When I have kids, one of the greatest challenges I’m anticipating is going to be keeping all the voices of the dwarves in the Hobbit diverse yet consistent.
Weirdly, I’ve given this problem some thought.
I like to go for famous people with memorable delivery styles and as much variety as possible:
- Ed Wynn
- John Wayne
- Bob Hope
- John Fielder
- Noel Fielding
- Kumail Nanjiani
- Peter Capaldi
- Richard Ayoade
- Stephen Fry
- Steve Buscemi
- Peter Cullen
- Jonathan Frakes
This is also a useful reference group for ad-hoc NPCs when running a game of Pathfinder.
Edit: I focused on male voices, since we’re talking about doing the Hobbit. But now I want to reuse this for NPCs.
Some great, distinct, female voices:
- Reba McIntyre
- Jane Krakowski (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
- Natasha Fatale (from Rocky and Bullwinkle) (June Foray)
- Granny (from Luney Tunes) (June Foray, Tress MacNeille)
- Jane Kangaroo (Horton Hears a Who) (still June Foray)
- Daisy Duck (often Tress MacNeille)
- Dot Warner (Tress MacNeille again)
- Mrs Featherby (DuckTales) (Tress MacNeille again)
Mine aren’t old enough to tell me that I’m doing voices wrong yet. I need to practice.
Yeah…If I recall correctly, I think I picked a voice for Thorin, and then everyone else got “generic dwarf voice.”
If you get a crowd going enough, you can yell some barely intelligible bullshit and they’ll eat it up.
FOR CHOCOLATE SOCKS
As long as he isn’t busting into the room, screaming “IS IT SECRET? IS IT SAFE?” at all hours of the night.
My dad read the Hobbit for my sister and I like this. Even with songs at all those (many) song points in the book.
I’ll always remember that.
Parenting done right :)
She’s a lucky woman.