20 Actors We Would Watch Read the Phone Book

Some performers have voices and presence that turn even the most ordinary words into something you want to hear. They have proven records in narration, theater, and screen work that show how well they command attention. Many have delivered acclaimed audiobooks and documentaries, and their dialogue is often quoted and taught in acting classes. Here are twenty actors whose delivery has carried everything from fantasy epics to true crime series and made every line count.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman has narrated hit documentaries including ‘March of the Penguins’ and ‘The Story of God’. He won an Academy Award for ‘Million Dollar Baby’ and has multiple nominations across a long career. His stage roots include the Public Theater and Broadway, which shaped his measured delivery. He also voices exhibits and museum films that rely on clear and steady storytelling.

James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones provided the voice of Darth Vader in ‘Star Wars’ and Mufasa in ‘The Lion King’. He earned a Tony Award for ‘The Great White Hope’ and a lifetime achievement honor from the Academy. His early work in Shakespeare established a resonant bass that engineers often cite for clarity. Audiobook and commercial campaigns have used his cadence to convey authority and warmth.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis holds the Triple Crown of Acting with an Oscar, an Emmy, and two Tonys. She led ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ and delivered acclaimed performances in ‘Fences’ and ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’. Davis narrates memoir and literary nonfiction, drawing on training from Juilliard. Directors often build scenes around her pauses and emphasis, which makes dialogue land with precision.

Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart is a Royal Shakespeare Company veteran who captained ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’. He narrates literature and poetry recordings and has voiced projects for ‘American Dad!’ and ‘Ted’. Stewart’s one man performances of ‘A Christmas Carol’ showcased his ability to juggle dozens of voices. His command of verse speaking gives documentary scripts a clean rhythmic lift.

Ian McKellen

Ian McKellen’s Shakespeare work spans decades and includes landmark productions of ‘Macbeth’ and ‘King Lear’. He voiced major fantasy roles in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ and recorded the ‘Walter Isaacson on Albert Einstein’ series excerpts for radio. McKellen has read Dickens and Wilde for broadcast, showing crisp diction and wit. He also teaches masterclasses that break down breath control for long passages.

Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett has two Academy Awards and leads across drama and thriller from ‘Blue Jasmine’ to ‘Tár’. She voices animated films like ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ and narrates art and fashion documentaries. Blanchett recorded audiobooks and short story collections that highlight tone shifts and subtle pacing. Her theater direction experience informs how she shapes a line within a larger narrative.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch has recorded Conan Doyle stories as Sherlock Holmes and narrated nature and science programs for the BBC. He voiced Smaug and the Necromancer in ‘The Hobbit’ using motion capture and layered vocal design. His reading of ‘The Snowman’ charity single and multiple radio dramas show comfort with live microphones. Cumberbatch often works with dialect coaches to map sound changes that keep long texts engaging.

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep holds a record number of Oscar nominations and has read works by Nora Ephron and E. B. White for audio. She voices ‘The Ant Bully’ and appears in musical projects that rely on phrasing and breath. Streep’s stage training at Yale focused on text analysis, which she applies to narration beats. Her participation in public radio readings has introduced classic short stories to new listeners.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson brings a precise rhythm to dialogue in ‘Pulp Fiction’ and the ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe’. He narrated documentary projects on sports and civil rights and has voiced animated features like ‘The Incredibles’. Jackson’s audiobook appearances include bestselling humor and genre titles that play to timing. His background in theater helps him project clarity without overdriving the mic.

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins is known for exacting diction in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ and rich narration in biographical and art films. He trained at RADA and the National Theatre, which emphasizes vocal technique for long runs. Hopkins has recorded poetry and classical texts that prioritize breath control. His work in ‘Westworld’ shows how a quiet tone can carry complex exposition.

Gillian Anderson

Gillian Anderson narrated true crime and science series for BBC Radio and major streamers. She led ‘The X Files’ and ‘The Crown’ and has an Olivier Award from her London theater work. Anderson’s audiobook catalog includes contemporary fiction with nuanced character voices. She uses a calm tempo that suits investigative and historical material.

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Chiwetel Ejiofor narrated ‘David Attenborough’s Planet Earth’ episodes for certain territories and voiced ‘The Lion King’. He earned an Academy Award nomination for ’12 Years a Slave’ and has extensive stage credits at the Donmar Warehouse. Ejiofor’s audiobook work includes literary novels that require delicate shifts. His training at the National Youth Theatre supports sustained storytelling across chapters.

Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike won a Golden Globe for ‘I Care a Lot’ and has an extensive audiobook portfolio. She voiced Jane Austen works including ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and delivered the London recording of ‘The Eye of the World’ tied to ‘The Wheel of Time’. Pike’s radio plays for the BBC showcase precise articulation. She often records with minimal edits, which highlights consistent breath and pitch.

Mahershala Ali

Mahershala Ali is a two time Academy Award winner known for ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Green Book’. He has narrated projects on sports history and social change and contributed to audio drama initiatives. Ali’s spoken word background from music informs steady cadence and beat placement. His voice work on ‘Spider Man: Into the Spider Verse’ demonstrates range from intimate to forceful.

Tilda Swinton

Tilda Swinton has delivered voice performances in ‘Isle of Dogs’ and ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’. She narrates art films and gallery installations that rely on minimal phrasing. Swinton’s collaborations with experimental filmmakers show control over tone and silence. Museum projects often use her readings for clarity in spaces with challenging acoustics.

Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston led ‘Breaking Bad’ and has narrated sports and historical documentaries. He recorded the memoir ‘A Life in Parts’ and contributed to audio adaptations of modern plays. Cranston’s early work in voiceover covered commercials and dubbing, which built timing skills. Live readings and charity events often feature him as the anchor reader.

Pedro Pascal

Pedro Pascal headlines ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Last of Us’ and has recorded promotional narration tied to both. He trained at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, which emphasizes text work and movement. Pascal’s bilingual background supports clean switches between English and Spanish on mic. He participates in table reads for charity that showcase relaxed and approachable delivery.

Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe narrates art documentaries and has voiced animation including ‘Finding Nemo’. He has decades with The Wooster Group, which experiments with vocal textures and amplification. Dafoe’s readings of poetry and modern fiction appear in festival programs. His work often explores breathy and clipped phrasing that keeps long passages dynamic.

Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren has an Academy Award for ‘The Queen’ and a Tony for ‘The Audience’. She narrated royal history series and recorded classic short stories for broadcast. Mirren trained at the National Youth Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, which sharpened her articulation. Audiobook appearances include modern thrillers that benefit from steady tempo.

Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman voiced Severus Snape in the ‘Harry Potter’ films and narrated literature and nonfiction for radio. He won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA and began with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Rickman often read charity pieces and stage prose with long pauses and crisp consonants. His recordings of letters and diaries are used in classroom study of vocal color.

Share your picks in the comments and tell us which voice you would happily listen to recite every last listing.