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cobra-commander
There are a lot of masks, avatars, talking robots and even disembodied speaking computers in geek multimedia, and behind every one of those iconic characters there is a voice – sometimes one that becomes as much a part of pop culture as Luke Skywalker or the Iron Throne.
That means that casting a voice actor can be as important as casting … well, any other actor. Take, for example, Cobra Commander, infamous for his shrill, grating tones in the '80s G.I. Joe cartoon. But when it came time to cast the new G.I. Joe: Retaliation, director Jon M. Chu decided to go in a different direction. “I mean, it [was] high-pitched screaming," Chu said. "We couldn't go there, it was just too annoying."
But even after he tapped Robert Baker – an actor friend from his college days – for the man behind the chrome, it still took a while to get exactly right. "Ultimately what we found was that his breathing was something very important," Chu said. "Every time he breathes in, you hear this hiss. Not a hiss – it's a rattle. You could get personality out of that rattle." And with voicing a villain, particularly one who had a previous cartoon incarnation, knowing his personality is half the battle.
Whether it's Johnny Five fretting about "No disassemble!" or the passive-aggression of rogue AI GLaDOS in Portal – not to mention the overthrow-plotting sass machine that is Siri – the voices behind some of the most interesting characters in media have become as recognizable to us as their faces (or lack thereof). To honor their righteousness, we here at Wired compiled some of our favorite voices from movies, TV, videogames and music.
That means that casting a voice actor can be as important as casting … well, any other actor. Take, for example, Cobra Commander, infamous for his shrill, grating tones in the '80s G.I. Joe cartoon. But when it came time to cast the new G.I. Joe: Retaliation, director Jon M. Chu decided to go in a different direction. “I mean, it [was] high-pitched screaming," Chu said. "We couldn't go there, it was just too annoying."
But even after he tapped Robert Baker – an actor friend from his college days – for the man behind the chrome, it still took a while to get exactly right. "Ultimately what we found was that his breathing was something very important," Chu said. "Every time he breathes in, you hear this hiss. Not a hiss – it's a rattle. You could get personality out of that rattle." And with voicing a villain, particularly one who had a previous cartoon incarnation, knowing his personality is half the battle.
Whether it's Johnny Five fretting about "No disassemble!" or the passive-aggression of rogue AI GLaDOS in Portal – not to mention the overthrow-plotting sass machine that is Siri – the voices behind some of the most interesting characters in media have become as recognizable to us as their faces (or lack thereof). To honor their righteousness, we here at Wired compiled some of our favorite voices from movies, TV, videogames and music.
