Don LaFontaine

Don LaFontaine (born in Duluth, Minnesota on August 26, 1940) is a famous voice-over actor. His deep voice has been used in over 4000 movie trailers and many more television commercials and network promos (notably on the FOX Network).

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Duluth, Minnesota - August 26 - 1940 - Voice-over - Movie trailer - Television commercial - FOX Network

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Don LaFontaine, nicknamed "The King of the Movie Trailers" and "The VoG (Voice of God)", is credited with creating the modern movie trailer. He is also responsible for having created many of the movie trailer clichés, such as "In a world where...," "A one-man army...," or "From the bedroom to the boardroom...."

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Cliché - In a world where

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LaFontaine voices about sixty promo sessions a week; he commands a very high salary and is now a multi-millionaire thanks to his work. He used to be chauffeured in his own white stretch limousine between recording studios so as to not waste time looking for parking, therefore being able to complete more jobs per day; but has recently started working out of his home almost exclusively by an ISDN line.

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Almost all cinema audiences will have heard Don?s voice. It is described as breathy, deep, sonorous and ominous. audio clip (MP3)

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LaFontaine is not the only deep-basso voice actor behind the movie trailers: he is often confused with Tex Brashear, Hal Douglas, or Peter Cullen, who have all arguably copied LaFontaine's style.

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Tex Brashear - Hal Douglas - Peter Cullen

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LaFontaine began as a recording engineer at National Recording Studios, where he had an opportunity to work with Floyd Peterson producing promo spots for Dr. Strangelove. LaFontaine's ideas for the spots were eagerly incorporated by Peterson, and they soon went into business together. For a 1964 Western titled Gunfighters of Casa Grande, LaFontaine had to chip in for unavailable voice actor to finish a client presentation, so he used his own voice; the client bought the spots and LaFontaine had a new career. By the 1970s the LaFontaine approach to trailers was becoming standard, with a strong narrative approach and heavy melodramatic coloration to the voice work.

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Recording engineer - National Recording Studios - Floyd Peterson - Dr. Strangelove - 1964 - Western - Gunfighters of Casa Grande - 1970s - Melodramatic

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The ominous style of voice employed by LaFontaine was sent up in the trailer for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which it is described as "a deep voice, which sounds like a seven-foot tall man, who has been smoking cigarettes since childhood." In 2005, LaFontaine lent his voice to an entire Jeopardy! category, "Food a LaFontaine" http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=513.

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Sent up - Trailer - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - 2005 - Jeopardy!

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