Speaking Voice News Today

Joshua Smith offers speech and interview coaching through Your Speaking Voice LLC in Carlisle.

The I Feel It Coming hitmaker leaves Internet users stunned as they hear the Canadian singer speak for the first time with his speaking voice in a viral 20-second video of him meeting a fan.

Greatest of all time. >> we have lots and lots and lots of -- of african-american actors. now, when we didnt have any, i appeared not because i brought so much because -- but because the time was right. >> reporter: but his career almost ended before it ever began. as a teenager, poitier auditioned for the american negro theater but he was quickly thrown out because he couldnt read. he was tone deaf, and he had a thick bahamian accent. >> he says you are no actor. we got next to the door, he ope...

Almost ended before it ever began. as a teenager, poitier auditioned for the american negro theater, but he was quickly thrown out because he couldnt read. he was tone deaf. and he had a thick bahamian accent. >> he says, youre no actor. we got next to the door, he opened it, pushed me out and slammed it. >> reporter: a determined poitier would spend months perfecting his acting skills and modifying his speaking voice. his hard work would pay off in a big way. >> i was right. i know i was right....

Appeared, not because i brought so much but because the time was right. >> reporter: but his career almost ended before it ever began. as a teenager, poitier auditioned for the negro theater but thrown out because he couldnt read, tone deaf and had a thick acre cent. >> reporter: he would spend months perfecting his acting skills and modifying his speaking voice. his hard work would pay off in a big way. >> i was right. i know i was right. >> reporter: in the 1950s a appeared in more than a doze...

Very little suggestion that he was up for the change. this is like being on meet the press. do you have five of anything in your life? >> the first one says you are doing a great job. the speaking voice putting you to sleep as you tiptoe out of the room. i wish there was some way that there was a green screen behind him.

Pushed me out and slammed it. >> reporter: a determined poitier would spend months perfecting his acting skills and modifying his speaking voice. his hard work would pay off in a big way. >> i was right. i know i was right. >> reporter: in the 1950s he appeared in more than a dozen films beginning with "no way out" including an os-car winning performance in "the defiant ones." however it was his portrayal in "lilies of the field" that broke hollywoods color barrier earning him the coveted oscar ...

Acting skills and modifiling his speaking voice. his hard work would pay off in a big way. >> i was right. i know i was right. >> reporter: in the 1950s, he appeared in that aror more than a dozen film upons beginning with no way out and an oscar nominated performance in the defiant ones. however, it was his portrayal of a former gi in the 1963 movie "lilies of the field" that earned him the coveted oscar for best actor. portier never overcame his tone deafness, limb-syncing the song "amen" in t...

Perfecting a regional accent and dialect is one of the hardest technical details actors face, but for a screen icon like Meryl Streep, it almost seems

To continue making sound and music a part of my life for the rest of my life. its something ifind greatjoy in. and i do really like... i dont like my speaking voice very much, to tell you the truth, but i like my singing voice a great deal. so, i want to use it. i, for one, share the pleasure in your voice. so, im delighted to hear youre still going to use it. michael stipe, weve run out of time, but thank you very much indeed forjoining me on hardtalk. thanks for having me, stephen, its a great...