Actors - Don LaFontaine

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	Actors - 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, network promos (notably on the FOX Network), and even video game trailers.

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...,", "one man, one destiny" or "From the bedroom to the boardroom...."

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.

Almost all cinema audiences will have heard Don’s voice. It is described as breathy, deep, sonorous and ominous.

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.

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 fill in for an 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.

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." LaFontaine has also lent his voice to several categories of clues on the popular TV quiz show Jeopardy!, including DR. SEUSS AT THE MULTIPLEX, COMING SOON... HISTORY!, FOOD A LAFONTAINE, and NURSERY RHYME PREVIEWS . The movie My Date with Drew featured LaFontaine as himself, who gave the producers a free voiceover for their low-budget film. LaFontaine also contributed dramatic voice-overs for the introductory tracks on drum and bass DJ Dieselboy's albums 'projectHUMAN' and 'The Dungeonmaster's Guide'.

LaFontaine has become such a staple in American culture that he is even occassionally the target of satire, such as that of comedian and impressionist, Pablo Francisco and the popular web cartoon, Homestarrunner.com . Several times, he has lent his voice to the FOX animated series Family Guy, most recently in a spoof trailer for 'Passion of the Christ II' in the episode North by North Quahog..

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