Famous Voice Impersonators
Famous Voice Impersonators: How Do They Do It?
Do you feel like you have what it takes to become a famous voice impersonator? Well, you just might, if imitating the voices and gestures of celebrities comes easy. That’s right. You don’t even have to look or dress like the person you are mimicking.
But, wait, it’s not all about low brow comedy and hard-hitting political satire. Voice impersonation has grown into a vital art form. So much so that it’s become one of the skills that could change your life as a voice actor.
There’s a bit more to it. So, please sit back, and let’s go through what it takes to become one of the most famous voice impersonators.
- Famous Voice Impersonators: It’s Uncanny
Why is a perfect voice impersonation so crucial in this age? After all, current technology could even resurrect Tupac in front of a live audience in Coachella. Can’t it do the same for film producers looking for uncanny famous voice impersonators?
CGI (computer-generated imagery) has made it next to impossible for audiences to distinguish between real or fake. However, it’s not as easy to fool the human ear.
Granted, there are voice-altering software that can get close. But, such programs can’t mimic the warmness or emotional range of a real human voice.
So film producers will continue to depend on famous voice impersonations from vocal talents. At least until processing technology takes the next leap into producing uncanny voice impersonations.
Let’s have a look at some of the best Famous Voice Impersonators in the business;
- Rich Little
Also known as the man of a thousand voices. And, who could argue when you look at Rich Little’s impressive 57-year career. He started performing impersonations of famous Canadian political figures such as Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.
His repertoire consists mainly of classic pop cultural figures such as John Wayne, Johnny Carson and Frank Sinatra. You might have heard him voice Richard Nixon in Futurama the movie.
- Jay Pharoah
Jay is an actor, stand-up comedian and one of the most hilarious voice impersonators in the world. He’s most notable work is the various roles he played during his stint on SNL (Saturday Night Live).
Such role include Jay Z, Former president Barrack Obama, Lil Wayne and many more. Jim Meskimen
Jim is one of the few voice impersonators to have truly hit the mark. He looks nothing like George W Bush, Bill Clinton or David Petraeus but it’s impossible to tell his imitations from the real deal. Jim’s Famous Voice Impersonations have featured in various animated productions and even videogames such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.
- Josh Robert Thompson
This actor/comedian is best known for his work the Howard Stern show. However, his vocal range is so impressive that he’s Morgan Freeman impression is as spot on as his De Niro, Schwarzenegger or Donald trump.
Thompson’s impressions have also featured on various Fox network animated shows. Such shows include Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland show.
- Why Hire A Voice Impersonator
As mentioned, voice replication technology just can’t hit the mark. You can still use voice altering app or a passable imitation. But, your audience will tell and this might not amuse them. There goes all your ratings and credibility.
So how can hiring a believable voice impersonator help your production;
Verisimilitude
This is simply the ability for audio-visual productions to appear as real and almost factual. For instance, Abraham Lincoln left this plain of existence over a century ago. However, Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance in Lincoln (2012) was so uncanny that it looked like the real Lincoln was peering the veil.
That’s verisimilitude in action. A talented voice impersonator can bring the same quality to animated shows, podcasts and other types of productions.
Your budget and influence
To date, We’ve only seen actual celebrities voice their own characters in one animated show. That show is Fox’s “The Simpsons”. Why is it so? Well, such a powerful network has the budget and industry clout to even convince Queen Elizabeth II to voice her own character on the show.
Very few people have that sort of influence. So, don’t worry you find the next best thing by hiring a voice impersonator. Plus, it won’t cost you as much.
It’s hard to reach famous people
We all lead such busy live, just imagine how many things famous people have to accomplish in a day. Having a five-minute conversation with a Political figure, A-list actor or captains of industry is hard enough. Now, imagine cramming them in a studio booth through take after retake.
It sounds like a nightmare and one that will significantly affect your production schedule. Hiring a voice impersonator will spare you from such headaches.
- Copyright Infringement
Here’s a fan fact, Stephen Hawking owned a copyright to his computer generated voice. And why not? He lost his ability to speak and that robotic growl was the only way he could engage with the world and expand our understanding of the cosmos.
A voice is something that bridges our physical shortcomings so we can reach out to the world. A celebrity voice also lends a lot of credibility to a production. Just think of how assured you feel you’d feel about buying a house after Tom Hanks said “ it’s worth every penny!”
But, we still hear a lot of celebrity impressions in various productions, which begs the following question;
Is celebrity voice impression legal?
Well, it depends on how the voice is used. You’re free to use voice impressions as long as you don’t try to convince the public that it’s actually the real character’s voice. This could create a false perception and unfair commercial gains.
Remember that whomever you’re imitating has worked hard to gain their level of credibility. It’s simply unethical for a media practitioner to violate the very laws that bring sanity to media and publication.
Are there any exemptions to this law?
The good thing about this law is that it’s implementation varies across various legal jurisdictions. It depends on how “free” freedom of speech is in a particular country. For instance, you can use a voice impersonation as parody in countries where freedom of speech is a protected right.
You can get away with saying just about anything in the States, Britain or France but land in jail in other countries. Other countries such as china also have specific clauses that limit the right for citizens to air their political views.
Take a cautious approach
The best approach is to consult a lawyer before using a voice impersonation in your production. US laws allow celebrity impersonations for comedic effect. However, such a context is quite loose and complicated when it comes to adverts.
A cautious approach will save you a lot of time and money that could be wasted in huge legal suits.
- So You Want To Be A Voice Impressionist?
Voice impersonation may appear to be a natural gift. However, it’s something you can learn and perfect on with a little practice. Let’s go through some steps you can take to become a voice impressionist;
Step 1: open up your ears
First, compile a playlist of the characters you wish to imitate. Then listen while compiling notes on how they annunciate every word. Take note of the following features of their speech;
Accents
- Try to place the accent to a specific geographical location.
- Lock in on the specific dialect from that region and listen to how the people of that region speak.
- Take note of the distinguishing aspects of the speaker’s accent. The Spanish “lisp”, how Germans roll their “R’s” or how the French neglect every “H” are examples of things to note.
Vowels
- Voice Impersonators For Hire
- Conclude Or Add Relevant Content.