Redd Pepper (real name Richie Green) is a
voice actor whose distinctive, powerful
bass voice has effectively made him the UK's answer to
Don LaFontaine (
Movie Trailer Voiceover Man). His normal speaking voice is a deep, dramatic
American accent capable of putting the fear of God into people. When doing voiceover work his intonation becomes even more otherworldly, delivering "
In a world..."s and "Imagine..."s with the kind of brooding
menace that normally requires expensive sound processing equipment.
Redd/Richie was born in Barbados in 1961 and raised in Manhattan, before moving to London in 1976. If Redd's own account is to be believed, he used to work as a driver on the London Underground (where he would occasionally break the monotony by stopping the train in a tunnel, killing the lights, and making announcements such as "This is your driver speaking... OR IS IT?"), when one day he was approached by an agent who suggested he try making a living from his unique voice. (It is rather more likely that Redd was actively seeking voice work, but it's still a great story.)
Redd worked on late night local radio (a terrifying concept) for four years before working on BBC Radio One dance slot The Jam. In 1995 he became the voice of The Sci-Fi Channel (UK). From then on he has proceeded to work on countless commercial and trailer voiceovers (Armageddon, Men In Black, Con Air, Pitch Black, etc.) as well as more substantial acting roles. A role that he has really made his own is the voice of Mike LeRoi / Shadow Man in the Shadow Man series of videogames published by Acclaim. As demand for a voice from beyond the grave remains high, it is likely that Redd Pepper will continue to find plenty of work in the future.