I’ve read that Ms. Ball was a heavy, lifelong smoker and that may have deepened her voice over the years.
Similarly, actress Audrey Meadows had a lovely speaking voice, when she portrayed the kind and thoughtful Alice Kramden on the classic, “The Honeymooners” with the great Jackie Gleason. Yet, her voice sounded much deeper as she got older. Perhaps smoking deepened Ms. Meadows’ voice as well.
The great Dame Diana Rigg also had a beautiful and refined voice, when she portrayed the wonderful Mrs. Emma Peel on the great British spy show, “The Avengers” with the always classy Patrick MacNee. Dame Diana was a self-admitted heavy smoker during her younger years, but when she appeared on “Game of Thrones,” her lovely speaking voice had become much deeper.
Finally, actress Suzanne Pmeshette possessed a lovely, feminine voice, when she appeared in such films as “The Birds” and “Nevada Smith” and also in the great sit-com “The Bob Newhart Show” as Emily Hartley, Bob Newhart’s wife on the show, However, when Ms. Pleshette portrayed hotel magnate Leona Helmsley in a TV movie, she sounded as deep and hoarse as Barry White or Charlton Heston, due, most likely, to excessive smoking.
I realize that smoking appears to be chic and sophisticated, but the multiple serious health problems you can can experience as you age just makes it foolish and too risky to light up in the first place. Just don’t do it, like how the perpetually abstemious Felix Unger conducted himself on the legendary comedy series, “The Odd Couple.”
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