Anna Kendrick, Liam Neeson, Rebel Wilson and Gordon Ramsey Audition to Be Stephen Hawking's New Voice

Stars compete for the physicist's approval

By Kendall Fisher Mar 24, 2017 3:31 PMTags
Stephen Hawkins VoiceComic Relief

Stephen Hawking has used the same computerized voice for over 30 years. However, he's recently decided he's ready for a change.

The world renowned scientist—who suffers from an early onset of ALS that has paralyzed him—is ready to switch things up and look for a new voice, and thus, he enlisted the help of several celebrity A-listers to do so. But whose voice would make the perfect match for someone of Hawking's stature? 

Everyone from Rebel Wilson to Liam Neeson, Anna Kendrick to Gordon Ramsey and even Simon Cowell and Lin-Manuel Miranda took part in a competition to win over Hawking's approval and become his new, famous voice.

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Stars Celebrate Red Nose Day 2016

While Kendrick argued that she's intelligent (kind of) and young and cool (kind of), Miranda decided to showcase his rapping skills—both of which Hawking disapproved immediately.

Chef Ramsey even used his infamous intimidation skills, telling Hawking he'd be "f--king crazy" not to pick him, but the scientist was having none of it. "I don't think anyone would take me f--king seriously if I sounded like that," he said. Take that, Ramsey!

Wilson attempted to read some very important theses off a script, before ended it with a "ay yee!" and adding, "I think that sounded like I have class and sophistication coming out of my ass."

Hawking wasn't impressed. "It's not looking good," he told Wilson. "I'd sound like an idiot if that was my voice."

Does Eddie Redmayne—who won the Best Actor Oscar for playing Hawking on-screen in 2015—win him over? Would Miss Piggy do the trick? Can anyone really fulfill Hawking's voice needs? 

Watch the silly 2017 Red Nose Day sketch in the video above to find out!