The new Coen Brothers film, Hail, Caesar!, boasts a ridiculous number of stars. Josh Brolin plays the lead, Hollywood fixer Eddie Mannix, who has to investigate the kidnapping of his studio's biggest star, played by George Clooney. Then there's Scarlett Johansson as an unwed pregnant starlet, Channing Tatum as a secret communist posing as an all-American movie star, Alden Ehrenreich as a Western actor trying to branch out into other roles, Ralph Fiennes as a picky European director, and Tilda Swinton in dueling roles as twin gossip columnists. Oh, plus Jonah Hill and Frances McDormand. But the film may have slipped even one more star under fans' noses with its uncredited narrator. But who is the narrator in Hail, Caesar! ?
The question is a bit tricky to answer. The role is not listed on IMDb's cast list, nor does it show up in the film's credits. But people aren't collectively imagining the film's narration — it definitely has one. And many critics think they've figured out who provides it. Several reviews of the film credit Michael Gambon as the voice lording over the film, meaning that it's probably him, but he has not officially been acknowledged for his work. If it really is Dumbledore providing the film's narration, he wouldn't be the first big star to lend his voice to a project without taking credit for his work. So here are nine other stars who have provided uncredited narration.
1. Samuel L. Jackson — Inglorious Basterds
You didn't actually think there could be a Quentin Tarantino movie without some involvement from Jackson, did you?
2. Ice-T — The Other Guys
Thanks to his long stint on Law and Order: SVU, Ice-T is basically a police officer now, so his narration in this buddy cop movie makes perfect sense.
3. Alec Baldwin — Two Bits
Baldwin got credit for his superb narration in The Royal Tenenbaums, but for his work in this 1995 Al Pacino vehicle? Not so much.
4. John Hurt — Sightseers
This British character actor is another Harry Potter alum (he played Mr. Ollivander) who has done incognito voice work, like in this 2012 horror-comedy.
5. Orson Welles — Numerous
The Citizen Kane mastermind may have been the king of uncredited narrations, as he performed a number of them. Perhaps most notable were the films King of Kings and The Vikings.
6. Richard Burton — Mooch Goes to Hollywood
Burton was one of the biggest Hollywood stars in the 1960s, which makes it somewhat odd that he lent his voice to this 1971 TV movie about a dog.
7. Ron Howard — Arrested Development
Can you even imagine this show without Howard's voiceover? Didn't think so.
8. James Earl Jones — Numerous
The voice of Darth Vader gets the award for most diverse uncredited narrations, with films ranging from Judge Dredd to Scary Movie 4.
9. Morgan Freeman — Conan the Barbarian (the 2011 reboot)
Wait, what?
Some of these are pretty impressive (and surprising), especially for the actors who have such distinct voices. So if it turns out that Gambon did provide the narration for Hail, Caesar!, then he's in some pretty good company.
Images: Universal Pictures; giphy.com; 20th Century Fox
