Ever watch something, listen to the voice-over narration and wonder, “Who IS that?”

We’ve all been there. Whether we’re watching a movie in the theatre or a car commercial on TV, there are moments when we drop everything to search the dustiest corners of our minds, thinking, I know I know that voice.

Being nice (and Canadian, I guess), we decided to take all the guesswork out of it for you and present you with this list of 10 NFB films voiced by famous actors. Some of them are instantly recognizable, like William Shatner, while others catch you by surprise, like Christopher Plummer. Whatever the case, it’s fun to look back over the decades and see the different collaborations between the NFB and some of our favourite Hollywood legends.

Higglety Pigglety Pop!

Narrated by: Oscar® winners Meryl Streep and Forest Whitaker

Once Jennie had everything. The terrier had two food bowls, two pillows, and for cold weather, a red wool sweater. She even had a master who loved her. But Jennie didn’t care. In the middle of the night she packed everything she had in a black leather bag with gold buckles and looked out of her favourite window for the last time.

Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life, Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Kali the little Vampire

Narrated by: Oscar® winner Christopher Plummer

This animated short tells the story of Kali, a young vampire who suffers from not being able to live in the light. One day, while once again watching young boys play beside the train tracks, he breaks from his isolation and discovers he can make a difference in others’ lives.

Kali the Little Vampire, Regina Pessoa, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Stationery

Narrated by: Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh

“A woman must find paper clips for a report due in the morning.” With this apparently simple description, the complexities and paradoxes of modern life; the isolation within today’s crowded cities; and inner, emotional insecurities are discussed.

Stationery , Monica Rho, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Snow Cat

Narrated by: Oscar® winner Maureen Stapleton

A grandmother tells her young grandchild the moving tale of a lonely girl and an unforgettable magical cat.

Snow Cat, Sheldon Cohen, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry

Readings by: Oscar® nominee Richard Burton

This feature-length Oscar-nominated documentary focuses on Malcolm Lowry, author of one of the major novels of the 20th century, Under the Volcano. But while Lowry fought a winning battle with words, he lost his battle with alcohol.

Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry , Donald Brittain & John Kramer, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

A Short History of the Highrise, Part One: Mud

Narrated by: Juno winner Feist

The first installment of our award winning A Short History of the Highrise, “Mud” traces the historical roots of the residential highrise, from the biblical Tower of Babel to the tenement buildings of New York.

A Short History of the Highrise, Part One: Mud, Katerina Cizek, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Stories We Tell

Narrated by: Michael Polley

Polley’s playful investigation into the elusive truth buried within the contradictions of a family of storytellers paints a touching and intriguing portrait of a complex network of relatives, friends, and strangers.

Stories We Tell, Sarah Polley, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Noël Noël

Narrated by: Emmy nominee Leslie Nielsen

In this animated short, a misguided billionaire falls in love with Beatrice, a bespectacled fairy. But thanks to little Zoey, her dog Snooze and a blue-eyed reindeer, his eyes are finally opened.