There used to be a storytime programme on BBC radio called "Listen With Mother" which started with just those words.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then, I'll begin.
What better way to open a blog post about sexy voices? After all, the guys I'm going to talk about could read me a bedtime story any time!
I remember listening to the director's voice-over for Love, Actually where Richard Curtis talked about having Alan Rickman round to his house and ended up reading his son a bedtime story. As you might imagine, Richard Curtis was also drawn in by the great Alan Rickman's voice and story-telling skills. 
Who can forget the amazing scene in Four Weddings and a Funeral when the delicious John Hannah read that WH Auden poem with his yummy Scottish accent? (He's pretty sexy in Sliding Doors too). Did I mention that I bumped into him once in a book store?
And who can deny the appeal of Sam Elliott's deep, gravelly voice. I love the movie Tombstone, as much for listening to him speak as for the romance between Wyatt and Josie and the divine Doc Holliday (I'll be your huckleberry!) 
Then, there's George Clooney. Somehow, whenever I hear him speak, I can hear the twinkle in his eye.
And Eric Roberts (yes, his sister is Julia) - I remember a Molson beer commercial years ago where the strapline was "long, cool, good and bubbly ... come on". Be right there, Eric! 
Shakespearean actor Patrick Stewart is another favourite - the man could make the back of a can of bathroom cleaner sound fascinating!
Though I'm not a huge fan of the Irish accent, Liam Neeson is a major exception. His voice and accent complement each other perfectly.So, come on share with us - who do you think has the sexiest voice? Who would you like to read you a bedtime story?
89 comments:
I heart Alan. I heart him, heart him, heart him. :)
I love Irish accents. I listened to the audio version of the book, Teacher Man, read by the author, Frank McCourt. After that, I had to listen to Angela's Ashes and Tis just to experience his voice some more!
mmmmmmmmmmm, male voices.
There's a doctor in Ohio, who has the best voice. Loved getting him on the phone when he was on call...then there's this doc in Texas, and oh mama, at 3 am, when he calls in, it's like sex in a bed, I kid you not!
OHHHHHHHhh wait, you meant like actors, huh?
Well, Miss Anna, you hit upon a few of my favorites, Sam, I-make-hamburger-sexy, Elliott. Sigh. Watched Roadhouse the other night just to hear him drawl across the screen, mmmmmmm
And Alan Rickman...so sexy even as a villian. Loveeeeee his voice!
But you've left off a few of my new favorites. Clive Owen.....mmmmm makes you want to cover him in chocolate and.....
Then there's Gerard Butler. I had my back turned to the tv in a patient's room when they were watching Rock and Rolla, which I just have to get now, and with one sentence I KNEW who was speaking. Loveeeeeeee that voice!
And a flash from the past...Howard Keel. OMG Kiss Me Kate, Showboat, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. I sooooooooo loved that man. Tall, Brawny, Baritone, ohhhhhhhhh yummy!
Congrats Leanna you have the GR for the day have fun with him
I love listening to sexy voices Anna and you have named some great ones Liam Neeson love his voice and another I would love to have read me a bed time story is of course Rod Stewart I love his husky sexy voice with a touch of Scottish still there and Sean Connery he has a great bedtime voice and I love Mel Gibsons voice as well.
This is going to be a fun post with everyones answers.
Have Fun
Helen
I immediately thought of Antonio Banderas and his Spanish accent.
Closely followed by Scots: Ewan McGregor and Sean Connery.
Billy Dee Williams had a nice,deep voice in the Star Wars movies.
Oh please, thats SOOOO easy. Captain Jack, of course *g*
I love this post, Anna. Sexy voices aren't give enough attention in books, I think. Probably because its so hard to translate them with words alone. I'm a rabid fan of Patrick Stewart and yes his voice is incredible. And Alan Rickman...yeah, I can imagine him reading me a bedtime story. But I still have to stick with Captain Jack Sparrow. That gravely way he says 'luv' just makes me melt.
Hi Leanna - so you like Alan, huh?!
Congrats on nabbing our golden rooster. What do you plan to do with him today?
Lara Lee - I can understand that - I'd listen to anything read by the guys I've mentioned - shopping lists, tax returns *g*. You get the idea!
LOL Suz - you can include those docs!
I remember there was a guy in a distribution company I once worked with who had a gorgeous voice on the phone - and was such a disappointment in real life!
I agree about Clive - he has got a delicious voice.
Am I allowed to say that Gerry Butler does nothing for me? (ducking to avoid slings and arrows!)
Oh yes, Howard Keel - love his voice, singing and speaking. Seven Brides and Kiss Me Kate are two of my all-time favourites!
Yes, Rod Stewart has got a sexy voice, Helen - Maggie May still does it for me.
*shiver* Can't stand Sean Connery after his comments about hitting his wife.
Ah yes, Mel - another one who sounds like he has a twinkle in his eye.
Interesting, Laurie - I always feel surprised that Antonio Banderas' voice isn't deeper - oh boy that man is sexy, though.
Yes, Ewan MacGregor has a lovely voice.
Billy Dee Williams - I'd forgotten about him, which reminds me of the ultimate Star Wars voice - James Earl Jones!
ROFL Tawny - like melted chocolate (I so loved his voice in Chocolat!). He is the all-round package for sure.
Meant to add, Tawny, that I think you're right about how hard it is to describe voices in books. Especially sexy voices.
All of these guys do have incredible voices. I would like to add a few, if I may:
1. Alex O'Loughlin (Moonlight)
2. Dougray Scott (Ever After)
3. Patrick Dempsey (love how soft and gentle it is, even when his character's angry)
4. James Earl Jones (love deep voices)
5. Robert Pattinson (love the British accent and his is kind of deep, so I really like it - do you see a theme here? Okay, just checking)
6. Elvis Presley (he could sing me my shopping list and make it sound good)
Margay
Congrats on nabbing the GR, Leanna! He probably won't be much trouble today. I pretty much wore him out yesterday helping me clean house. You know, a GR being relentlessly chased by two fun-loving dogs makes an excellent feather duster! :)
Of course you may, Margay *g*. The more, the merrier!
Yes, I'm beginning to see a pattern - and a yummy one too!
ROFL PJ - send him round to mine, then. The place needs a good dust - though, the pussy cats might be a little miffed by the dogs LOL.
Great blog, Anna! I adore deep, gravelly voices so it's no surprise, I'm sure, that I adore Sam Elliott. What a voice!
Suz, count me in as another fan of Howard Keel. Now there was a MAN!
Back in my corporate days I was assigned to work with a visiting consultant from Scotland on one of our automation projects. He was 6'3", black hair, blue eyes, absolutely gorgeous and had the most seductive, "put me to bed", deep, Scots accented voice I had ever heard. I can't remember a single thing he said but I can still, 15 years later, recall that gorgeous voice (and the rest of the package). (vbg)
I couldn't begin to describe someone's voice on paper but I recently reviewed Some Like it Wild by Teresa Medeiros and she has a line in this book that described the hero's voice perfectly for me.
“His mocking burr was as rough as burlap, yet soft as velvet. It was like having both the rose and the thorn dragged across her quivering flesh at the same time.”
Sigh....
PJ, back in my corporate days, we had an office in Ireland, so a lot of engineers came over from Ireland to work in the States, plus I had to call over there frequently. Anyway, male, female, I could just listen to that brogue all day, although I did prefer the male...Also, my former sister in law is Scottish and I loved listening to her talk, too. I think I just love accents because my father was from Virginia and I love the Southern accent as well. Josh Holloway, anyone?
Margay
Congrats, Leanna! Wonder what kind of accent the GR has? He IS a world traveler after all!
And I have to agree. I LOVE Alan Rickman's voice. When he (as Colonel Brandon) reads poetry to Marianne towards the end of Sense and Sensibility. THUNK!
Clive Owen's voice has that touch of mischief blended with sexy gravel and a shade of danger. YUM!
I saw Patrick Stewart play Macbeth onstage (a hundred years ago when we were both much younger) and OMG the man was BORN to play Shakespeare. Every nuance was PERFECTION! He WAS Macbeth!
I think I've already mentioned the young baritone with whom I sang in Europe whose speaking and especially whose singing voice was nothing short of liquid sex. He would deliberately stand behind me and whisper in my ear before I went onstage because he KNEW it made me nuts.
Margay, your list is stellar! Love Alex O'Loughlin!
Gerard Butler is another voice with that mix of sex and mischief that you just KNOW he will be fun in bed!
I'm a musician, ladies. Voices are music to me and some voices definitely offer an entire symphony of seduction!
I just thought of another one!
Michael Fassbender. He was in Hex as Azazeal (loved him!), 300 with a certain Mr. Butler, and Band of Brothers, to name a few.
Margay
Ah, those sexy Scots, PJ.
I knew a designer once with very blue eyes - the kind of bright, piercing blue you read about in novels. He had the same effect on me. Actually, now that I think of it, he had a lovely Scottish accent too - very soft.
I love the southern accent too, Margay. There is something about a man with a southern drawl ... *sigh*.
It's interesting how you can tell actors who have been on the stage, especially Shakespearean actors. They really know how to speak words and deliver parts. We're so lucky to have a bunch of them over here, in a variety of roles on TV and in the movies. But, you can tell, just by the way they use their eyes and voice, what their training is.
Uh, that was meant to be in answer to Louisa's post.
I'll have to look Michael Fassbender up, Margay.
I don't think you'll be disappointed, especially if you watch him in Hex - talk about witchcraft, he puts the sex in Hex.
Margay
Okay - looked him up and I agree with you. The clip I just saw from "Hunger" was awesome (check it out on IMDB). Much as I detest the IRA, and for that matter any other Irish terrorists, it was a very moving speech and his voice was amazing.
Ooh I've looked up Hex too - scary stuff!
then there's this doc in Texas, and oh mama, at 3 am, when he calls in, it's like sex in a bed, I kid you not!
I know that doctor, Suz. Is his phone number 900-555-.....
:-)
I like Hugh Jackman's voice....there isn't much I DON'T like about Hugh Jackman.
Now, the Irish accent is like Kerry butter slowly melting over your....
Geez, the direction you've forced my mind too, Anna!
But I love it. On my first trip to Ireland, my friend and her daughter could NOT understand anyone. Me? Fell into it like a native.
There's just some small tinge of mischievious/naughty in the undertones of an Irishman's lilt..... Sigh Gaelic me baby :-)
oh, Anna, if you like Southern accents, is there any better than Patrick Swayze's southern drawl? And Matthew McConaughey? Oh. My.
**speaking of voices**
When my son's voice went from a geeky teenager to the baritone of a young man, his oldest sister called and didn't know who had answered the phone. When she figure it out, she asked me, "When did he turn into a guy?
Sexy voices, wow, Anna, great topic. I fell in love with Dr. Big because of his sexy voice.
We'd had a date lined up and truth told, I wanted to bail -- permanently. He had personality and confidence in spades, but he was tall and skinny and had big ears, so I wasn't much interested in the physicality of Dr. Big.
I called to cancel the date and -- ooh la la -- just the sound of his voice made me fumble for a better excuse than the lame one I'd conjured up. Good thing too because he later told me that any time a girl bailed on him like that he normally crossed her off his list.
We dated and, as they say, the rest is history. All because of a voice. Who'd have thought?
Joan said:I know that doctor, Suz. Is his phone number 900-555-.....
No, JT, but I gotta tell you, if anyone pages this guy, I fight for the right to answer that phone. Deep, dark, sleepy...You can imagine, (and you want to with him), half covered in rumpled sheets....ahhhh
Gaelic me, baby?! ROFL Joanie - Demetirus et all will be so upset.
I agree with you about Hugh Jackman - but then, I'm a bit of a sucker for the Aussie accent. I adore Bryan Brown.
I know that doctor, Suz. Is his phone number 900-555-.....
LMAO! And just how do you know this, Joanie? :)
Oh yes, Suz. Patrick Swayze - and I'm loving him in Beast. What an intense series! His acting is awesome - I feel so sorry that he is suffering so much.
Oh yes on Matthew McC too.Wicked smile to.
LOL on your son and daughter. I'm waiting for the day I call my nephew and this deep voice answers the phone.
Awww, Jo, what a great story. I bet Mr Big is thrilled you didn't ditch him too - and very grateful for his sexy voice. Are you bringing him to DC? Do we get to hear him speak?
I fell in love with my hubby's voice long before I fell in love with him - we were friends for many years. I used to love getting phone calls from him *sigh*. Still do, but love the real thing better.
Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks -- I love their voices. In fact, I realized recently that voice is one of the first things that I notice about a guy, and if I don't like his voice (usually on the deep side), it doesn't matter how physically hot he is, I'm not that interested.
(I just remembered I'm married -- of course I'm not interested. Ahem.) I was watching The Mummy (the first one) awhile ago, and was intrigued by Brendan Fraser's trick of making his voice higher or deeper. When he's in geek mode, he raises the pitch slightly, and I find myself wondering why I ever thought he was a hottie. Then comes an action scene where his voice gets all deep, and -- oh mama!
Last night I watched Brigadoon (which, by the way, was a lot better the last time I saw it, about 35 years ago) and was trying to figure out why I've never been a fan of Gene Kelly. I think it's his kind of high-pitched voice. And, may I just say, if that movie represented the peak of romance in the 1950s, I thank the lord I didn't grow up in that decade.
On the other hand, Gordon Macrae in Carousel? Oh yeah.
And, of course, I married an Englishman. I'm a sucker for accents -- too bad he's lived here so long now, his is mostly gone.
And I second all the hotties mentioned in the post, and all of those mentioned here.
Suzanne, I live in Ohio. What was that number again?
Oh, so many sexy men with equally sexy voices! Good choices, everyone.
Sean Connery's bad comment about hitting women aside, his voice is soooo sexy. Yes on Sam Elliot, Hugh Jackman, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Clive Owen.....and on and on!
Another voice from days gone by was Stewart Granger. Lovely voice and good looking as well. :)
Oh, and Andrea Bocelli could sing to me anytime!
Gannon, if we're visiting days gone by I'll have a helping of Jeff Chandler please. Great face, great body, great voice. Yum.
Oh, PJ, Jeff Chandler is an excellent choice! :)
oh well, ladies how can we leave Clark Gable out then?
know that doctor, Suz. Is his phone number 900-555-.....
LMAO! And just how do you know this, Joanie? :)
Oh...I, um, don't have PERSONAL experience PJ...no...um, saw it on the bathroom wall of the nurse's lounge...yeah! Yeah! That's it!
*BEG*
LOL Becke - your marrying an Englishman shows the best of taste!
I'm with you - high-pitched male voices really irritate me and I find myself ignoring how hot the guy is.
Doesn't The Mummy have John Hannah it too? Yum.
I agree with you about Stewart Granger. Trevor Howard too - especially in Brief Encounter.
And I do like Cary Grant's voice - another 'twinkle in the eye' man. Oh and Rock Hudson. And Jimmy Stewart.
And Paul Newman - what a combination with those eyes!
Looking up Jeff Chandler.
Suz - yes, I suppose Clarkie boy should be included *g*.
I think that Audrey Hepburn has a sexy voice for a woman - in Charade, where she's laying it on thick for Cary Grant - she does a fab job of the sultry thing.
We believe your innocence, Joanie. ;)
If we're going by voice alone, James Earl Jones gets my vote.
Yes to Alan Rickman and Clive Owen, and I'll add Toby Stephens to the list. I loved him as Rochester. And there is nothing about George Clooney that I don't adore. :)
Oh yes - that's who Jeff Chandler is. I agree, PJ and Gannon.
Which reminds me of Lee Marvin and James Coburn.
Lovely Hubby just mentioned Clint Walker - and sent me a You Tube clip that included a shirtless Clint Walker. Not bad!
Are we showing our age here, ladies? Jeff Chandler was just INCREDIBLE! Those eyes matched to that voice.
Paul Newman too. He had it all and an inordinate amount of class. When asked why he stayed faithful to his wife, his answer was fabulous and delivered in that voice would make me swoon.
"Why go out for hamburger when you've got steak at home?"
I loved the story Joanne Woodward told, Louisa, about the night she won the Oscar. She didn't go out to parties but went home and had hot chocolate in bed. Very boring, she said. James Lipton then said, dryly, "Yes, but you were sharing that bed with Paul Newman." And she smiled and agreed that was better than any party.
Well, duh! I'd have done that without the Oscar!
Congrats Leanna, on nabbing that rooster today!
I love the British and Irish accents. The one I want to read ma a bedtime story would be Sam Elliott. I love this man voice. I think it is so sexy. He can put his shoes under my bed anytime!
Oh, that was one of the best things about The Sting and Butch Cassidy: Paul Newman and Robert Redford were not only incandescently (sp?), but both have incredibly sexy voices. Or in Paul Newman's case, "had." :(
As always, I'm drawing a blank here :) But I do think certain male voices are incredibly sexy.
So... I'll go with my default answer of Raoul Bova :D He's almost always the cheesy, sexy, Latin lover. :P
Leanna,congratulations on grabbing the rooster!
Anna, you know I have a serious weakness for your native accent. I suspect what I like is really some sort of Oxford-Cambridge-BBC-RSC blend, but I do like it. Alan Rickman does marvelous things with his voice as Snape. I think he's going to be amazing in Half-Blood Prince.
Patrick Stewart, absoiutely, is terrific. Nobody else can make the command to "Engage" sound quite so interesting. I can recognize his voice in narration.
Avery Brooks, who played Cmdr. Cisco on DS9, also has a fabulous voice. Also Ian Mckellan, who gave Gandalf so much vocal range and power--must be that RSC training kicking in.
I loved Gregory Peck's voice, which served him so well in his stellar portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird. Talk about a guy whose voice is like the tonal value of black velvet.
If we're doing a nostalgia trip, there's also Richard Burton, maybe the best of the King Arthurs, though I have a weakness for Richard Harris' portrayal.
Although for singing the role of Lancelot, I doubt anyone will ever beat the late Robert Goulet.
The voice I'd have to say I find the most compelling, and which is so famous that it was disguised (until the actor appeared in person) in the film Sneakers, is the Voice of Vader, James Earl Jones. Who was also, for a while, the voice of CNN.
Interesting topic, Anna!
Gannon, Sean Connery definitely belongs on the list! One thing that made his Bond so great was that voice.
Janga, another James Earl Jones fan. Yay!
Ooh, voices! Love a great voice on a man. Think it's really sexy when a man can sing! I SOOOO agree with you about Alan Rickman's voice, Anna. I've told this story before but he played the original Vicomte de Valmont in the stage production of Les Liaisons Dangeureuses. And listening to him seduce the Presidente de Tourvel gave me goosebumps. Honestly, like hot honey! Yum!
There have been some great "voices" mentioned I too love Gregory Peck Nancy and Clarke Gable and Cary Grant the list is getting really big
Have Fun
Helen
Hey Virginia - I bet you wouldn't even mind him eating crackers in bed, right?! Me too ;)
Such a sadness, Becke. Such a loss.
And the man was a big hockey fan too! The perfect package.
Good grief, I've spent more time on IMDB and Googoe today than I have for months! I'll have to look up Raoul, Limcello.
Ah yes, Gregory Peck. Which reminds me, Nancy of Charleton Heston and Gary Cooper.
The interesting thing about James Earl Jones is that hid voice suits the 'body of Vader' Dave Prowse, although the man really has a strong northern accent. I'm hoping to see him at the Memorabilia Fair next weekend - he's always at these things, even though he can't sign any more because of his arthritis.
*sigh* off to look up Toby Stephens too. Thanks for the tip Janga *g*.
Ooh what a fabulous role to have seen Alan Rickman in, Anna C.
I have to admit, I also adore him in Galaxy Quest - as a memorabilia fan, it was such a great mickey take.
Not a bad way to spend a Sunday, discussing sexy voices, is it, Helen?!
BTW It's Mother's Day here in England - so a very happy day to all you mothers and grandmothers out there.
Anna
Sadly it is Monday morning here and I have to get ready to go to work YUK but Happy Mothers Day to all in England.
Have Fun
Helen
If we're doing a nostalgia trip, there's also Richard Burton, maybe the best of the King Arthurs, though I have a weakness for Richard Harris' portrayal.
Although for singing the role of Lancelot, I doubt anyone will ever beat the late Robert Goulet.
I was lucky enough to see Richard Harris and Robert Goulet on stage in these roles and they were fabulous!
My husband just came in as I was looking up shirtless pictures of Clint Walker. Even he said, "Holy s@#$!" The guy is built like a mouintain!
mouintain??
(Aunty sighs dreamily)
GREAT post, VA! You had me at Alan Rickman! What can I say? I LURVE a man with an accent.
Gerry Butler and Craig Ferguson are TOO CUTE with their adorable Scottish brogues, and Antonio Banderas could read me the phone book and I'd hang on every sweetly accented syllable. :-) The late Ricardo Montelban had a wonderful Spanish accent too.
I think the biggest disappointment to me was Tom Selleck's voice. I just never thought it went with the rest of him. :-(
And I think it's very intesting how voice can be inherited too. The DH had some silly movie on the other day that I was not paying one bit of attention to. Suddenly, I heard Tom Hanks! No wait, it wasn't Tom, it was his son Colin. But since I wasn't looking at the screen, just listening, he sounded EXACTLY like his father. Ditto, Kate Hudson! Listen of one of Goldie's early movies, then listen (don't look) to Kate in one of her recent romantic comedies... the voice similarities are uncanny!
AC
Hi Anna, great post!
I'm a sucker for a lovely deep masculine voice. All the ones you mentioned! And also David Coverdale from Deep Purple. Do I have to run and duck for cover now?*g*
Woohoo, Leanna got the Golden Rooster!
Anna,
On Paul Newman, I'd have shared hot chocolate in bed with that many ANYTIME!!
And yes, Clint Walker had an awesome voice and WAS built like a BRICK MONUMENT of a mountain!
I'm so sorry I'm late, late, late!
The IRS has had me tied up in knots all day. But had to say that I fell in love with my dh's voice the day I met him. I still keep one of his messages on my phone's voicemail's - just to hear his voice occasionally.
Did no one mention Barry White?
(Chills up and down the spine!)
There were a couple of residents
back in my working days! One call
from either would make my day!
Sadly, though, they were both taken!
Pat Cochran
I saw Richard harris on stage once too, PJ - and met him in a restaurant!
ROFL, Becke - thought you'd like the tip-off about Clint Walker.
Great point about Ricardo Montalban - he could say Welcome to Fantasy Island to me any time!
Interesting about inherited voices - I've seen it with Kate Hudson and Goldie (they have the same mannerisms too), especially their giggles! Will have to check out Colin Hanks.
WOW Christine - forgot about David Coverdale! Love Deep Purple.
LOL Louisa, I see that you and I have similar great taste!
Hugs on the tax work, Donna. Having just filled in our US tax forms I really can appreciate the job you do.
Aww on your hubby's voice mail - me too!
I was expecting someone to mention Barry White, Pat - his voice is on a really annoying ad over here at the moment - I didn't like his music, but no denying the voice!
Hope you're feeling better!
Okay, I'm a little late, but I'm still going to chime in! The one voice I love to listen to over all others is Aussie actor, Alex O'Loughlin of Moonlight fame. The voice overs in that show would send shivers of delight down the spine! He is positively the best in my book. Sean Connery and Tom Selleck are groovy too.
Alan Rickman IS mine, I tell you, MINE. *LOL* But I love all your picks; and I can definitely hear the twinkle in George's eye whenever he talks. *swoons*
Love Alan, of course! But thanks so much for mentioning Eric Roberts. I love his voice, and him!
Jumping in late...but I had a professor in my Victorian poetry class in college. He was from the UK and my heart went pitter pat every time he read poetry to us in that luscious British accent. I swear, all the women were swooning. Loved it. :)
barry white
johnny depp
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