In March 2009, voice actors Paul Pape and Joe Cipriano joined engineer George Whittam to honor Don Lafontaine, their late friend and a voiceover legend, who voiced more than 5,000 movie trailers. With the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, the three worked to create and build the Don Lafontaine Voice-Over Lab, where voice performers can work on their craft and record demos and auditions. The lab is located at the SAG Foundation Actors Center in Los Angeles.After Pape approached Marcia Smith, the foundation's executive director, about the idea, start-up funds were raised over the course of a weekend through contributions from Lafontaine's close friends and co-workers. These contributors later became the lab's advisory board.The SAG Foundation was the perfect partner for turning this idea into reality, says Casey Lewis, construction project manager and the Actors Center's director: "Basically, our mission is to assist, educate, and inspire actors. That's what we do through our programs.
- 10/1/2010
- backstage.com
You didn't have to search far to find stars paying tribute to Ed McMahon on Sunday. The memorial service for Tonight Show's second banana, who died last Tuesday, was held at the Church of the Hills at Forest Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries in the Hollywood Hills and included more than 200 friends and family members, his wife, Pamela, his five children and his grandchildren among them, Entertainment Tonight reports. Natalie Cole performed her song "Smile" alongside David Foster, who also accompanied former Star Search winner Nita Whitaker. Tony Danza, Jimmy Kimmel and Johnny Carson's widow, Joanna Carson, were also in attendance. The ceremony concluded with a thundering standing...
- 6/29/2009
- E! Online
The King of Voiceovers Don Lafontaine was found dead in Los Angeles at age 68. Don Lafontaine perhaps best know for his recent appearances as The Announcer Guy in the Geico commercials, had made thousands of movie trailers, some beginning with the famous line “In a world…” Don has been featured in over 250,000 commercials and over 3,500 films and television shows including a recent role in Seth MacFarlane’s American Dad! and Family Guy. Lafontaine apparently died from a collapsed lung, although the cause of death is still unknown. He is survived by his wife Nita Whitaker, and his three children. Stay tuned to Toxic Shock TV for the latest movie news.
- 9/2/2008
- by Brian Corder
- ShockYa
Voiceover legend Don LaFontaine has died after suffering from a collapsed lung.
The dramatic star, known as the King of Voiceovers, passed away at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday, aged 68.
LaFontaine's agent, Vanessa Gilbert, tells ETonline.com that he died following complications from pneumothorax - when air or gas gets into the pleural cavity - after his lung collapsed.
However, the official cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
During his lengthy career, LaFontaine lent his booming vocal chords to more than 5,000 movie trailers and 300,000 radio and TV commercials, including advertisements for corporate giants such as McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Budweiser. His signature introductory phrase began with the words, "In a world where..."
He also served as the in-show announcer for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Academy Awards.
LaFontaine, who had been receiving treatment for the health issue for the last few months, is survived by his singer/actress wife Nita Whitaker and their three children, Christine, Skye and Elyse.
The dramatic star, known as the King of Voiceovers, passed away at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday, aged 68.
LaFontaine's agent, Vanessa Gilbert, tells ETonline.com that he died following complications from pneumothorax - when air or gas gets into the pleural cavity - after his lung collapsed.
However, the official cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
During his lengthy career, LaFontaine lent his booming vocal chords to more than 5,000 movie trailers and 300,000 radio and TV commercials, including advertisements for corporate giants such as McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Budweiser. His signature introductory phrase began with the words, "In a world where..."
He also served as the in-show announcer for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Academy Awards.
LaFontaine, who had been receiving treatment for the health issue for the last few months, is survived by his singer/actress wife Nita Whitaker and their three children, Christine, Skye and Elyse.
- 9/2/2008
- WENN
Don Lafontaine, the undisputed viceroy of voiceovers, died Monday of complications from the treatment of an ongoing lung-related illness. He was 68.
Before his death, he had provided voiceovers for an estimated 5,000 movie trailers, including "Batman Returns," "The Terminator," "Cast Away," "The Elephant Man" and "Dr. Strangelove." Many of those began with his catchphrase, "In a world where ..."
The world Lafontaine inhabited was one where his voice was hugely familiar, though his name was not. But in that world, he was king. "He basically changed and reinvented the narrative and presentation sound of a trailer," voice artist George DelHoyo said. "It used to be more of giving names of who was in the film. He gave it urgency, importance, intelligence and a point of view."
Added SAG president Alan Rosenberg: "Don was a phenomenal actor and a prodigious and amazing voice talent who could, like the best voice artists, make any material uniquely his own.
Before his death, he had provided voiceovers for an estimated 5,000 movie trailers, including "Batman Returns," "The Terminator," "Cast Away," "The Elephant Man" and "Dr. Strangelove." Many of those began with his catchphrase, "In a world where ..."
The world Lafontaine inhabited was one where his voice was hugely familiar, though his name was not. But in that world, he was king. "He basically changed and reinvented the narrative and presentation sound of a trailer," voice artist George DelHoyo said. "It used to be more of giving names of who was in the film. He gave it urgency, importance, intelligence and a point of view."
Added SAG president Alan Rosenberg: "Don was a phenomenal actor and a prodigious and amazing voice talent who could, like the best voice artists, make any material uniquely his own.
- 9/2/2008
- by By Barry Garron
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Voiceover Master Don Lafontaine has died. He was 68. Lafontaine, known as the "King of Voiceovers," died Monday afternoon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Lafontaine's agent, Vanessa Gilbert, tells The Insider that he passed away following complications from Pneumothorax, the presence of air or gas in the pleural cavity, the result of a collapsed lung. The official cause of death has not yet been released. Over the past 25 years, Lafontaine cemented his position as the "King of Voiceovers." Aside from being the preeminent voice in the movie trailer industry, Don also worked as the voice of Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, as well as for CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox and Upn, in addition to TNT, TBS and the Cartoon Network. By conservative estimates, he voiced hundreds of thousands of television and radio spots, including commercials for Chevrolet, Pontiac, Ford, Budweiser, McDonalds, Coke, and many other corporate sponsors. He recently...
- 9/2/2008
- by TheInsider
- TheInsider.com
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