News > Smart & Connected Life Shaq and Melissa McCarthy Added to Alexa's Voice Roster Celebrity voices will set you back $5 each By Rob Rich Rob Rich Twitter News Reporter College for Creative Studies Rob is a freelance tech reporter with experience writing for a variety of outlets, including IGN, Unwinnable, 148Apps, Gamezebo, Pocket Gamer, Fanbolt, Zam, and more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 16, 2021 03:57PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr Twitter University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart & Connected Life Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming After the success of the Samuel L. Jackson celebrity voice option, Amazon is adding Melissa McCarthy and Shaquille O’Neal options at $4.99 each. Amazon has rolled out some new features for Alexa, including two new optional celebrity personalities. It's now possible (for one $5 fee each) for you to change Alexa's voice to Shaq or Melissa McCarthy, in addition to the previously available Samuel L. Jackson. Michael Hickey / Getty Images According to Amazon, Jackson's celebrity personality became Amazon.com's top selling digital purchase the day it was released, so adding more celebrity options was a likely move. Alexa users also have the choice of a new non-celebrity voice option if they want a change, but aren't interested in any of the famous voices. Switching to the new one is a simple matter of saying "Alexa, change your voice." A new wake word, "Ziggy," has also been introduced and can be used instead of previous words "Alexa," "Computer," "Echo," or "Amazon." You can change Alexa's wake word, by saying, "Alexa, change your wake word." Both celebrities are excited to lend their voices to Alexa. O'Neal said, "Shaq is in the house to make your speakers bounce. Boomshakalaka!" in the official Amazon announcement. Emma McIntyre / Getty Images "It’s been such a fun experience working on this project," said McCarthy, "I hope you all enjoy all my dad jokes! Fun fact—if you hear a slide whistle, it’s my personal one that I brought with me to the recording studio!" If you're curious about the new voice options but aren't sure about paying upfront, you can listen to voice clips of both Melissa McCarthy and Shaquille O’Neal on the official Alexa YouTube channel. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit