Siri voice unveiled as Atlanta voice actress; movie roles next?
Joining the ranks of famous disembodied voices of the world, such as Mr. Moviefone and Don LaFontaine, Atlanta voice actress Susan Bennett has stepped forward as the voice of Siri.
Yes, that’s the often-mocked, sometimes helpful voice assistant on Apple Inc.’s iPhone.
Finally satisfying the curiosity of tech geeks, Apple obsessives and pop-culture bloggers, Bennett told CNN that she provided the original talents for the feature that first appeared on the iPhone 4S in 2011.
Bennett’s intonations have also been heard in commercials, on phone systems and in airport terminals.
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The Siri voice has been the subject of wide parody. Last month, the voice was co-opted in a spoof of a trailer for the Spike Jonze film “Her.”
The real movie stars Joaquin Phoenix as a man who falls in love with the voice of his phone’s operating system, played (and voiced) by Scarlett Johansson.
The parodist switched out Johansson’s sonorous contributions and replaced it with quips in a Siri-type robo-speak, with attitude. For reference, here’s the actual trailer, and here’s the parody (warning: link contains profanity).
On the occasion of Bennett’s revelation, I propose she put her skills to good use and replace the voice-overs in a few more films.
HAL 9000 in “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
HAL’s destructive impulses would sound all the more terrifying. When Dr. David Bowman gets to the Star Child scene, he probably will wish he’d downloaded Google Maps. Good news for Dave: Siri can’t read lips.
Morgan Freeman in “March of the Penguins.”
Really, like Morgan Freeman doesn’t have enough “Voice of God” work. There are always those Visa commercials, anyway.
The Burning Bush in “The Ten Commandments.”
“Who am I, Lord, that you should send me? How can I lead this people out of bondage? What words can I speak that they will heed?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
Charlie in “Charlie’s Angels.”
The heroes of the old “Charlie’s Angels” series dealt with their boss through a speakerphone system. Smartphones seem like they’d be more efficient. The downside: iPhone cell reception.
The Wizard in “Wizard of Oz.”
Bennett would’ve sounded a little less ominous as the person behind the curtain. Besides, who needs brains, courage or a heart when you have “Angry Birds”?
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