September 20, 2011

Tomb Raider 30-Day Challenge Day 20: Favorite Lara Croft voice actor?

UPDATE: This month-long challenge has officially finished, but you're still welcome to post your comments below at any time. We'd love to hear what you think.

The original question had to do with weapons, but since we covered that on day 6, I've decided to ask something different this time. Which of the voice actors who've portrayed Lara do you like best and why? In case you need a refresher, here are a few short clips. (Click the audio icons to play.)

Shelley Blond
Shelley Blond
listen(1996)

Judith Gibbins
Judith Gibbins
listen(1997-98)

Jonell Elliott
Jonell Elliott
listen(1999-2003)

Keeley Hawes
Keeley Hawes
listen(2006-2008)

Camilla Luddington
Camilla Luddington
listen(2011- )


Minnie Driver
Minnie Driver
(Re\Visioned Tomb Raider animated series 2007)YouTube


22 comments:

  1. I'm a big fan of Minnie Driver and I love her Laras (young and old) in the Re\Visioned cartoons. (If you haven't already watched them, click the YouTube link below Minnie's picture.) But my favorite game voice is Judith Gibbins. She's got just the right amount of refinement and tongue-in-cheek, IMO.

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  2. This is a toughie - I've liked all the voice actors. I thought Keeley Hawes sounded the least good, but I know she's a good actor so it must just have been the scripts that made her sound so wet. As for the newbie, I guess we all wonder who it is. My guess based on no evidence - Felicity Jones.

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  3. My fav is definitely Jonell Elliott. TLR is the best in the series imo.

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  4. It is difficult but Keeley has it for me. The scripts are pretty poor but she managed to put feeling in to 'I love Ghana' etc or which ever country she was in. One of the best moments was in Legend, Kazakhstan level and the Tessler contraption powerpack 'Is that thing supposed to stop at some point' priceless!

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  5. I did know that Lara had been played by different actresses over the years but I guess there was some form of cognitive dissonance at work as, in my mind, she sounded the same no matter which game I was playing. It's so weird hearing them back to back in that video and having them all feel so familiar but the differences feel so jarring.

    I think I would probably have to go with Ms Hawes as my favourite. Oxbridge accents can often sound a bit snooty but hers is lovely.

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  6. I think my favorite would have to be Keeley Hawes. Although out of the old bunch I think my favorite would have to be Juddith Gibbins. Essentially I like all the voices except for Jonell Elliott, Personally I thought she sounded to fake, but that is just my little opinion :)

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  7. Judith Gibbins was the first voice of Lara Croft for me, and in my opinion, still the best. But since we're rebooting the whole story I suppose we need a new voice as well. And I like the new voice in the reboot videos. She sounds younger somehow.

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  8. I like Keeley, she's got the accent, the inquisitive tone to her voice, it just seems to work for Lara. Especially when she says something rather cold, her voice is like ice.

    I did like Judith Gibbins, though, she's always the voice I imagine inside my head when I envision Lara.

    I'm not sure what to make of the new actress. She has a pretty rough voice, and sounds very young. I can believe she's 21, I could probably believe she was 16 if that were the case. I think the actress is Laya Lewis or Larissa Wilson, more the former than the latter. Both are actresses on Skins and the resemblance is almost uncanny :)

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  9. My favorite is Keeley Hawes, followed closely by Judith Gibbins. And I did enjoy Minnie Driver in the Re\Visioned episodes, too. I'm interested to hear how the new VA does...whomever she may be. I like what I've heard so far!

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  10. Judith Gibbins is my favourite, no question about it; I think she must have been the first Lara voice I ever heard (I played TR1 first but sound didn't work). Like Alice in Wonderland says, she's just the voice I imagine when I think of Lara. The others are good too, although I agree with Ostercy about Keeley Hawes. Jonell Elliot had some bad lines to work with, too; she came about around the same time they started turning Lara into a one-liner machine. She also sounded kind of wooden at times (especially in AOD).

    I don't really like the new Lara voice. There's something there that grates on my nerves; I know Lara is upperclass and all, but it's a little *too* haughty horse-riding private schoolgirl for me. I'm hoping she's going to be like classic Lara and keep her mouth shut for most of the game!

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  11. I really like Keeley Hawes best. Because her voice has some sort of melody to it,I also think that her voice seems more genuine then others IMO.

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  12. I loved Jonell Elliot. Her voice is sexy and very subtile, but it still inspires fear into her enemies. I think it's the definitive voice of Lara

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  13. Keeley and Judith. I'm replaying TR3 and Judith's voice is just incredible for the character!

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  14. I don't know the actresses, but I didn't like the TR2 voice, despite it being my first hearing of Lara. She just sounded too cold and brute.

    I can't recall the TR3 voice, but TR5 mighta bin a bit too innocent sounding.

    I think TR1 and TR4 were pretty good, so I vote for TR1's voice! :)

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  15. Man, that's hard. I really like Judith, Jonell and Keeley. They have some really pleasant homes. I think my favorite is Jonell though. She sounds like she could play a young Lara. Then Judith could be the adult Lara. Haha, I guess.

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  16. Sorry I'm tired I meant to say "they have some pleasant voices." It's too late to be making comments for me! Haha. Wow, I'm tired.

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  17. I really enjoyed Judith, and Jonell. They are my favourites. <3

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  18. I love British accents, particularly when it's a woman's!!

    I like them all but my favorite is Judith Gibbins somehow, for me, it feels more British ...

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  19. judith gibbons. the first of all lara crofts. her voice suited lara so perfect. minnie driver did pretty well, but i like judith gibbons more.

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  20. Being from Germany I experienced a lot of the games in dubbed version, with no option to change it. :-( However I bought 1 and 2 in England, got an English version of AoD and since Legend they had all languages on the discs. From these Judith Gibbins was my favourite, but I also like Keeley Hawes (except for in Guardian of Light for some reason).

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  21. I've always like Minnie Driver's and Keeley Hawes' voices, and I think they made good Laras. But I'm pretty excited about Camilla Luddington.

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  22. I like Keely, she did well. She is also the first voice I heard, (My first game was Anniversary, then Legend, then Underworld, then Survivor) and she just sells Lara. Love her!!!!
    -GrtGreekBear

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