It’s unclear how many takes were needed to get the perfect recording of the line “fo’ shiz, fo’ shiz” in the studio, but the actress Michelle Williams managed to deliver a line reading that has resonated on social media.

This quote is from her narration of Britney Spears’s best-selling memoir “The Woman in Me” in the form of an audiobook. While memoirs are usually narrated by the authors themselves, Ms. Spears explains in the introductory recording that due to the “heart-wrenching and emotional” subject matter, she won’t be providing her own voice-over.

Instead, listeners hear the voice of Ms. Williams. While her impression of Justin Timberlake encountering Ginuwine went viral on X (formerly Twitter), there are also somber passages in the book. Ms. Williams narrates moments such as the pop singer’s experience with abortion while dating Mr. Timberlake, her introduction to alcohol at the age of 14 with her mother, and her 13-year conservatorship.

Simon & Schuster, the publisher of “The Woman in Me,” has not yet responded to inquiries about how Ms. Williams was selected as the narrator. However, in the world of audiobooks, the idea for such pairings often originates from the producers.

Sarah Jaffe, a senior executive producer at Penguin Random House, describes her job as a kind of matchmaking. She believes that finding the most famous Hollywood name to narrate a book is not the most important factor. Instead, she focuses on casting someone who can truly connect the listener to the text.

She states, “I think actors who are also readers can really tap into the emotional vein that keeps any story humming along.”

Sometimes, the suggestions come in the reverse direction. For example, Julianne Moore reached out to the team of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Cunningham to express her interest in narrating his new novel “Day.” Ms. Moore previously starred in the film adaptation of Mr. Cunningham’s novel “The Hours.”

At Penguin Random House, Karen Dziekonski, the vice president for production, prioritizes flexible actors with a wide range who truly understand the writing when it comes to casting audiobooks.

Ms. Dziekonski recently collaborated with Lucy Liu on the audiobook recording of Celeste Ng’s “Our Missing Hearts.” Lucy’s agents expressed her interest in narrating audiobooks, and Ms. Dziekonski suggested her as the narrator to Ms. Ng.

According to Ms. Dziekonski, Lucy Liu was very easygoing during the production and had no particular rituals in the studio other than occasionally applying lip gloss. Other notable actors such as Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, and Willem Dafoe have also given remarkable readings in audiobooks, truly performing with their voices.

Lisa Hintelmann, the head of casting and talent at Audible, emphasizes that these actors aren’t simply reading the text, but rather giving a performance solely through their voices. Voice-over work allows actors to stretch a new creative muscle as they portray multiple characters and employ subtle voice changes. Dialect coaches often assist with this aspect.

According to Ms. Hintelmann, casting decisions also depend on the marketing strategy for the book. For example, Elle Fanning, who was in her early 20s at the time, was chosen to narrate the Audible version of the “The Baby-Sitters Club” book series because she could attract youthful listeners.

Voice-over work is a more intimate form of acting, typically involving only a voice coach, sound engineer, and the narrator.

As Lisa Hintelmann explains, the goal is to create a performance that deeply resonates with the listener. Actors don’t need to worry about physical aspects since they’re delivering the piece through their voices.

Ms. Dziekonski seeks actors who approach audiobook narration with the same dedication as an onscreen role, fully understanding the characters and their subtext. This preparation allows them to deliver a compelling performance.