Dear Austin,
I apologize. I judged you for changing your voice. When I heard you in interviews after you starred in the titular Elvis, I thought it was silly that you kept your husky baritone even after filming wrapped. I’ve come to understand that, like many have changed their name when entering college, you chose to change your voice when you entered fame’s atmosphere.
Maybe I’m biased because you were one of the best parts in Dune: Part Two or maybe it’s because I took some time to think about it, but now I’m formally taking back my judgment. Why did I judge you for changing your voice from normal to sillily sexy? In your defense, others have changed their voice. Ryan Gosling chose to sound like Marlon Brando instead of his Canadian accent to pair with his brooding on-screen personas. The difference for you was––more people noticed. Famously, Gosling has millions of “he’s just like me fr” memes (and a decade of tumblr thirst posts to boot). Who am I to judge you for grasping at similar heartthrob status?
And honestly, you did it! Garishly edited TikTok compilations of you licking a Harkonnen knife or gyrating your Presley hips flood parts of the internet. Maybe you realized changing your voice might help solidify your image. Often, comedians do the same thing: choosing a performance, stage voice to enhance their comedy. Gilbert Gottfreid had a distinct Stage Voice that helped him convey his one-of-a-kind comedic personality. Jerry Seinfeld’s Stage Voice is so iconic it creeps into local breweries and podcasts everywhere.
Darren Aronofsky started wearing scarves at some point (although some say he came out of the womb wearing one), Brad Pitt changes his look almost every tax season, Stephen Colbert chooses every day to host a worse show than the Colbert Report, Christian Bale keeps his various movie accents during interviews, I chose years ago to take my coffee black, and heck, even Brandon Sanderson chose to grow a beard.
If they’re not hurting anyone, who am I to judge your chosen changes? These changes were made for a reason you probably thought was a good idea at the time. Or, maybe you didn’t think too hard about it! Or, maybe there’s a scientific reason for why this happened. I understand. I also should add a disclaimer here and say that I’m also not judging anyone else for having an opinion against your dulcet pipes, as long as they’re not trying to be unkind. Everyone’s entitled to their opinions!
Austin, do I wish you were more up front and honest about your obvious change in voice? Do I think it could be a good example of Hollywood transparency? Do I think actors should be clear about more important things like how they’re achieving their physique because it’s hurting non-Hollywood men’s self-image and mental health? (Spoilers: it’s steroids.) Yes, I do. But, because this change is pretty harmless (as far as I can tell), I’d like to say once again:
I’m sorry for judging you!
Sincerely,
Isaac
Isaac graduated Calvin in 2019 studying English, secondary education and recently finished being an English teacher for the past few years. He’s currently a resident director at Hope College while also taking classes so he can become an art teacher. Isaac loves movies and lighthouses more than most things.
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Wow this convicted me. I didn’t realize how much I actually judge other people and celebrities for making changes to themselves that I don’t understand. Thank you for this!