Iconic darts referee Russ Bray, known worldwide as "The Voice of Darts," has taken a striking detour into the film industry, landing a role in the fantasy movie The Land of Sometimes. The 68-year-old Englishman, whose raspy calls have defined the sport for decades, revealed on the Double Tops Podcast that he voices a door in the film, which follows a brother and sister who enter a magical world with a pink sky and blue trees. Bray described his part: "I ended up becoming the voice of a door where the two young kiddies go to the land of sometimes... 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 attended the premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square a couple of three weeks ago, walking the red carpet and enjoying his foray into show business. Despite this unusual venture, he remains a legend in darts, having officiated 28 World Championship finals and been inducted into the PDC Hall of Fame in 2024. Remarkably, Bray maintains his iconic voice without traditional routines, stating, "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... I drink a lot of tea or something."
Reflecting on his career, Bray highlighted the legendary 2007 World Championship final between Raymond van Barneveld and Phil Taylor at the Circus Tavern as his standout memory. He recalled the sudden-death leg and bull-off, noting it was the last time players could leave darts in during the bullseye throw. Taylor landed under the bull on the 25, and Van Barneveld placed his dart on top to hit the bullseye and throw first. Bray described the tension: "Taylor went up and hit a 180. As I'm stood there, I thought, 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." Bray called it "probably one of the greatest finals" due to the combination of tension, venue, players, and moment.
