The Voice of Darts in cinemas: Russ Bray makes a notable switch to kids movie

Russ Bray has experienced a lot in his long and distinctive career, but his latest venture is undoubtedly one of the most striking. The iconic referee, known worldwide as “The Voice of Darts,” has landed a rather unusual role in the film industry: he voices… a door.

The 68-year-old Englishman, who for years defined the sound of the sport with his trademark rasp on every “one hundred and eighty!”, is making a notable switch from the oche to the big screen. In the fantasy film The Land of Sometimes, Bray takes on a role as unique as his voice.

The film follows a brother and sister who find themselves in a magical world full of remarkable elements, such as a pink sky and blue trees. In that universe, Bray plays an unexpected but important part.

“I ended up becoming the voice of a door," he said on Double Tops Podcast. "The voice of a door where the two young kiddies go to the land of sometimes where you’ve got a pink sky and blue trees.

“It’s a lovely story actually as a brother and sister. And they go through this door, it takes them all to different chambers and I become the voice, ‘hello, what are you doing?’”

Bray even attended the premiere at the iconic Odeon Leicester Square, where he walked the red carpet and saw his new role in the spotlight. “We went to a premiere of it a couple of three weeks ago at the Odeon Leicester Square, which was good to do," said Bray who clearly enjoyed his foray into show business.

Although his film role stands out, Bray remains above all a legend within darts. For nearly thirty years he was a mainstay within the PDC, where he officiated no fewer than 28 World Championship finals. In 2024 he was honored for his services with a place in the PDC Hall of Fame, recognition for his enormous contribution to the sport.

Remarkably, Bray has never maintained his iconic voice in a traditional way. While singers and actors often have extensive routines to warm up their voices, the Englishman does it entirely his own way. "I don’t do anything. Honestly, seriously, I don’t drink water. My doctor turns around and says, no, you’ve got to drink lots of water, drink lots of water.

“You’ve got to, you know. It’s good for you. It is, because it flushes the system. I drink a lot of tea or something."

That laid-back approach has never held him back. On the contrary, his unique tone has become one of the most recognizable elements in darts. Generations of fans associate his sound directly with the biggest moments on stage.

Looking back on his career, one match stands head and shoulders above the rest for Bray: the legendary 2007 World Championship final between Raymond van Barneveld and Phil Taylor. Played at the iconic Circus Tavern, it is still regarded as one of the greatest finals in darts history. “I suppose it’s got to be the, you mentioned Raymond van Barneveld and Phil Taylor in the 2007 World final. It was the very last one at the Circus Tavern, which made it somewhat special in itself. It went to the sudden death leg, and it was Barney’s first year over."

Bray especially remembers the decisive bull-off, which was governed by different rules at the time. "In that last leg, it was the last time that when they threw for the bullseye, you could leave the dart in. So, Taylor threw for the bullseye first and just landed under the bull on the 25.

“Well, these days you have to take the dart out. That’s what you have to do. Barney asked him to leave it in, which he had to. Barney put his dart on top of it and hit the bullseye. So, he threw first. He went up for a ton, I think."

What followed is etched in every darts fan’s retinas. "Taylor went up and hit a 180. As I’m stood there, I thought, I he’s got him now. Barney followed him with a 180.

“Taylor thought, oh, poof and you just see everything drain out of him. His next shot was something like 41 or whatever.

“Barney went on, pop-pop, left himself tops and won the 2007 final which was unbelievable."

According to Bray, it was the combination of everything, the tension, the venue, the players, and the moment that made this final so special. "It was just the whole concept of everything into that made it probably one of the greatest finals."

With his new film role, Bray shows that his distinctive voice does not go unnoticed outside the world of darts. Whether it’s calling maximums or voicing a magical door, “The Voice of Darts” continues to make a unique impression.