7 of the Most Famous Scottish Voices
Scottish voice talent deserves more recognition and celebration.
While Scotland is often most known for its picturesque scenery and rich history, it has also given birth to some of the most recognisable talents in the media industries, including acting, voice acting and singing.
These Scottish stars have entranced global audiences with their exceptional voices, whether through the lure and charm of their accent, the emotional engagement in their performance or the melodic tones of their vocals.
From chart-topping albums to characters in the world’s biggest video games, let’s take a look at the most famous voices in Scotland.
Elle Newlands
You might not recognise her face, but avid gamers will have heard her voice.
Starting this list off is Elle Newlands, who is perhaps one of the most famous Scottish voice actors as of late, with the roles she has added to her belt in the last few years. Even though Elle Newlands is now living in Los Angeles, she was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and she certainly hasn’t lost her local lilt.
You may know her better as Horizon in the incredibly popular game Apex Legends. However, that isn’t the only place you’ll hear her voice. She has also given voices to characters in huge video games like Diablo IV, Diablo Immortal, Hogwarts Legacy, Doom Eternal, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and various soldiers in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Her voice talents can also be found in various live-action films, such as Tolkien’s Road, Mother Fakers, and Star Trek: Into Darkness.
Billy Connolly
AKA, ‘The Big Yin’.
One of the more iconic and instantly recognisable Scottish voices on this list is Billy Connolly, who had a very interesting start to his illustrious career. Billy Connolly began as a welder in a shipyard before joining the parachute regiment in the Territorial Army. After joining the band Humblebums and telling jokes between songs, he decided to become a full-time comedian.
Since then, he has acted in films such as Quartet, What We Did on Our Holiday, Wild Oats, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Boondock Saints 2: All Saints’ Day, and more. He has also given voices to characters in animated movies such as Brave, Open Season, and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties.
Kelly McDonald
One of the ‘8 actors who turns television into art’ – New York Times.
Kelly McDonald was raised in Glasgow and found her breakthrough role in the film Trainspotting when she was cast as Diane. This was her first major role, and she was even nominated for a BAFTA Scotland Award for her portrayal. Since then, she has used her voice to effortlessly bring characters to life in live-action, animated films, and TV series.
McDonald is very well-known for giving life to the character Merida in Brave, as well as in Ralph Breaks the Internet. She has acted in some of the most famous movies, including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Lassie, No Country for Old Men, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and a lot more. She was also made famous for her notable role as Margaret Thompson in the series Boardwalk Empire.
Graham McTavish
TV, film, voice acting, and theatre – He’s done it all.
Another very famous Scottish voice that you have no doubt heard is that of Graham McTavish, who primarily appears in films but has also given life to characters in a number of video games. McTavish has had a long and successful career, participating in over 130 projects, so It’s unlikely that you haven’t heard his booming Scottish voice or seen his piercing eyes or magnificent beard.
Graham McTavish is most famous for his role as Dougal MacKenzie in the hit television series Outlander. He has also acted in live-action series such as House of the Dragon, The Witcher, Preacher, and Lucifer. In video games, you might recognise his talent from titles such as Midnight Suns, Halo Wars 2, The Order: 1886, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and a lot more.
Annie Lennox
With her four-octave vocal talent, she’s a national icon.
For those that aren’t aware, Annie Lennox is a Scottish singer-songwriter, as well as a philanthropist and a political activist, most commonly known for her time in Eurythmics. Not only does she have a powerful voice with plenty of experience in the music industry, but she also contributed to the soundtracks of some of the world’s most famous and popular films. This list includes Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Scrooged, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Annie Lennox first caught the attention of fans around the world when she performed with the Tourists, a new wave band in the late 1970s. It was only when she joined The Eurythmics in the 1980s with Dave Stewart that she really blew up internationally. She is most known for her song “Sweet Dreams”, as well as “Miracle of Love”, “Walking on Broken Glass”, “I Put a Spell on You”, and “a Whiter Shade of Pale”.
Brian Cox
The original Dr Hannibal Lector.
The next Scottish voice on this list needs no introduction, and that is the great Brian Cox, whose career spans almost 250 projects. Brian Cox was born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1946 and is an Emmy Award-winning Scottish actor, with his first big break being Dr. Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter. He was also the first actor to ever play this role on screen.
Since then, he has acted in some of the biggest movies and TV series produced, such as Troy, Adaption, Succession, and Braveheart, where he showed off his Scottish accent as Argyle Wallace. He has also appeared in Mending the Line, guest starred on The Simpsons, and plays the voice of death itself in Good Omens. Needless to say, he is certainly one of the most successful Scottish actors.
Lewis Capaldi
The first unsigned artist to hit 25 million streams on Spotify.
Finally, Lewis Capaldi is a singer-songwriter that was born in Glasgow in 1996. Although being relatively young and one of the newer voices on this list, in 2019, he was nominated for the Critics’ Choice Award and won the Brit Award for Best New Artist in 2020. Without a doubt, he has already cemented his place as one of the most famous Scottish voices globally.
While you might not recognise his speaking voice, you have definitely heard his chart-topping single “Someone You Loved”. Some of his other top songs include “How I’m Feeling Now”, “Bruises”, “Forget Me”, “Wish You the Best”, “Before You Go”, and “Forever”. He has also contributed to the soundtracks of popular games and TV shows, including Days Gone, Riverdale, and Dog Years.
Whether for film, tv, animation or the music industry, Scottish vocal talent can be seen throughout the creative industries.
The 7 incredible talents and famous Scottish voices on this list are just some of the big names that could have been included. James McAvoy, Ewan McGregor, Gerard Butler, Karen Gillan, the late great Robbie Coltrane, Rose Leslie, and Laura Fraser are just some of the famous Scottish voices we can consider notable mentions.
