Rockonteurs with Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt S10E11: Lewis MacLeod joins Gary and Guy for a fun Christmas special
Dec 7, 2025
Lewis MacLeod, a talented Scottish voice actor and impressionist, joins for a festive chat filled with laughter. He shares how childhood inspirations from Monty Python sparked his passion for mimicry. The conversation delves into the musicality of speech and how he captures iconic voices, including Obama and famous musicians. Lewis reflects on the evolving world of voiceovers, the impact of AI, and even his near miss with a Bond trailer. Expect delightful impressions and a warm holiday send-off from this entertaining special!
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Early Family Table Impressions
- Lewis MacLeod grew up copying family voices and Monty Python records, practicing mimicry from childhood dinners with a tape recorder on the table.
- That home habit evolved into a professional skill he later turned into radio and voiceover work.
Content Shapes The Impression
- Good impersonation pairs vocal accuracy with capturing a subject's characteristic metaphors and phrasing.
- Lewis emphasizes that likeness comes from speech patterns and content, not just vowels.
Voices Have Musical Melodies
- Lewis learned voices by finding each speaker's melodic 'tune' and singing speech patterns to match them.
- He argues that every voice has musicality, so singing the speech helps capture the character's essence.