Voice of Smaug?

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Over at TORN they've got a thread speculating on
casting possibilities for TH movie(s?). One speculation
is on Smaug's voice. Personally, I think Rowan Atkinson
(think Black Adder ) would do well. Their list is:

Smaug (voice)
Clancy Brown
James Caan
George Clooney
Brian Cox
Marton Csokas
Tim Curry
Vin Diesel
Sam Elliott
Jonathan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Bruno Ganz
Terry Gilliam
Mark Hamill
Djimon Hounsou
Anthony Hopkins
John Hurt
Jeremy Irons
Jason Isaacs
Tommy Lee Jones
Ben Kingsley
Robert Lindsay
Meat Loaf
Ulrich Matthes
Alfred Molina
John Noble
Peter O’Toole
Edward James Elmos
Leslie Phillips
Wayne Pygram
Alan Rickman
Geoffrey Rush
Rodrigo Santoro
Andy Serkis
Martin Shaw
Stellan Skarsgard
Patrick Stewart
Kathleen Turner
Nichol Williamson
Michael Wincott

What do you think? Alan Rickman might be a
good choice.

[Aiwendil]

I think Christopher Lee would have been perfect if his voice hadn't already been associated with Saruman. Similarly, John Rhys-Davies's voice strikes me as quite appropriate for Smaug.

Patrick Stewart would probably be good in principle, but I'm afraid I just couldn't take Smaug seriously if he had the voice of Captain Picard.

There are some odd suggestions on that list, though. Mark Hamill? Terry Gilliam? Surely it should at least be someone with an authentic English accent (I can't imagine Smaug talking like an American).

[Gwathagor]

Jeremy Irons. No contest.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Gwathagor

Jeremy Irons. No contest.

If they did pick him, I'd have a hard time not thinking of a huge mane of hair for Smaug.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

If they did pick him, I'd have a hard time not thinking of a huge mane of hair for Smaug.

Seconded!

I don't like dragons so obviously I wouldn't want a dragon to have Scar's voice.

Tim Curry or Bruno Ganz might be good.

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

Seconded!

I don't like dragons so obviously I wouldn't want a dragon to have Scar's voice.

But Smaug is pretty much the coolest bad guy in Tolkien's corpus, if not beyond. And his chief competitor is another dragon, Glaurung!

Maybe if Jeremy Irons were Smaug's voice, this fact would cause you to like dragons.

Personally, Jeremy Irons as Smaug would be considered an awesome thing.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

But Smaug is pretty much the coolest bad guy in Tolkien's corpus, if not beyond.

I prefer Saruman. <3

Maybe if Jeremy Irons were Smaug's voice, this fact would cause you to like dragons.

No, it might lead to me not wanting to see the Hobbit film at all in fear of losing my ability to watch the Lion King without thinking of dragons.

But yeah Jeremy Irons' voice anywhere is an awesome thing.

[Morthoron]

Tuor, you skipped my suggestion on TORn:

Pee-wee Herman.

That would throw everyone off.

[Mnemosyne]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Tuor, you skipped my suggestion on TORn:

Pee-wee Herman.

That would throw everyone off.

*brain asplodes*

[Bêthberry]

Yeah, Irons was magnificent as Scar--as suave as George Sanders' Shere Khan in the Jungle Book. But someone will have to make Smaug be, well, authentically Smaug.

John Hurt's already done a dragon, but I haven't heard how he did in Merlin. He's also, um, played a rabbit and a wizard.

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

Surely it should at least be someone with an authentic English accent (I can't imagine Smaug talking like an American).

Ah, this raises an interesting question, above and beyond the actor's identity. Just which kind of English accent would be appropriate for Smaug? EDIT: This would effectively exclude Pee-Wee Herman.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Mnemosyne

*brain asplodes*

*Casually wipes Mnemo's splattered gray matter off his shirt*

Ummm...sorry about that. I hope you didn't need that brain. I simply suggested Pee-wee Herman because most people are suggesting folks like Jeremy Irons, Ian McShane, Sean Connery, Tim Curry, John Hurt, Geoffrey Rush, Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart and the like to voice Smaug, and these individuals, fine actors one and all, have each done very recognizable voice-overs for notable cartoon/CGI characters.

Personally, I would prefer an unrecognizable, ominous voice for Smaug, rather than watching the movie and saying, "Hey, that's [fill in the blank] doing Smaug's voice!" The cameo superstar voice/appearance in movies has been so overdone that it is past cliche. Besides, the voice of a many-ton talking dragon would be distorted, loud and would reverberate about the cavern. Such large vocal chords amplified in such a vast hall would be more of a rumbling growl at its quietest and a bellow of a herd of hefalumps at its loudest.

[Kent2010]

Djimon Honsou would be interesting, but I would like to see Derek Jacobi considered.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Jacobi's voice is just a little light. But at the same time the deep, booming Darth Vader thing is a pitfall to be avoided. Smaug should be an *aristocrat*- a sneering, cynical, supercilious villain, which is why Irons comes to mind (think of his von Bulow). Alan Rickman maybe. Tom Wilkinson might be good (he's a voice chameleon). But I'm leaning toward Jason Isaacs (who hasn't as distinctive a voice as Rickman and wouldn't carry as much Harry Potter baggage).

[Gwathagor]

I like the idea of Irons voicing Smaug because of the gravelly quality of his voice. Someone who breathes fire is likely to be a bit rough-throated.

[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.

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Ah, this raises an interesting question, above and beyond the actor's identity. Just which kind of English accent would be appropriate for Smaug?

Reading a bit about Hugh Laurie (he plays Dr. House on the TV show of the same name), I learned the following:

Originally Posted by wikipedia

Although Laurie has been a household name in many parts of the world since the 1980s, he only came to the attention of a broader American public in 2004, when he first starred as the acerbic attending physician Dr. Gregory House in the popular FOX medical drama House. For his portrayal, Laurie assumes an American accent. Laurie was in Namibia filming Flight of the Phoenix and recorded the audition tape for the show in the bathroom of the hotel, the only place he could get enough light. His US accent was so convincing that executive producer Bryan Singer, who was unaware at the time that Laurie is English, pointed to him as an example of just the kind of compelling American actor he had been looking for.

..meaning that to have a British accent, we need not look just to British actors.

And that said, must we exclude female voices a priori? Is Smaug male? What does 'male' mean in dragon form? Could not a woman's voice work as well?

[Durelin]

Leonard Nimoy.

Originally Posted by alatar

And that said, must we exclude female voices a priori? Is Smaug male? What does 'male' mean in dragon form? Could not a woman's voice work as well?

There are women who have done very 'masculine' voice-acting, too. Like the woman who voices Bart Simpson...obviously not a very deep voice but plenty masculine. And I remember in an anime this Japanese woman, who spoke in a very high-pitched voice normally, voicing a bad guy with the typical menacing deep voice.

That aside -- no, there's nothing saying Smaug need sound typically 'masculine'...though I must admit I want him to. Well, not *typically* masculine but...yeah.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by alatar

Reading a bit about Hugh Laurie (he plays Dr. House on the TV show of the same name), I learned the following:

..meaning that to have a British accent, we need not look just to British actors.

And that said, must we exclude female voices a priori? Is Smaug male? What does 'male' mean in dragon form? Could not a woman's voice work as well?

Well, what kind of voice does Margaret Thatcher have?

In our house, we quite often, after watching an episode of House, watch an episode of Blackadder, just to marvel at Laurie's marvellous range and talents.

Yet voices and accents have traditionally been a strong point amongst English thespians. I'm not so sure that an American equivalent of Laurie could be named. Can anyone identify an American actor who has done a credible English accent--there have been several lamentable ones.

[Mithalwen]

Gwyneth Paltrow and Renee Zellweger made a decent fist of it in Sliding Doors and Bridget Jones but I am struggling to think of any American men who have been as convincing and some have been spectacularly (deliberately?) bad - though of course I am sure many Brits fail woefully at doing American, I just wouldn't necessarily notice.

Bethberry - I occasionally catch old episodes of Jeeves and Wooster and that really is a shock now I have got used to Laurie as House... and that WAS a shock.. since on the surface you couldn't find a more English Englishman... Eton, and not only Cambridge Footlights but Cambridge Boat Race......

Anyway I think George Irving would make a fabulous Smaug...

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

In our house, we quite often, after watching an episode of House, watch an episode of Blackadder, just to marvel at Laurie's marvellous range and talents.

He is marvelously talented, so you would understand *my* surprise to learn that he wasn't an American...

And as Mith said, can't believe that 'House' is the same guy that was in "The Young Ones."

Can anyone identify an American actor who has done a credible English accent--there have been several lamentable ones.

Kevin Costner, as heard in "Robin Hood." (Always remember, to sheep, other sheep surely appear different, and who even knows what marsupials are? ... or something)

Or what of Kevin Kline in "A Fish Called Wanda?"

Anyway, I'm not sure we need to have a (1) British accent or (2) male voice. And that said, do we even know that Smaug will actually speak?

[Thinlómien]

I would prefer Smaug to have an evil, sneering and amused voice, and not any macho masculine stuff. A woman could do Smaug as well as a man - but surely not anyone with a girly voice or an overtly feminine one. Also, his voice should not be a distinctively old voice, for even though he is old, there is something very youthfully playful in him. British accent would be nice but not necessary - as long as Smaug doesn't have a very strong American accent!

I don't have any particular actors or actresses in mind because I'm terrible at remembering their voices. Of the suggestions this far, Geoffrey Rush, Jason Isaacs, Derek Jacobi and Kathleen Turner sound quite good, but none of them is exactly what I'd like to hear.

[skip spence]

There's been a lot of talk about Hugh Laurie without anyone nominating him for the part. Perhaps not a bad choice at all, he's got the posh accent down and can surely sound sneering and menacing too.

And how about John Malkovich? Wouldn't it be a hoot if he Frenched him up too, like in Johnny English? Seems fitting too, given JRRTs legendary Frenchyfobia. But seriously, Malkovich might do a good Smaug methinks...

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by alatar

Kevin Costner, as heard in "Robin Hood." (Always remember, to sheep, other sheep surely appear different, and who even knows what marsupials are? ... or something)

Or what of Kevin Kline in "A Fish Called Wanda?"

but Kline was playing an american putting on a silly-brit accent?

Robin Hood...well it was years before I could watch that beyond the ludicrous opening sequence when KC announces , at Dover, "tonight we dine at my father's house in Nardingham", the realities of 12th century transportation being overlooked along with basic geography since they went via Hadrian's wall - about as scenic route as you could get while remaining on the same island. Even Shadowfax couldn' t have done that...

George Irving is best known here for playing the consultant heart surgeon, Anton Meyer, in the series Holby City. His voice is deep, authoratative with a seductive quality that means some of us could listen to him read the telephone directory...

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

but Kline was playing an american putting on a silly-brit accent?

My point entirely...

Robin Hood...well it was years before I could watch that beyond the ludicrous opening sequence when KC announces , at Dover, "tonight we dine at my father's house in Nardingham", the realities of 12th century transportation being overlooked along with basic geography since they went via Hadrian's wall - about as scenic route as you could get while remaining on the same island. Even Shadowfax couldn' t have done that...

Sure, Kevin Costner got panned for his less than believable British accent, but for if you have a tin ear in regards to accents (like most 'Mericans), it mattered not. I still like the movie and find it 100% accurate, factual and believable, given my knowledge of things therein and minuscule attention span.

Surely Andy Serkis could pull something out of his throat for Smaug.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Originally posted by Alatar
Or what of Kevin Kline in "A Fish Called Wanda?"

Actually, KK could be very good, and do a believable Oxford accent.
Can't you picture him calling after Bilbo as he runs up the tunnel
to the dwarves:

I love looking at your *** when you walk. Is that beautiful
or what? Don't go near him, HE'S MINE!!!

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

I tend to be with those who think the voice should be an unknown, since having one that is too recognizable brings along potentially unwanted baggage. But that said, the one voice I can think of that I would've liked to hear do Smaug belongs to an actor who, alas, is now dead: Andreas Katsulas. Regardless of accent, I think the quality of his voice would have been wonderful (somehow, I keep thinking of G'Kar in the lift on Babylon 5, holding out a blood-dripping hand, chanting "Dead... dead... dead...").

[Erendis]

Originally Posted by Gwathagor

Jeremy Irons. No contest.

Exactly!A "quiet" voice,with a really cunning note...
Shhh,makes my hair go up!