Historic Voices

[Astro_Digital]

I wonder when Disney or anybody casts voice actors for historic people, Mark Twain, George Washington etc...... How do they decide what these people sounded like when they were alive? Do they go for any type of accuracy or just pick a voice that fits the historic stereotype?

 

[UrbanDonovan]

I, personally, think accuracy in the voice-casting of long-dead historical figures is a rather moot point. It's difficult to be "accurate" with something when no one has any idea what the correct answer or solution would be. Although, I would think, but could be wrong, that there might be some record somewhere of Mark Twain's voice, since he did not pass until 1910, well after the time that audio recordings had become prevalent.

I remember seeing some show on either Discovery or History in which this group of forensic experts hypothesized from his facial structure that Lincoln would have had a rather high-pitched, squeaky voice. It sort of makes me wonder about Speilberg's upcoming Lincoln project with Liam Neeson as the president. He's definitely got the face for it, but that deep Irish baritone.....:lookaroun

 

[yankspy]

There are many historic accounts of what some of these men sounded like. Lincoln apparently did have a high shrilly voice according to numerous sources. It is also quite possible that Walt met several people who had actually heard Lincoln speak (Not that I can prove that).

Jefferson was a rather soft spoken man. There were only a handful of people who could actually hear his first Inaugural. It is kind of odd because he was such a physically impressive man.

I think in the case of Washington, there is a lot of artistic license taken with his speech. He always sounds like an American but he most likely had a British accent.