Don LaFontaine, known for his powerfully raspy voice on thousands of trailers and commercials, passed away yesterday at the age of 68 in Los Angeles from lung complications. Apparently the former sound engineer had to fill in for an announcer in 1965 and the voice stuck with him and the rest has been history up till now. His voice is so distinct, it can be spotted immediately upon a single utterance. Watch trailer for films like Terminator 2, Batman Returns, The Untouchables, The Godfather Part II, or Indiana Jones, the voice is as sharp as steel - just don't mistaken him for Hal Douglas.Here's a bit of perspective on Don by himself and his peers:
Voiceover work for TV spots, commercials, and trailers almost subliminally inform the audience of the type of product, show, or movie you're watching. That's why Don's voice has been used for many an action flick. Voiceover, like voice acting, work is quite underrated. One doesn't realize how much more difficult it is to project one's voice when there is no face to go with it. Here's a couple of TV clips about LaFontaine and voiceover work:
With the decrease of narrative in trailers over the last couple of decades and spoofs of overhyped and overproduced TV and movie work, Don's performances have been lampooned many a time over the years. He will be greatly missed and the gravitas of his trailers will be missed as weel. Here's a few spots he's made shots at himself:
Spot for an awards show with 4 of the most famous voiceover actors:
Geico Commercial:
Sketch on Frank TV with comedians Frank 'John Madden' Caliendo and Pablo Francisco:
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