“In a world…” “In a time…” “Only one man…” “In a place…” Any and everyone who has grown up watching movies undoubtedly heard “The Voice”: Don LaFontaine. LaFontaine’s signature phrases and renown has occurred more within the past ten years through TV ads, the most recognized being the infamous Geico ad. In honor to the late LaFontaine, and in respect to the career of the voice-over artist, here are a few others you should know about:
Al Chalk – Voice-over artist for such movie trailers as, “Kings of Comedy,” “Underworld,” “The Fugitive,” “Independence Day,” and “Madagascar.”
Joe Cipriano – Cipriano does the spots for CBS and FOX TV shows. Next time you hear a promo for “The Simpsons,” or “Family Guy,” it’s from this guy.
Hal Douglas – Often mistaken for Don LaFontaine (especially when he says, “In a world…”) Douglas does the other half of the majority of movie trailer voice-overs, as well as promos for A&E and The History Channel.
Mark Elliot – Any time you pop in a Disney DVD or VHS, or hear the words: “And now, our Feature Presentation,” it’s this guy.
John Leader – From the “Indiana Jones” series to “Back to the Future,” and all movies in-between, John Leader has provided his voice to hundreds of trailer, commercials, and promos since 1984. He retired as of September 1, 2008.
Nick Tate – From the land down under comes Nick Tate who lucked into the VO world with the trailer for “Jurassic Park.” Originally a stage, TV, and film actor, Tate has also voiced-over the trailers for “Braveheart,” “GoldenEye,” “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “The Edge,” “Deep Impact,” and “The World Is Not Enough.”
Rodney Saulsberry – Performing on “Soul Train,” and “Dance Fever.” Videos on VH1 and BET. Doing books-on-tape. Saulsberry has also provided his voice to such trailers as “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” “Friday After Next,” “Drumline,” “Undercover Brother,” “The Best Man,” and “Clockers.”
For more information on voice-over actors, check out this link on Wiki:
Chas Andrews' Movie Blog 