You may not recall the name, you may not know what he looked like, but by gum, do you know his voice.

Don LaFontaine was the “famous” voice actor who provided the voiceover soundtrack to over 5,000 movie trailers. His deep, husky voice was perfect for all sorts of movies, and his catchphrase, “in a world where…” was synonymous with the summary of any film, whether for a thrilling drama or humourous comedy.

He is credited by his fellow voice actors for creating the modern style of voiceovers for movies, which started when he was brought in as cover for the film Gunfighters of Casa Grande. His unique voice led to further work and not long afterwards, he would take up voice acting full time. Over the last 33 years, his voice has graced everything from Terminator 2 to The Simpsons.

Sadly, Don LaFontaine passed away on Monday 1 September in Los Angeles following complications relating to a lung condition. He’ll be sorely missed. Farewell, Don, and thanks for the voiceovers.

Don LaFontaine talks about his career:

Links:
BBC News: Film trailer voice-over king dies
Wikipedia: Don LaFontaine