That Narrator's Voice in 'The Americas'? It's a TV Icon You Know and Love!

The 10-part nature documentary The Americas premiered on NBC on Feb. 23, 2025, showcasing fascinating animal species across North and South America, many of which thrive in unexpected locations, like Central Park in New York

The narrator brings so much personality to the series that it captivates viewers of all ages. His voice may sound familiar, as he’s voiced iconic characters in TV and film and starred in major motion pictures. Let’s dive into who the narrator is and what he’s shared about taking on this exciting role.

Tom Hanks narrates the NBC nature documentary The Americas, and he was executive producer Mike Gunton’s first choice for the role. "You need to feel that these animals lives are unique and special and full of challenge, so that you care about them. Having Tom Hanks as the voice [of this] was the perfect expression of that," Mike shared with NBC.

But Tom’s role goes beyond just narration, he also helps shape the storytelling. "Narrating is an interesting way of talking about it because, yeah, they wrote great copy ... but a lot of it is me reacting to this footage," Tom explained to TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie before the show’s premiere.

Savannah confirmed, "There’s a lot that’s very you, it’s very Tom," and she’s absolutely right. While Tom reads from the script, he also improvises as he’s introduced to these species, describing how they’ve evolved and coexist with humans, giving the narration a perfect blend of information and personality.

The narration and footage shared in The Americas is absolutely captivating, but what's most shocking is that it doesn't contain any artificiality or CGI, as Tom confirmed with Savannah. "There are times where I cannot believe what I am looking at. There is not a moment of artificiality; nothing has been CGI'd," Tom explained. What's even more commendable is that the nature documentary took half a decade and 180 expeditions to capture the footage needed to complete the series, as TODAY revealed.

Not only does The Americas provide extraordinary footage of species across the Americas, but it also offers in-depth information about their existence.

Tom explained that the series covers the three F's when it comes to nature and the living beings humans share the Earth with: food (how they get it), fighting, and, for the sake of keeping things work-friendly, Savannah suggested "fool around" for the third F. Tom liked that phrase, adding that it covers the lengths animals will go to in order to do just that.

Savannah then chimed in, questioning why the New York City rat wasn’t featured as one of the animals. Tom joked that it wasn't exactly an exciting choice when it came to the three F's we mentioned earlier.

With narrating a nature documentary now under his belt, Tom confidently claims he's the "greatest dinner companion there can possibly be." He's now brimming with facts since accepting the role, sharing, "This is the first I've heard of the atmospheric river."

To prove just how much he’s learned, Tom turned to Savannah and said, "Ask me about the tree-climbing salamander." He then excitedly explained, "It will do anything possible in order to meet a mate."