Voice of Smaug?

[Durelin]

If only Orson Welles were somehow still alive.

I love Alan Rickman but I know I'd just be cracking up. Isaacs is too sniveling in the Potter movies at least...I don't remember him well enough from other roles to really comment though.

Liam Neeson can't because he's the Jesus-Lion.

Sean Connery already got to be dragon.

Patrick Stewart...yeah, I'd also be cracking up. I love his voice (who doesn't?) but...

As long as Jeremy Irons can be less of a fruitcake than he was as Scar...no, still, not feeling it. Too weak.

Christopher Lee would be a safe choice, but regardless might not agree to it anyway.

That is such a horrible list from ToRN, though...no offense. Seems mostly like a joke list...I mean, Morgan Freeman? Hmm...actually I bet Mark Hamill could pull off a pretty good Smaug voice, haha.

So, a couple more hilarious Smaug ideas:

Peter Ustinov. O.m.g. So terribly terribly hilarious (though also dead ).

Also, CaptainofDespair just suggested they just get Christian Bale to do his *Batman voice*...much lolz.

[Gwathagor]

Originally Posted by Durelin

As long as Jeremy Irons can be less of a fruitcake than he was as Scar...no, still, not feeling it. Too weak.

Jeremy Irons weak?! Have you SEEN Die Hard 3? Just the right combination of smooth-talker/tough-guy/sarcasm.

[Mnemosyne]

Eek, NO Orson Welles! That guy exudes "I am Orson Welles" with every syllable. The fact that he'd be playing an egomaniac only partially ameliorates the problem: I don't think he could make it from "I am Orson Welles" to "I am Smaug."

Wish I could say something constructive for the topic, but I honestly can't think of anything. I would, however, like him to be a guy that I wouldn't recognize until the credits and then go "D'oh!" Which wouldn't be terribly difficult for me.

As it is, I thought I heard GDT already had a "dream actor" for the role.

I'd like some input from people who have listened to enough contemporary radio drama to give some input on good voice actors from that field. Unfortunately the art is all but dead in America so I cannot comment.

[Gwathagor]

I'd have trouble getting Robin Masters from "Magnum PI" out of my head, I think, with Orson Welles.

[Kent2010]

Originally Posted by Durelin

Isaacs is too sniveling in the Potter movies at least...I don't remember him well enough from other roles to really comment though.

I remember him most from Dragonheart and The Patriot. Both times he played the snivelling "I am better than thou" role, but I don't remember it being too much. As the British Colonel Tavington in The Patriot there is absolutely nothing redeeming about his character, he's pure evil, and is set up as the "big bad guy," not Cornwallis, and Tavington is the guy Mel Gibson's character squares off against.

I also remember him in Black Hawk Down, but he played a hard-nosed Captain and had a bit of a southern drawl.

Funny thing is Mark Hamill is doing a lot of voice over work, but ugh he's just too bland. If we want someone with a lot of voice over work and a very entertaining, might as well make it Adam West.

[Durelin]

Orson Welles is Unicron in my head, that's it.

"Your bargaining posture is highly dubious..."

Originally Posted by Kent

Funny thing is Mark Hamill is doing a lot of voice over work, but ugh he's just too bland.

Yeah, he's been in every cartoon show imaginable...and unlike Adam West he actually plays roles other than himself.

[Folwren]

May I make a suggestion? Paul McGann. I know he won't be picked, but all the same....

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Durelin

As long as Jeremy Irons can be less of a fruitcake than he was as Scar...no, still, not feeling it. Too weak.

I wouuld never call Jeremy Irons weak.. just for me so associated with the 80's adaptation of Brideshead Revisited

"It was in the Autumn of TA 2941 when I first met Sebastian... I mean Bilbo Baggins..."

Leslie Phillips would be hilarious...Ding dong!!!

[Durelin]

Since my Jeremy Irons comment is apparently so shocking, I'll at least point out that I'm talking about the nature of his voice and not the characters he is capable of portraying... I don't find his voice strong or striking enough. I don't know what kind of voice acting he is capable of...don't with most of the actors recommended!

[Kent2010]

Originally Posted by Durelin

I don't find his voice strong or striking enough. I don't know what kind of voice acting he is capable of...don't with most of the actors recommended!

Just some of the people from the list who's voices I like for Smaug.

Geoffrey Rush - as Captain Barbossa in PoTC - I think he made this movie even with Johnny Depp, I can't imagine Pirates being that good without Geoffrey Rush.

Jason Isaacs and Tom Wilkinson in The Patriot. I think they both have done better movies, but at least you can get an idea of their voices. I prefer Wilkinson's because as WCH said he's got a range of voices where as Tavington, or Hook, or Lucius Malfoy, Isaacs' voices are almost identitical.

John Noble has been in Fox's TV Show Fringe and he's been getting good reviews. Its an interesting show. Here is a bit and also the promo trailer. The thing about Noble is he can slip in and out of character. At the Fellowship Festival in 2004, Noble would go back and forth from his Denethor voice, griping about Faramir, and then suddenly switch to passionately arguing Faramir's charge as the most emotional scene in the movies.

This is a long one, but in the recent TV version of Pratchett's Colour of Magic, you can hear a lot of different voices. Brian Cox is the narrator. Sean Astin plays Twoflower, also Tim Curry, James Cosmo, Jeremy Irons (the Patrician), and Chris Lee (voice of Death) are in the TV series

I also enjoy Jonathan Pryce (Governor Swann in PoTC), but here's a video of him as Fagin in the musical Oliver.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

I like John Noble. Not only, I think, a voice and acting ability
able to get the nuances of Smaug, but it would also make
up for PJ's trashing of Denethor's character in RoTK.

Paraphrasing Madelaine in one of the children's books series:

I shall have my Ven-ge-ance!

[Gwathagor]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

I wouuld never call Jeremy Irons weak.. just for me so associated with the 80's adaptation of Brideshead Revisited

"It was in the Autumn of TA 2941 when I first met Sebastian... I mean Bilbo Baggins..."

What a great miniseries! (Megaseries?)

[Moophopolis]

Best voice for Smaug - Nick Nolte or Michael Wincott. Both guys sounds like they gargle broken glass for breakfast.

[Kent2010]

Here's a good of Jeremy Irons as The Patrician and he's carrying an adorable puppy.