This ‘Harry Potter’ Star Has the ‘Perfect’ Male Voice, According to Science
Harry Potter star Alan Rickman had the voice, according to science. A study once concluded the late actor’s voice to be so good, in fact, it was considered perfect. What about Rickman’s voice earned him the title, and who else has received praise for their perfect voices. Plus, where to hear Rickman’s voice in all its glory courtesy of his animated film roles.
Participants rated 50 voices in a 2008 study from which researchers made a ‘formula’ for the ‘perfect’ voice
In a study conducted by the Post Office Telecoms, participants were asked to rate 50 voices with Rickman’s among them (via BBC News). From there, Sheffield University linguist Andrew Linn and sound engineer Shannon Harris dissected the results to see what made for a flawless voice.
Linn and Harris came up with a “formula” that makes for a perfect voice like Rickman’s, including tone, speed, intonation, words per minute, and frequency.
“This formula gives us an exciting glimpse into the way voices work and what makes them appealing or repelling,” Linn said at the time.
“As humans, we instinctively know which voices send shivers down our spine and which make us shudder with disgust,” he told The Independent. “The emotional responses panelists had to the voices were surprising and go some way to explaining how voiceover artists or radio DJs are selected, or why particular celebrity voices appeal.”
So, in short, Rickman’s voice was, according to the study’s participants, the perfect storm of everything making up the “formula,” from how quickly he spoke to the sound of his voice.
Characteristics that make a ‘perfect’ voice like Rickman’s
Analyzing feedback from participants, the researchers determined specifics on the perfect voice. For instance, they concluded 164 words per minute to be the sweet spot. They also figured out how long pauses should be between sentences: 0.48 seconds.
That’s not all. Additionally, researchers discovered fall is preferable to rise where intonation is concerned. Furthermore, voices that gave off confidence and trust rated higher.
Put Rickman through the study’s “formula” and his voice came out on top. The study found Rickman scored highest alongside other men, including House of Gucci actor Jeremy Irons.
As for women, the study didn’t settle on one female voice, in particular, as being ideal. Instead, they concluded a combination of voices to be best. Among them were British journalist Mariella Frostrup and actors Judi Dench and Honor Blackman.
Hear Alan Rickman’s ‘perfect’ voice in these animated movies
Ready to bask in Rickman’s voice? Sure, watching his turn as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise is an obvious — and great — choice. But the theater-trained performer also loaned his voice to a number of animated films during his career.
Rickman voiced Marvin the Martian in 2005’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Five years later, in 2010, he returned to doing voice-overs as Blue Caterpillar in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. and Absolem in his last film, 2016’s Alice Through the Looking Glass.
Fun fact: Per Rickman’s IMDb credits, he also lent his voice to King of the Hill in a 2002 episode of the comedy series.
