History Main / ActionFigureSpeech

* ''StarTrek'' guest stars who aren't used to playing RubberForeheadAliens can do this (because it feels like you're wearing a full-face mask if you're not used to it). Check out the Vidiians in the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' episode "Phage" for an example.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E7TheWheelInSpace The Wheel In Space]]", the Cybermen indicate they are speaking by rocking their entire upper bodies back and forth. Their air of menace rather suffers as a result. Modern-era Cybermen lean more towards flashing lights in their mouths.

** The human characters in the show also utilise this trope, but UpToEleven. Nearly ''all'' of the recurring human cast were {{Large Ham}}s, with the notable exception of the museum owner. ''Brum'''s SignatureStyle was presenting the characters as [[TheVoiceless mute]] while the narrator would say the dialogue, like reading a storybook aloud. Therefore it was imperative that the characters be as hammy as possible.

* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. In "Headhunter", a killer android gets its head knocked off, [[CranialProcessingUnit with no apparent effect]] other than a tendency to start MilkingTheGiantCow.

* ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'' has this. The only way the characters are indicated talking is by shaking the clip-arts around, sometimes to exaggerated effects. With the exception of the Emperor, of course, who can't move at all since he's a skeleton. (Instead, his speech is hinted by his eyepiece glowing.) As of season 2, some characters have their artwork articulated to let them gesticulate to various degrees. For example Magnus the Red can only move his right arm, his left seemingly frozen in place, while Kaldor Draigo (the Supreme Grand Master of the Grey Knights) is able to swing his arms freely, able to cover his face with his shield. Little Kitten is relegated to bobbing back and forth to simulate talking.

* ''IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'' has this. The only way the characters are indicated talking is by shaking the clip-arts around, sometimes to exaggerated effects. With the exception of the Emperor, of course, who can't move at all since he's a skeleton. (Instead, his speech is hinted by his eyepiece glowing.) As of season 2, some characters have their artwork articulated to let them gesticulate to various degrees. For example Magnus the Red can only move his right arm, his left seemingly frozen in place, while Kaldor Draigo (the Supreme Grand Master of the Grey Knights) is able to swing his arms freely, able to cover his face with his sheild.

* IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice has this. The only way the characters are indicated talking is by shaking the clip-arts around, sometimes to exaggerated effects. With the exception of the Emperor, of course, who can't move at all since he's a skeleton. (Instead, his speech is hinted by his eyepiece glowing.) As of season 2, some characters have their artwork articulated to let them gestulate.

** The Daleks are prone to this at times. At its best, the rocking is barely noticeable; at its worst, it makes them look rather incontinent. Similar to Cybermen, modern-era Daleks flash the lights on their armor to indicate it instead.

Broader version of the HeadBob. If the character only talks through body language, see HeWhoMustNotBeHeard or SilentBob.

* ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' [[OffTheShelfVFX uses literal toys for most of its characters]], usually pasting animated mouths onto them. For characters with no clear place to put a mouth, they typically gesticulate in some way as they speak.

* Some sketches on ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' use this [[ToyTropes (which is appropriate)]]. Others will paste animated mouths onto the characters.

-->-- ''Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space''

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E7TheWheelInSpace The Wheel In Space]]", the Cybermen indicate they are speaking by rocking their entire upper bodies back and forth. Their air of menace rather suffers as a result.
** The Daleks are prone to this at times. At its best, the rocking is barely noticeable; at its worst, it makes them look rather incontinent.

-->-- '''Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space'''

[[folder: Film]]
* Speaking of not being very menacing (at all), there's the titular aliens from the 50's classic (and [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S01E07RobotMonster MST3K ep]]) ''Film/RobotMonster''. The Ro-Men, looking for all the world like a guy in a gorilla suit wearing a space helmet flailed around wildly while speaking.

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

[[folder: Other]]
* The character performers in the Ride/DisneyThemeParks. Though Disney eventually made elaborate puppet heads for certain shows.

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Web Original]]
* All the time on ''[[WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC I'm A Marvel And I'm A DC]]''. Then again, most of the cast are action figures...
* Most all {{Machinima}} resorts to this in some way.
** It's lampshaded in ''Machinima/RedVsBlue''.
--> Do we really bob our heads up and down all the time when we talk? God, that looks stupid.
* Since nearly the entire cast of ''[[http://www.gearandclip.com The Adventures of Mr. Gear and Clippy]]'' (with the exceptions of a few 'humanoid' characters) are a bunch of anthropomorphic objects with InvisibleAnatomy, the characters tend to shake when they speak, though usually there are speech bubbles to let us know they're talking anyway. Mr. Gear sometimes even turns when he's not speaking, often at times during pauses in the dialogue (after which he will say something in response to Clippy's latest antics, or the villain's crazy behavior).

* The characters in ''WebVideo/PotterPuppetPals'' are made to bob up and down and wiggle about when talking for comedic purposes, even though each has a very distinctive voice. This is made more visible by the puppets' arms, which are sewn to their bodies by the shoulders and flap around comically when the character moves.
* ''WebVideo/StarWarsUncut'': In scenes where the characters from ''Star Wars'' are being played by actual action figures.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/ActionLeagueNOW Action League NOW]]''. Again, justified in that the cast is all action figures.

** It's lampshaded in ''RedVsBlue''.

* The ''WebAnimation/EquestriaGirls'' parody videos, which uses stock art and fanart of the characters, has this.

* Movies made with Microsoft's ''VideoGame/ThreeDMovieMaker'' had all characters doing this, since the technology wasn't good enough in 1995 to allow lip syncing. Much MilkingTheGiantCow action ensues.

-->-- ''Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space''

-->-- '''Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space'''

* The FanFic/EquestriaGirls parody videos, which uses stock art and fanart of the characters, has this.

* Most {{Tokusatsu}} shows, especially ''Franchise/KamenRider'' and ''SuperSentai'', do this with the heroes and the villains.

* Some sketches on ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' use this [[ToyTropes (which is approprite).]] Others will paste animated mouths onto the characters.