The Voice of A Generation

The Rise of Keith David
Thursday, May 27, 2010
By Eric Easter

As anyone who has one knows, the backseat DVD player in the family SUV is the secret weapon of modern parenting.  Guilty as one may feel about it, it is the critical difference between calm and chaos on a long commute. But there’s also an unexpected benefit, which is the rare experience of hearing entire movies without seeing them.

That benefit can also be a drawback. The fact is, the vast majority of movies – particularly children’s movies – don’t stand up to the scrutiny of just audio, only serving to amplify bad music and lousy dialogue.

But for two films in particular, audio only makes the experience actually even better than viewing – one, predictably is The Wizard of Oz, the other (less predictably) is the recent DVD release of Disney’s Princess and the Frog. Beautiful treat that the film is, the listening experience makes clear that the film’s success is largely driven by the things you can’t see- the music and the voices.

Yet, while all the voice performances are superior, especially those of Bruno Campos (Prince Naveen) and Jennifer Lewis (Mama Odie) , it is legendary character actor Keith David, as the villainous Dr. Facilier, who becomes the star of the movie when you can only hear it. And after repeated listenings (I count 30 so far), the subtlety and power of his work only becomes more noteworthy. His interpretation of  the song, “Friends on the Other Side” stands up there easily with the best musical numbers from Wizard of Oz and other musical classics, and to many , his Facilier makes him the most menacing Disney villain in its history.

It’s not the first time David has stolen the show, and that David is not a household name is both a testament to how well he does his job in character and to how ridiculous is the engine of stardom in Hollywood. His ten single spaced credits of stage, TV and film crosses genres and audiences from drama (Dead Presidents, Platoon) to comedy (Something About Mary), and includes many where his scenes, if only short, have become the most memorable. The indie movie, Requiem for a Dream, though brilliant, is tough to watch because of its subject matter – except when David comes on screen. In a re-watching of Dead Presidents, David’s presence adds the gravitas and authenticity needed to make that more than a hip hop Vietnam saga.

And though you may not know his name, your family, across generations, absolutely knows his voice. As the voice of The Navy, BMW, TNT and TBS, X-Box, Hennessy and UPS, David has become the go-to voice for brands and corporations who want to be considered both cool and authoritative, an awkward dance at best. Word in the ad business is that, as an incredible professional, he also saves companies thousands of dollars in studio time, often nailing complicated voiceovers in a single take.

His work with PBS – Ken Burns’ documentaries Jazz, Mark Twain, The War, Unforgivable Blackness and several episodes of The American Experience - has been particularly fruitful, netting several Emmy awards and more nominations.

An entirely different audience knows him as the standout voice of some of the most popular video games and comic series, including Modern Warfare, Mass Effect, Halo 2, The Proud Family, Gargoyles and the underappreciated jewel in the crown, Spawn.

More unknown is his recent solo live salute to the songs of Nat King Cole, but given the attention that David is receiving of late because of the Disney role, the days of unknown are hopefully, thankfully, over.

Is this a puff piece? I prefer to call it a respect piece, but only because Keith David deserves it- finally.