Numerous actors have used their voice to help create some of the most iconic characters in the movie industry. Voice Acting is an art that requires not only a great voice, but also some serious acting chops.

Voice acting is gathering more and more momentum as a very specific branch of the dramatic arts, and yet, no voice over artist has ever received an Academy Award nomination for his/her performance. We believe it’s about time.

Top 10 Most Memorable Voice Acting Performances in Movies

Let’s take a closer look to our list:

10. James Gandolfini as Carol in Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

Generally known for his awarded role as Tony Soprano, Gandolfini joined in 2009 Spike Jonze’s project to bring Maurice Sendak’s children’s book to the big screen. And we are all thankful for that – his performance as Carol is simply splendid.

9. Kevin Spacey as Gerty in Moon (2009)

Winner of an Oscar for his role in American Beauty, Spacey plays the role of GERTY, a robot and only companion of an astronaut about to finish his 3-year mission on the moon in “Moon”, directed by David Bowie’s son, Duncan Jones.

8. Alec Baldwin as the Narrator in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Wes Anderson tells, with his particular style, the story of a dysfunctional family who, after a long period of separation, gets together again. Hilarity ensues, driven by the witty narration of Alec Baldwin.

7. Pat Welsh as E.T. in E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

Steven Spielberg showed us the true meaning of friendship in this unforgettable classic, in which Pat Welsh played the role of the gentle alien we have all come to know and love.

6. Andy Serkis as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003)

Serkis is known for playing motion-capture characters in movies and has undoubtedly reached expert status in the field – with Gollum as his masterpiece. Is there anyone out there who has never mimicked his famous punchline? “My precious….”

5. Seth MacFarlane as Ted in TED movies (2012, 2015)

Seth MacFarlane, known as the author of “Family Guy” and as the voice actor for some of its characters, debuted in 2011 as a movie director, playing the memorable role of a rude, extremely inappropriate teddy bear in “Ted”.

4. Frank Oz as Yoda in The Empire Strake Back (1980)

Frank Oz is the man behind the legendary Jedi Master, one of the characters of biggest relevance and charisma of the epic saga due to his appearance and personality, but above all, due to his peculiar way of speaking.

3. Douglas Rain as Hall 9000 in 2001: A space Odyssey (1968)

HAL 9000 is a sentient computer on the Discovery One spacecraft, as well as one of the most fascinating characters in science fiction. Douglas Rain manages to voice its gradual transformation as it becomes more and more human throughout the movie.

2. Scarlett Johansson as Samantha in Her (2013)

Scarlett’s acting made us fall in love with an operating system, and her efforts were rewarded with a Best Actress award in the Rome Festival for her voice acting. “To be listened to, but not seen, gave my job as an actress a whole new dimension.”, she said.

1. James Earl Jones as Darth Vader in Star Wars (1977, 1980, 1983, 2016)

One of the most recognized voices in Hollywood, James Earl Jones was the one who said the legendary line “I am your father”.

Fun fact: David Prowse was cast as Darth Vader due to his large build and powerful physique, but his strong British accent was not deemed appropriate for the character. Thus, Jones’ voice was added in post-production.

Do you agree with our list? Or are there any other great voice-over actors or actresses we forgot to include? If you are thinking of the legendary Mel Blanc, we didn’t overlook him: in this list, we’ve only included performances in feature-length films.

