Meet Jim Dale

Jim Dale

The magic that Jim Dale adds to the already magical Harry Potter series helps account for why the
perennial favorites in print are also among the best selling audiobooks of all time.

Top Performances

"Try me on and I will tell you where you ought to be!"
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Harry wonders, "Is this real?"
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"When the final bulb pops a light, and the smoke and sparks dissipate, it is finally legible."
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Harry's summer holiday is looking up.
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Fred and George make a grand exit.
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  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1
  • "Try me on and I will tell you where you ought to be!"
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Book 7
  • Harry wonders, "Is this real?"
  • The Night Circus
  • "When the final bulb pops a light, and the smoke and sparks dissipate, it is finally legible."
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Book 3
  • Harry's summer holiday is looking up.
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Book 5
  • Fred and George make a grand exit.

Greatest Hits

Listener Favorite

Go Behind the Scenes

Jim Dale gives fans gives insight on his inspiration for characters' voices.
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More About Jim Dale

Few performers have had as diverse and fascinating a career as Jim Dale. Born in the small market town of Rothwell, Northamptonshire, Dale trained as a ballet dancer for six years but it was a series of stand-up performances in 1951 that put him on the map as one of Britain’s young comedians. In the 1960s, his singing and songwriting earned him an Academy Award nomination for the title theme to Georgy Girl. Dale then turned to the stage, starring in dozens of productions with the British National Theatre Company and on Broadway, including The Taming of the Shrew, Oliver!, and Candide. In 1980, his portrayal of the circus showman in Barnum won him both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. (Over the course of his career, he’d earn four additional Tony nominations and five Drama Desk wins.)
In 2009, Dale was inducted in the American Theater Hall of Fame; five years later, his one-man-show Just Jim Dale opened in New York City to tremendous praise and critical acclaim. Audiobook fans will recognize him for his impeccable, finely tuned voice work. In the Harry Potter series alone, he has given life to hundreds of characters, expertly distinguishing every witch, wizard, house-elf, and goblin. He has captured hearts around the globe—including that of Queen Elizabeth II, who named him a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2003. In addition to the Harry Potter series, Dale has narrated other kid favorites such as The Hundred Acre Woods, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland, making fantastical worlds and characters even more magical. Dale has won two Grammy Awards for his narration of the fourth and seventh Harry Potter books, 11 Audie Awards, over a dozen AudioFile Earphone Awards, and was the first to be inducted into the American Audio Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame in 2017 and remains a much-adored and highly celebrated narrator, beloved by millions of listeners around the world.


Awards and Accolades

Grammy Awards
Spoken Word Album for Children,
2001 & 2008

Tony Award
Lead Actor Musical, 1980

Drama Desk Awards
Featured Actor Musical, 2006
Outstanding Performance, 1974


The Narrator Hall of Fame





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