Don LaFontaine is a name that will likely come as a strange one to the average person. If you can identify who he is and what he’s famous for, you are probably in the minority.
But if you could hear him speak one sentence, you’d recognize him instantly.
I’m embarassed to say that I knew the name vaguely when I heard it today, but couldn’t place it. But once I read he was the King of Voiceovers, I remembered who he was and was suddenly bummed out by the news that he passed away on Monday.
It’s hard to imagine that we wont ever again hear this guy’s voice in a summer blockbuster preview. LaFontaine’s unique tone and style has to be one of the most recognizable voices in our country. One of the most amazing things about his voice is how he could change it based on the kind of movie he’s promoting. From stern and heavy, to light and happy, a simple inflection from LaFontaine could change the entire way we feel about a trailer.
If you need a reminder on just what voice he possessed, here are some YouTube videos that tell a little bit more about the man. He might be one of the most legendary icons to ever walk around without a single person knowing who he was.
Until he opened his mouth.
And if you missed this commercial from a few years back, featuring five of the top voiceover guys, including LaFontaine, you should check it out.
A lot of people probably know him now from the Geico commercial he did recently.
Yeah, there is that…
{In Don's voice}
In a world where trailers were suddenly good an interesting again….
and suddenly, they ceased to be great…. =(
I saw a story about him a while ago… it was so interesting to see how he did his work … and made a lot of money at it. Plus, he really created a name for himself. It's amazing.