Don LaFontaine
Encyclopedia
Donald Leroy "Don" LaFontaine (August 26, 1940 – September 1, 2008) was an American
voiceover artist
famous for recording more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisement
s, network promotions, and video game trailer
s. His nickname
s included "Thunder Throat" and "The Voice of God". He became identified with the phrase "In a world…", which has been used in movie trailers so frequently that it has become a cliché
. He parodied his career several times, most recently in commercials for GEICO
insurance and the Mega Millions
lottery game.
, to Alfred and Ruby LaFontaine. According to LaFontaine himself, his voice cracked
at the age of 13 in the middle of a sentence, giving him the bass tones that would later bring him much fame and success. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Army
, and worked as a recording engineer
for the Army Band and Chorus
.
after discharge and began working at the National Recording Studios in New York City
, where, in 1962, he had the opportunity to work with producer Floyd Peterson on radio spots for Dr. Strangelove
. Peterson incorporated many of LaFontaine’s ideas for the spots and, in 1963, they went into business together producing advertising exclusively for the movie industry. LaFontaine claimed that it was this company that first came up with many of the famous movie trailer catch phrases, including his own future signature phrase, "in a world..."
While working on the 1964 western Gunfighters of Casa Grande
, LaFontaine had to fill in for an unavailable voice actor in order to have something to present to MGM
. After MGM bought the spots, LaFontaine began a career as a voiceover artist.
He became the head of Kaleidoscope Films Ltd., a major movie trailer producer before starting his own company, Don LaFontaine Associates, in 1976. Shortly thereafter, he was hired by Paramount
to do their trailers, and was eventually promoted to a vice president. However, he decided to get back into trailer work and left Paramount, moving to Los Angeles
in 1981. LaFontaine was contacted by an agent who wanted to promote him for voiceover work. Thereafter, LaFontaine worked in voiceovers. At his peak, he voiced about 60 promotions a week, and sometimes as many as 35 in a single day. Once he established himself, most studios were willing to pay a high fee for his service. His income was reportedly in the millions.
LaFontaine often had jobs at a number of different studios each day, and famously hired a driver to take him from studio to studio in order to save time finding parking. With the advent of ISDN technology, LaFontaine built a recording studio in his Hollywood Hills
home and began doing his work from home.
LaFontaine lent his very distinctive voice to thousands of movie trailers during his career, spanning every genre from every major film studio, including The Cannon Group, for which he voiced one of their logos. For a time, LaFontaine had a near-monopoly on movie trailer voiceovers. Some notable trailers which LaFontaine highlighted in the intro on his official website include: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
, Shrek
, Friday the 13th, Law & Order
and Batman Returns
. LaFontaine stated in 2007 that his favorite work in a movie trailer was for the hit biographical film
The Elephant Man
, though according to a response to the question on his website, he had several trailers which stood out in his mind, and he didn't like to choose one.
Lafontaine also did announcing for a few WWE Pay Per View events, as well as the "Don't Try This at Home" bumper.
In a 2007 interview, LaFontaine explained the strategy behind his signature catch phrase, "in a world where...":
LaFontaine also did other voice work, including as the announcer for the newscasts on WCBS-TV
New York, from 2000 to 2001. LaFontaine was a recurring guest narrator for clues on the game show Jeopardy!
and appeared on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
on May 14, 2005, where he played "Not My Job" (a game in which famous people have to accurately answer questions totally unrelated to their chosen professions). The prize (for a listener, not the contestant) is "Carl Kassell's voice on your home answering machine
". LaFontaine did not win the game, and offered to record the listener's answering machine message himself. LaFontaine once claimed that he enjoyed recording messages like these because it allowed him to be creative in writing unique messages, and said that he would do so for anyone who contacted him if he had the time. However, by 2007, he found the requests to be too numerous for him to take on, and stopped providing the service.
In 2006, GEICO
began airing an ad campaign in which actual customers told their own stories of GEICO experiences, accompanied by a celebrity who helped them make the story interesting. LaFontaine was featured as the celebrity in one of these ads which began airing in August 2006. In the commercial, he was introduced as "that announcer guy from the movies", with his name printed on-screen to identify him. He began his telling of the customer's story with his trademark "In a world...". LaFontaine credited the spot as life-changing for having exposed his name and face to a significant audience, noting, "There goes any anonymity I might have had..."
in Los Angeles, California
with a pulmonary embolism
and was reported to be in critical condition the following Tuesday. His family made a public appeal for prayers on the Mediabistro.com
site. Ten days later, LaFontaine died on September 1, 2008, six days after his 68th birthday, following complications from a pneumothorax
. He is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
.
His final television voice over role was for the Phineas and Ferb
episode "The Chronicles of Meap" in which he parodied himself. The episode also ended with a short tribute to him. His final movie trailer voice-over was for Call + Response
, a documentary about global slave trade, for which he donated his talent.
showed a visual with a picture of him with words below that said "In Memoriam: Don LaFontaine August 26, 1940 - September 1, 2008." John Walsh
had announced, prior to the dedication sign, that LaFontaine—who had been the show's announcer since 1988—had died at the age of 68.
On the evening of September 7, 2008, Adult Swim
had a bumper that said: Don LaFontaine [1940-2008].
At the end of the credit sequence in the Phineas and Ferb
episode "Chronicles of Meap" there is a message on screen saying "In Memoriam... Don LaFontaine 08/26/40 - 09/01/08. One man, in a land, in a time, in a world... All his own." The credit sequence had been designed as a trailer for the "next" Meap episode, or as LaFontaine put it, "Episode 40 -- Meapless in Seattle". As the Disney Channel Original vanity card appears, you hear him say, "In a world...there, I said it. Happy?"
"The Apprentice Scout", an episode of Chowder
, is dedicated to LaFontaine. The episode dedicated his memory and said "To Don LaFontaine 1940-2008"
Fellow voiceover artist and friend John Leader retired from the voiceover business on Sept 1, 2008 upon learning of LaFontaine's death.
and parody
, as seen in a Cartoon Network
commercial for The Powerpuff Girls
, and the stand-up comedy
of Pablo Francisco
. Comedian-actress Janeane Garofalo
formerly performed "an impression of every movie trailer ever made" with the words, "In a WORLD!…" saying that every movie trailer seems to begin with LaFontaine saying, "In a world…" or "In a city…"
One trailer for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
not only spoofs the "In a World Where" theme, but also includes LaFontaine parodying himself when the narrator defines what a trailer is, saying "Trailers also normally employ (enter Don's voice) 'A deep voice, that sounds like a seven-foot-tall man, who has been smoking cigarette
s since childhood'.” The trailer is voiced by fellow voiceover artist Stephen Fry
.
LaFontaine's voice was used in Family Guy
episodes "North by North Quahog
", and "Brian Sings and Swings
", and The Untold Story
version of "Stewie B. Goode", and has been featured in musical tracks.
On April 12, 2007, LaFontaine appeared on an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno with ousted American Idol
finalist Haley Scarnato
to provide humorous "movie trailer"-esque commentary, as a spoof of his Geico
commercial..
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
voiceover artist
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
famous for recording more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisement
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
s, network promotions, and video game trailer
Teaser trailer
A teaser campaign is an advertising campaign which typically consists of a series of small, cryptic, challenging advertisements that anticipate a larger, full-blown campaign for a product launch or otherwise important event. These advertisements are called "teasers" or "teaser ads"...
s. His nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s included "Thunder Throat" and "The Voice of God". He became identified with the phrase "In a world…", which has been used in movie trailers so frequently that it has become a cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
. He parodied his career several times, most recently in commercials for GEICO
GEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company is an auto insurance company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that as of 2007 provided coverage for more than 10 million motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance...
insurance and the Mega Millions
Mega Millions
Mega Millions is a US multi-jurisdictional $1 lottery game. Since it replaced The Big Game in May 2002 , Mega Millions' advertised jackpots have started at $12 million, paid in 26 yearly installments , increasing when there is no jackpot winner...
lottery game.
Early life
LaFontaine was born August 26, 1940, in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, to Alfred and Ruby LaFontaine. According to LaFontaine himself, his voice cracked
Puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
at the age of 13 in the middle of a sentence, giving him the bass tones that would later bring him much fame and success. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and worked as a recording engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
for the Army Band and Chorus
United States military bands
There are many military bands in the United States military. Some are assigned to specific military bases or units. There are also bands associated with each of the service academies....
.
Career
LaFontaine continued to work as a recording engineerAudio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
after discharge and began working at the National Recording Studios in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where, in 1962, he had the opportunity to work with producer Floyd Peterson on radio spots for Dr. Strangelove
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, commonly known as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 black comedy film which satirizes the nuclear scare. It was directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick, starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, and featuring Sterling...
. Peterson incorporated many of LaFontaine’s ideas for the spots and, in 1963, they went into business together producing advertising exclusively for the movie industry. LaFontaine claimed that it was this company that first came up with many of the famous movie trailer catch phrases, including his own future signature phrase, "in a world..."
While working on the 1964 western Gunfighters of Casa Grande
Gunfighters of Casa Grande
Gunfighters of Casa Grande is a 1964 Eurowestern film, co-produced by the United States and Spain. Based on a story by Borden and Patricia Chase, it was later developed into a screenplay with the assistance of screenwriter Clark Reynolds and directed by Roy Rowland, one of the last films he...
, LaFontaine had to fill in for an unavailable voice actor in order to have something to present to MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
. After MGM bought the spots, LaFontaine began a career as a voiceover artist.
He became the head of Kaleidoscope Films Ltd., a major movie trailer producer before starting his own company, Don LaFontaine Associates, in 1976. Shortly thereafter, he was hired by Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
to do their trailers, and was eventually promoted to a vice president. However, he decided to get back into trailer work and left Paramount, moving to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1981. LaFontaine was contacted by an agent who wanted to promote him for voiceover work. Thereafter, LaFontaine worked in voiceovers. At his peak, he voiced about 60 promotions a week, and sometimes as many as 35 in a single day. Once he established himself, most studios were willing to pay a high fee for his service. His income was reportedly in the millions.
LaFontaine often had jobs at a number of different studios each day, and famously hired a driver to take him from studio to studio in order to save time finding parking. With the advent of ISDN technology, LaFontaine built a recording studio in his Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
home and began doing his work from home.
LaFontaine lent his very distinctive voice to thousands of movie trailers during his career, spanning every genre from every major film studio, including The Cannon Group, for which he voiced one of their logos. For a time, LaFontaine had a near-monopoly on movie trailer voiceovers. Some notable trailers which LaFontaine highlighted in the intro on his official website include: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
, Shrek
Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
, Friday the 13th, Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
and Batman Returns
Batman Returns
Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
. LaFontaine stated in 2007 that his favorite work in a movie trailer was for the hit biographical film
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
The Elephant Man
The Elephant Man (film)
The Elephant Man is a 1980 American drama film based on the true story of Joseph Merrick , a severely deformed man in 19th century London...
, though according to a response to the question on his website, he had several trailers which stood out in his mind, and he didn't like to choose one.
Lafontaine also did announcing for a few WWE Pay Per View events, as well as the "Don't Try This at Home" bumper.
In a 2007 interview, LaFontaine explained the strategy behind his signature catch phrase, "in a world where...":
We have to very rapidly establish the world we are transporting them to. That's very easily done by saying, "In a world where... violence rules." "In a world where... men are slaves and women are the conquerors." You very rapidly set the scene.
LaFontaine also did other voice work, including as the announcer for the newscasts on WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
New York, from 2000 to 2001. LaFontaine was a recurring guest narrator for clues on the game show Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
and appeared on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
on May 14, 2005, where he played "Not My Job" (a game in which famous people have to accurately answer questions totally unrelated to their chosen professions). The prize (for a listener, not the contestant) is "Carl Kassell's voice on your home answering machine
Answering machine
The answering machine or message machine, also known as the telephone answering machine in the UK and some Commonwealth countries) and previously known as an ansaphone, ansafone, or telephone answering device is a device for answering telephones and recording callers' messages.Unlike voicemail,...
". LaFontaine did not win the game, and offered to record the listener's answering machine message himself. LaFontaine once claimed that he enjoyed recording messages like these because it allowed him to be creative in writing unique messages, and said that he would do so for anyone who contacted him if he had the time. However, by 2007, he found the requests to be too numerous for him to take on, and stopped providing the service.
In 2006, GEICO
GEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company is an auto insurance company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that as of 2007 provided coverage for more than 10 million motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance...
began airing an ad campaign in which actual customers told their own stories of GEICO experiences, accompanied by a celebrity who helped them make the story interesting. LaFontaine was featured as the celebrity in one of these ads which began airing in August 2006. In the commercial, he was introduced as "that announcer guy from the movies", with his name printed on-screen to identify him. He began his telling of the customer's story with his trademark "In a world...". LaFontaine credited the spot as life-changing for having exposed his name and face to a significant audience, noting, "There goes any anonymity I might have had..."
Death
On Friday, August 22, 2008, LaFontaine was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterCedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
with a pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream . Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venous thromboembolism...
and was reported to be in critical condition the following Tuesday. His family made a public appeal for prayers on the Mediabistro.com
Mediabistro.com
Mediabistro.com is a Web site that publishes various blogs and job listings for journalists. The site was founded in 1993 by Laurel Touby as "a gathering place for professionals in journalism, publishing and other media-related industries in New York City", mediabistro.com has since grown into an...
site. Ten days later, LaFontaine died on September 1, 2008, six days after his 68th birthday, following complications from a pneumothorax
Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is a collection of air or gas in the pleural cavity of the chest between the lung and the chest wall. It may occur spontaneously in people without chronic lung conditions as well as in those with lung disease , and many pneumothoraces occur after physical trauma to the chest, blast...
. He is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, originally called Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles, California. It is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood...
.
His final television voice over role was for the Phineas and Ferb
Phineas and Ferb
Phineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which...
episode "The Chronicles of Meap" in which he parodied himself. The episode also ended with a short tribute to him. His final movie trailer voice-over was for Call + Response
Call + Response
Call + Response is a documentary film by Fair Trade Pictures to support human rights activism against human trafficking and slavery on a community level. The film explores the 21st century slave trade and offers first hand accounts on the issue from Cornel West, Madeleine Albright, Daryl Hannah,...
, a documentary about global slave trade, for which he donated his talent.
Dedications
On September 6, 2008, America's Most WantedAmerica's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
showed a visual with a picture of him with words below that said "In Memoriam: Don LaFontaine August 26, 1940 - September 1, 2008." John Walsh
John Walsh
John Edward Walsh is an American television personality, criminal investigator, human and victim rights advocate and formerly the host, as well as creator, of America's Most Wanted...
had announced, prior to the dedication sign, that LaFontaine—who had been the show's announcer since 1988—had died at the age of 68.
On the evening of September 7, 2008, Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
had a bumper that said: Don LaFontaine [1940-2008].
At the end of the credit sequence in the Phineas and Ferb
Phineas and Ferb
Phineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which...
episode "Chronicles of Meap" there is a message on screen saying "In Memoriam... Don LaFontaine 08/26/40 - 09/01/08. One man, in a land, in a time, in a world... All his own." The credit sequence had been designed as a trailer for the "next" Meap episode, or as LaFontaine put it, "Episode 40 -- Meapless in Seattle". As the Disney Channel Original vanity card appears, you hear him say, "In a world...there, I said it. Happy?"
"The Apprentice Scout", an episode of Chowder
Chowder (TV series)
Chowder is an American animated television series which ran from November 2, 2007 to August 7, 2010 on Cartoon Network. The series was created by C. H...
, is dedicated to LaFontaine. The episode dedicated his memory and said "To Don LaFontaine 1940-2008"
Fellow voiceover artist and friend John Leader retired from the voiceover business on Sept 1, 2008 upon learning of LaFontaine's death.
Satire and other appearances
His voice has been the subject of homageHomage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
and parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
, as seen in a Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (United States)
Cartoon Network is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting which primarily airs animated programming. The channel was launched on October 1, 1992 after Turner purchased the animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1991...
commercial for The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...
, and the stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
of Pablo Francisco
Pablo Francisco
Pablo Ridson Francisco is an American stand-up comedian of Chilean origin. He started his career doing improv in Tempe, Arizona.-Career:...
. Comedian-actress Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
formerly performed "an impression of every movie trailer ever made" with the words, "In a WORLD!…" saying that every movie trailer seems to begin with LaFontaine saying, "In a world…" or "In a city…"
One trailer for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a 2005 comic science fiction film based on the book of the same name by Douglas Adams. Shooting was completed in August 2004 and the movie was released on April 28, 2005 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and on the following day in Canada and the United...
not only spoofs the "In a World Where" theme, but also includes LaFontaine parodying himself when the narrator defines what a trailer is, saying "Trailers also normally employ (enter Don's voice) 'A deep voice, that sounds like a seven-foot-tall man, who has been smoking cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s since childhood'.” The trailer is voiced by fellow voiceover artist Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
.
LaFontaine's voice was used in Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
episodes "North by North Quahog
North by North Quahog
"North by North Quahog" is the first episode of season four of Family Guy, following the revival of the series three years after its cancellation in 2002...
", and "Brian Sings and Swings
Brian Sings and Swings
"Brian Sings and Swings" is the nineteenth episode of the fourth season of Family Guy. The episode was first broadcast on January 8, 2006. Brian meets Frank Sinatra, Jr. and begins to perform on stage with him, and they are shortly joined by Stewie...
", and The Untold Story
Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story
Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story is a 2005 direct-to-DVD animated comedy film set in the Family Guy fictional universe. Released on September 27, 2005, the film's main plot point concerns Stewie Griffin trying to find his real father...
version of "Stewie B. Goode", and has been featured in musical tracks.
On April 12, 2007, LaFontaine appeared on an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno with ousted American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
finalist Haley Scarnato
Haley Scarnato
Haley Suzanne Scarnato is an American singer who was the 8th-place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol. Scarnato announced in an interview in November 2009, her album Strongheart was scrapped after she left her management, but is working on a new album and "Strongheart" was her old...
to provide humorous "movie trailer"-esque commentary, as a spoof of his Geico
GEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company is an auto insurance company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that as of 2007 provided coverage for more than 10 million motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance...
commercial..
Selected filmography
- Fillmore!Fillmore!Fillmore! is an American animated television series which was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The series was created by Scott M. Gimple...
- Narrator - The TerminatorThe TerminatorThe Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
-Trailer Voice-over - Terminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment DayTerminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
- Trailer Voice-over - Backdraft (film)Backdraft (film)Backdraft is a 1991 action thriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by Gregory Widen. The film stars Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca De Mornay, Donald Sutherland, and Robert De Niro. Jason Gedrick and J. T. Walsh co-star in the film...
- TV Spot Voice-over - George of the JungleGeorge of the JungleGeorge of the Jungle was an American animated series produced by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, who created The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. The character George was inspired by the legend of Tarzan. It ran for 17 episodes on Saturday mornings from September 9 to December 30, 1967, on the American TV...
Trailer Voice-over - Cast AwayCast AwayCast Away is a 2000 drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks as a FedEx employee stranded on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes in the South Pacific. The film depicts his successful attempts to survive on the island using remnants of his plane's cargo, as well as his...
- Trailer Voice-over - Fatal AttractionFatal AttractionFatal Attraction is a 1987 American thriller blended with horror, directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. The film centers around a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to allow it to end, resulting in emotional blackmail, stalking...
- Trailer Voice-over - DarkmanDarkmanDarkman is a 1990 superhero action film directed by Sam Raimi. It is based on a short story Raimi wrote that paid homage to Universal's horror films of the 1930s...
-Trailer Voice-Over - White Fang 2: Myth of the White WolfWhite Fang 2: Myth of the White WolfWhite Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf is the sequel to the 1991 film White Fang. It was released on April 15, 1994 by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Ken Olin, and stars Scott Bairstow, Alfred Molina, and Geoffrey Lewis. Ethan Hawke reprises his role of Jack Conroy. The filming...
- Trailer Voice-over - Batman ReturnsBatman ReturnsBatman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
- Trailer Voice-over - Masters of the UniverseMasters of the Universe (film)Masters of the Universe is a 1987 science-fiction fantasy film based on the toy line by the same name. The movie stars Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor...
- Trailer Voice-over - Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)Cheaper by the Dozen (2003 film)Cheaper by the Dozen is a 2003 American comedy film about a family with 12 children . The film takes its title from the 1948 biography of the same name of Frank Bunker Gilbreth and Lillian Moller Gilbreth and their 12 children, but other than the title and the concept of a family with 12 children,...
- Trailer Voice-over - Daddy Day CareDaddy Day CareDaddy Day Care is a 2003 American comedy film, starring Eddie Murphy. It was written by Geoff Rodkey and was directed by Steve Carr. It was released in theaters on May 9, 2003. It was produced by Revolution Studios and released by Columbia Pictures...
- TV Spot Voice-over - Chicken RunChicken RunChicken Run is a 2000 British stop-motion animation film made by the Aardman Animations studios, the production studio of the Oscar-winning Wallace and Gromit films...
- Trailer Voice-over - Pokémon: The First MoviePokémon: The First MoviePokémon: The First Movie, originally released as , is a 1998 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, the chief director of the Pokémon television series. It is the first theatrical release in the Pokémon franchise...
- Trailer Voice-over - Pokémon: The Movie 2000Pokémon: The Movie 2000Pokémon: The Movie 2000, originally released in Japan as , is a 1999 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the second Pokémon feature-length film, complementing the Orange Islands saga of the series and featuring several new Pokémon, including Lugia and Slowking...
- Trailer Voice-over - Pokémon 3: The MoviePokémon 3: The MoviePokémon 3: The Movie, originally released in Japan as , is a 2000 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the third feature-length Pokémon film. It was released in Japanese theaters on July 8, 2000, and the English adaptation, entitled Pokémon 3: Spell of the Unknown was released...
- Trailer Voice-over - Dr. StrangeloveDr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the BombDr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, commonly known as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 black comedy film which satirizes the nuclear scare. It was directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick, starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, and featuring Sterling...
- Trailer Voice-over - PowerSlaveExhumed (video game)PowerSlave, also known as Exhumed in European territories and in Japan, is a first-person shooter developed by Lobotomy Software and published by Playmates Interactive Entertainment...
(video game) - Narrator - Extreme Makeover Home Edition - Commercial Voice-over
- Morrow Road - Trailer Voice-over
- Resistance 2Resistance 2Resistance 2 is a science fiction first person shooter video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game was released in North America on November 4, 2008, Japan on November 13, 2008, and in Europe on November 28, 2008...
- Trailer Voice-over - The World's Greatest MagicThe World's Greatest MagicThe World's Greatest Magic was a series of American television specials showcasing magic acts.The first of five shows was broadcast by NBC in 1994, and continued with annual editions through 1998. These shows were most often first telecast during the Thanksgiving holidays when special programming...
- Announcer - The Land Before TimeThe Land Before TimeThe Land Before Time is a 1988 American animated adventure film directed and co-produced by Don Bluth , and executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank Marshall....
- Promo Voice-over - 79th Academy Awards79th Academy AwardsThe 79th Academy Awards ceremony , honored the best films of 2006 and took place on February 25, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on ABC. Ellen DeGeneres hosted the ceremony for the first time. The producer was Laura Ziskin. The announcers were Don LaFontaine and Gina Tuttle.The nominees were...
- Co-announcer of the 79th Oscars. - America's Most WantedAmerica's Most WantedAmerica's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
- Announcer - Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction? - Announcer
- Birds-Eye Steam Fresh frozen vegetables - voice-over
- Entertainment TonightEntertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
and The InsiderThe Insider (TV series)The Insider is an American tabloid television news program covering events and celebrities. It debuted on September 13, 2004 as a spinoff of Entertainment Tonight and started as a popular segment that took viewers "behind closed doors" and gave them "inside" information...
(2004–2008) - Announcer - Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games - trailer announcer
- Days of our LivesDays of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
(1990) - Promo announcer during the climax of the Cruise of DeceptionCruise of DeceptionThe Cruise of Deception was a major cliffhanger and resolution storyline on the daytime drama Days of our Lives. Billed as a "miniseries" by NBC advertisements, it aired from June 7 until July 16, 1990....
storyline - iZ3D Promotional Video (2008) - Commercial Voice Over
- Tomb Raider Underworld - Commercial Voice-Over
- Universal Studios HollywoodUniversal Studios HollywoodUniversal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
- 2001 Commercial Voice-Over - MotorStormMotorStormMotorStorm is a 2006 racing video game developed by Evolution Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the Sony PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. First announced at E3 2005, the game was released in Japan on 14 December 2006 and the rest of the world in March 2007....
- Opening game intro - The Simpsons MovieThe Simpsons MovieThe Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
- Promo voice-over - South Park: Bigger, Longer & UncutSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & UncutSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 animated musical comedy film based on the animated television series South Park, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The film was directed by Parker, who also stars along with the rest of the regular voice cast from the series, including Stone, Mary...
(1999) - Trailer Voice-Over - Home AloneHome AloneHome Alone is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy, who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation...
- Trailer Voice-Over - Starship TroopersStarship TroopersStarship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published hardcover in December, 1959.The first-person narrative is about a young soldier from the Philippines named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his...
- Trailer Voice-over - Casper: A Spirited BeginningCasper: A Spirited BeginningCasper: A Spirited Beginning is a direct-to-video spin-off prequel to the 1995 film Casper, produced by Harvey Comics and Saban Entertainment and released by 20th Century Fox on September 9, 1997...
- Trailer Voice-over - A Christmas Carol (1997)A Christmas Carol (1997 film)A Christmas Carol is a 1997 animated film version of the book of the same name by Charles Dickens. It features eight new songs and an all-star voice line-up including Tim Curry, Whoopi Goldberg, Ed Asner and Michael York.-Cast:...
- Trailer Voice-over - FernGully 2: The Magical RescueFernGully 2: The Magical RescueFernGully 2: The Magical Rescue is a 1998 animated film, a direct-to-video sequel to FernGully: The Last Rainforest . It was directed by Phil Robinson & Dave Marshall and written by Chris Fink and Richard Tulloch....
- Trailer Voice-over - Random! Cartoons - Announcer
- Bof Productions Trailer (2008) - Trailer Voice-over
- Metal Gear Solid 4 - Trailer Voice-over
- A Man Called SargeA Man Called SargeA Man Called Sarge is a 1990 American parody film, written and directed by Stuart Gillard, starring Gary Kroeger, Marc Singer, Gretchen German and introducing a young Natasha Lyonne...
(1990) - Narrator - Jak and Daxter: The Precursor LegacyJak and Daxter: The Precursor LegacyJak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a platform game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment and is the first video game in the Jak and Daxter series. It was released exclusively for the Sony PlayStation 2 on December 3, 2001 for North America, December 7, 2001 for...
- Trailer Voice-over - Jak 3Jak 3Jak 3 is a platform game for Sony's PlayStation 2 console developed by Naughty Dog. It is the third game in the main Jak and Daxter series. Jak 3 was completely localized and dubbed in Japanese, but was not released in Japan due to Jak IIs poor sales...
- Trailer Voice-over
External links
- Official site
- 2008 Interview on World Talk LIVE with host Brett Cohen
- The Age (Australia), November 29, 2003: Trailer talk Article about Don LaFontaine by Alan Gelder.
- Don LaFontaine - Obituary
- New York Times: Don LaFontaine, Voice of Trailers and TV Spots, Is Dead at 68
- Los Angeles Times: Don LaFontaine, 68; voice of movie trailers
- Washington Post: In a World Without Don LaFontaine, Film Won't Be as Much Fun
- Washington Post: In a World of Don LaFontaine, A Reel-Life Figure of Speech
- The Daily Telegraph: Don LaFontaine obituary
- Online Interview with Don LaFontaine in 2006