Don LaFontaine

A performer aptly named "The King of Voiceovers" for his everpresent vocal work (especially on movie trailers), Don La Fontaine ultimately grew so prolific that the sound of his voice became a veritable staple of American pop culture. La Fontaine's distinguished sound emerged in early adolescence; he began his professional life as an audio engineer, producing radio spots for Floyd Peterson, but quickly segued into voiceovers for a myriad of projects, commencing with the trailer of the 1965 MGM movie Gunfighters of Casa Grande. (He allegedly got that job when the man assigned to do it called in sick). Thousands of additional assignments followed, often rolling in at a rate of 10 per day. Throughout, La Fontaine's voice waxed grave, somber, and a bit chilling -- qualities that made him perfect for suspense and action fare. (At one point he developed a permanent association with the phrase, "In a world where..."). La Fontaine also turned up at one point on a series of television spots for Geico insurance, parodying himself. He died of complications from the treatment of an unspecified illness in early September 2008, at the age of 68. ~ Nathan Southern Full Biography »