Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Voiceover artist par excellence Hal Douglas was born Harold Cone on September 1, 1924 in Stamford, Connecticut. The son of Samuel and Miriam Levenson Cone, Hal and his brother Edwin were primarily raised by their grandparents Sarah and Tevya Levenson after their mother died when Hal was only nine. (Their father later remarried.) Douglas trained as a pilot and served three years in the Navy during World War II. Hal wrote fiction in his spare time and upon finishing his tour of duty enrolled on the G.I. Bill at the University of Miami, where he studied acting. He changed his last name to Douglas after moving to New York and began supplementing his slight income from acting gigs with voiceover and announcer work on both radio and television. Hal soon became one of the most sought after (and instantly recognizable) vocal talents for commercials and lead-ins for TV shows. Douglas worked steadily out of New York and not only continued to lend his distinctive gravelly baritone to television, but also narrated the occasional documentary and countless film trailers in a diverse array of genres. Hal was still working two years prior to his death from pancreatic cancer at age 89 at his home in Lovettsville, Virginia on March 7, 2014. He's survived by his wife of forty-three years, Ruth Francis Douglas; their daughter Sarah Douglas; and two sons from a previous marriage, Jon and Jeremy.

[describing his voice] Throaty, chesty, a voice in need of clearing.

[on his distinctive gravelly baritone] I never thought of it as a great voice.

[on his voiceover work] I&#39;m not outstanding in any way. It&#39;s a craft that you learn, like making a good pair of shoes. And I just consider myself a good shoemaker.

I&#39;m not outstanding in any way. It&#39;s a craft that you learn, like making a good pair of shoes. And I just consider myself a good shoemaker.

Movies, particularly, fall into departments. You have an action film, you have a romantic film, you have the dark films. They all suggest an attitude and a voice quality. I don&#39;t do character voices per se, but depending upon the emotion, try to approach it as an actor.

Quotes

Hal Douglas

Contribute to this page

More from this person

More to explore

Recently viewed