Don LaFontaine
| Don LaFontaine | |
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| Born |
Donald Leroy LaFontaine August 26, 1940 Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | September 1, 2008 (aged 68) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Pneumothorax |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Thunder Throat The Voice of God The King of Movie Trailers |
| Occupation | Voice actor |
| Years active | 1962–2008 |
| Spouse(s) | Joan Studva (1967–1988) Anita Whitaker (1989–2008) |
| Children | Christine LaFontaine (age 40) Skye LaFontaine (age 20) Elyse LaFontaine (age 16) Sandra LaFontaine |
| Website | www |
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Donald Leroy "Don" LaFontaine (August 26, 1940 – September 1, 2008) was an American voice actor who recorded more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisements, network promotions, and video game trailers.
He became identified with the phrase "In a world...", used in so many movie trailers that it became a cliché. Widely known in the film industry, the man whose nicknames included "Thunder Throat" and "The Voice of God", became known to a wider audience through commercials for GEICO insurance and the Mega Millions lottery game.
LaFontaine was born on August 26, 1940, in Duluth, Minnesota, to Alfred and Ruby LaFontaine. LaFontaine said his voice cracked at age 13 in mid-sentence, giving him the bass tones that later brought him much fame and success. After graduating from Duluth Central High School in 1958, he enlisted in the United States Army, and worked as a recording engineer for the Army Band and Chorus.
LaFontaine continued to work as a recording engineer after discharge and began working at the National Recording Studios in New York City, where, in 1962, he had the opportunity to work with producer Floyd Peterson on radio spots for Dr. Strangelove. Peterson incorporated many of LaFontaine's ideas for the spots and, in 1963, they went into business together producing advertising exclusively for the movie industry. LaFontaine claimed that this company first came up with many of the famous movie trailer catch phrases, including his own future signature phrase, "in a world..."
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