
Morgan Freeman, the world-renowned thespian, has portrayed a US president, Nelson Mandela, and the Almighty in not one but two movies: Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty.
There is only one other actor with the screen gravitas and distinctive voice to challenge Freeman for the title “Voice of God,” James Earl Jones.
It is remarkable that the two actors best known for sounding like God are Black, especially given that early Hollywood often restricted Black performers to stereotypical roles like butlers, maids, elevator operators, or comic sidekicks.
It is ironic that the Voice of God belongs to Freeman who has long identified as an agnostic. Can you imagine if the Almighty had blessed a hack Christian actor like Kirk Cameron with a booming god-like tone? Cameron would exploit his sonorous voice to hawk Bibles, books, and baubles.
“When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen” was a famous advertising slogan for the E.F. Hutton & Co. financial firm in the 1970s and 1980s. People listen when Morgan Freeman, who grew up poor, speaks.
When I die it won’t be a reedy-sounding voice like that of your average televangelist, but it will be a Freeman-type voice that will welcome me to paradise.


