.
30:47Number four, Elizabeth Holmes.
30:49The infamous founder
30:50of the defunct blood testing company Theranos
30:53was known for her strikingly deep voice.
30:56I work all the time
30:57and I'm basically in the office
31:01from the time I wake up
31:02and then working
31:03until I go to sleep every day.
31:05Many wondered whether it was genuine,
31:07digging through old interviews
31:09and talking with people
31:10from Holmes' past
31:11to ask whether she'd always spoken like that.
31:14This quickly revealed
31:15that her natural speaking voice
31:16was very different
31:17and her deep baritone
31:19had been like a character for Holmes,
31:21putting on her market-disrupting
31:23startup founder persona.
31:24I talked about it in an interview
31:26I did with Forbes
31:27that we made a decision
31:28to expand our test menu
31:31to include all the specialty
31:33and esoteric tests
31:34that are traditionally run
31:36only very infrequently
31:38but cost a huge amount of money.
31:41Once it came out
31:42that her Theranos technology
31:43was completely fake,
31:45Holmes was arrested
31:46and charged with fraud.
31:47While on trial,
31:48Holmes dropped the voice,
31:50some say in an effort
31:51to come across as softer
31:52and more genuine.
31:54The baritone voice
31:56is now gone.
31:58She just talks
31:59in a normal voice.
32:02Number 3.
32:03Larry the Cable Guy,
32:04Dan Whitney
32:05Nebraska-born Dan Whitney
32:07rose to fame
32:08under a completely new name
32:09and a totally new voice.
32:11Alright, one more joke like that
32:13and I'm getting the hell out of here.
32:14Alright,
32:15cause that's what I'm called for right there.
32:17Better known as Larry the Cable Guy,
32:19his distinctive southern accent
32:20was so hilariously compelling
32:22that it got him cast
32:24in a massive Pixar franchise
32:25as the anthropomorphic
32:27tow truck tow mater.
32:28I sure wish he'd hurry up
32:30and get back
32:30cause we got a whole summer's worth
32:32of best friend fun
32:33to make up for.
32:34Cause me and...
32:36The inspiration
32:38for his southern persona
32:39came from his college roommates
32:41from Georgia and Texas
32:42at the University of Nebraska
32:44where Whitney studied
32:45drama and speech.
32:46With a clear passion for comedy
32:48and a talent for manipulating his voice,
32:50it's no surprise Whitney became successful
32:52with such a distinctive
32:54and memorable character.
32:56I hang out with people
32:57that talk like that.
32:58So I picked it up,
32:59I picked it up in Georgia
33:01when I went to college.
33:02I'm able to talk like that.
33:03I can turn it on
33:04and turn it off
33:05anytime I want.
33:07Number 2
33:07Paris Hilton
33:08Sorry, I'm doing a cooking tutorial
33:10and I have like
33:11none of the correct things.
33:13I don't know what this is
33:15but it looks like it will work.
33:17Yeah, it's working.
33:18Paris Hilton was everywhere
33:20in the early 2000s
33:22and so was her trademark voice.
33:24Her breathy, baby voice tone
33:26seemed to fit the persona
33:27of a ditzy socialite
33:29that was marketed to the public
33:30during her time on The Simple Life.
33:32It's the smallest tone ever.
33:34There's nothing.
33:35There's like one store,
33:37one market,
33:37one gas station,
33:38like one hair salon.
33:40No one suspected her voice
33:42wasn't genuine
33:43but Hilton revealed in 2020
33:45that she had been putting on
33:46a character the entire time.
33:48Hilton,
33:48who survived abusive boarding schools
33:50as a teenager,
33:51says she created her ditzy blonde persona
33:54as a protective mask
33:55in response to her trauma.
33:56Sometimes I feel like
33:58so many things
34:01but sometimes like this robot
34:03and this character that I did
34:05and talking with them,
34:07like I started remembering
34:08who I was before.
34:10Though Hilton still frequently
34:12uses her character voice
34:13in public appearances,
34:15she noticeably switches
34:16to her natural voice
34:17anytime she's dealing
34:18with a serious topic.
34:20My sweatsuit,
34:21my socks,
34:24being at home
34:25and then all this other stuff
34:26is just part of
34:27the character.
34:30Before we continue,
34:31be sure to subscribe
34:32to our channel
34:33and ring the bell
34:34to get notified
34:34about our latest videos.
34:36You have the option
34:37to be notified
34:37for occasional videos
34:39or all of them.
34:40If you're on your phone,
34:41make sure you go
34:42into your settings
34:42and switch on notifications.
34:46Number one,
34:47Michael Jackson.
34:49There were many elements
34:50that made up
34:51the king of pop's
34:52unforgettable persona.
34:53One significant one
34:54being his high-pitched voice.
34:56Remember something,
34:57just because it's in print
34:59doesn't mean it's the gospel.
35:02People write negative things
35:04because they feel
35:05that's what sells.
35:06Good news to them
35:07doesn't sell.
35:08That distinctive voice
35:09was a signature
35:10of his music
35:11that seemed to carry over
35:12into his speaking voice,
35:14and at least according
35:14to many public interviews.
35:16However,
35:17some fans point
35:18to certain concert footage
35:20and other videos
35:20of Jackson
35:21where he speaks
35:22in a more natural-sounding voice,
35:24alleging that this
35:25was his real voice.
35:26Liza Minnelli,
35:27a close friend of Jackson's,
35:29says she heard
35:29his natural speaking voice
35:31on rare occasions.
35:32But with Michael,
35:33it's...
35:36When I first met Michael,
35:37he was a kid,
35:40you know?
35:40And as he grew up,
35:43he was so funny.
35:45He was really fun.
35:46Like Paris Hilton,
35:47it appears that Jackson's voice
35:48was part of his public persona,
35:50and he used his real voice
35:52only in private
35:53and on serious occasions.
35:54I was mesmerized.
35:57I've never seen a performer
35:58perform like James Brown,
36:00and right then and there,
36:01I knew that
36:02that was exactly
36:03what I wanted to do
36:04for the rest of my life
36:05because of James Brown.
36:07Were you pleasantly surprised
36:08or disappointed
36:09by these stars' real voices?
36:11Tell us in the comments.
36:12That you're the absolute
36:14spitting image
36:15of that Mr. Bean.
Comments