Legendary voice-over talent Hal Douglas, who brought his dramatic husky voice to thousands of movie trailers, died on Friday at his home in Lovettsville, Va. He was 89. Though he may be most famous for his “in a world” opening, Douglas was also revered for his range. He narrated trailers for films as diverse as Forrest Gump, Coneheads, Philadelphia, Meet the Parents, and Lethal Weapon.
As today’s New York Times obituary notes, Douglas was featured in several on-screen roles as well. In 2002, he poked fun at himself in the trailer for Jerry Seinfeld’s documentary Comedian, which may have been more popular than the movie itself. More recently, the subject of the 2013 short film A Great Voice, he reflected, “I never thought of it as a great voice,” but rather, “throaty, chesty, a voice in need of clearing.”
