Don LaFontaine}’s portrait

Don LaFontaine

  • 68 years old
  • Born Aug 26, 1940
  • Died Sep 01, 2008
  • Los Angeles, California, United States
Don had the voice of a God. I bet many of you do not know what he looks like, but you sure know how he sounds like. LaFontaine did numerous voice overs for movie trailers, tv programs, etc. We'll never forget that astounding voice.
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About

Voice Legend

A well known voice in Hollywood has been silenced.  Don LaFontaine, best known for his appearance in the Geico commercials, died Monday.

He was known as the "King of Voiceovers" and made famous through thousands of movie trailers.  He is most famous for the line, "In a world...".

The cause of death is not official yet, but his agent says he died from a collapsed lung.

He recorded almost 5,000 movie trailers and nearly 350,000 commercials, programs, files, and other presentations.  His most recent work included Geico Insurance commercials where he was referred to as "that announcer guy". 

He is survived by his wife, singer/actress Nita Whitaker, and three children.

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Memories

Gone....But Not Forgotten

PC-25 at CBS Sep 03, 2008

I remember walking into CBS over 15 years ago and walking into the infamous PC-23 (picture posted) and hearing what everyone called, "The Voice of the Movies." It was an amazing time back then as some of the greats of the business...Don, Mark Elliot, Chuck Reilly and many others came in on a daily basis to read promo spots. We all got to know these people pretty well - not just as announcers, but as real people. This week we lost a legend...he may be gone, but we'll be hearing his voice in our heads for a lifetime!

Melanie (Sep 07, 2008)

Hey everyone, I'm going to compile all of your thoughtful tributes into a scrapbook and give it to Don's family on Tuesday. I know it will mean a lot to Nita (his wife). Thank you.

Farewell to the King

Ron Scalera Sep 02, 2008

Few people in this business have earned the respect and admiration he has.
A class act...A unique talent...He will be missed by us all.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

And this would have been so much more impressive if Don had read it.

The Voice of Man

Jay Curtis Sep 02, 2008

Don was a voice genius, a consummate professional and a salesman extraordinaire, but most of all he was a great human being who brought his humanity to every line of copy he ever read. Don cared so much for his family and his extended family. He was interested in life and talking about real things and he made my life better for having known him. I always had so much fun being with Don, either in person or via ISDN. He made so many of my days better. I can't count how many spots Don did for me, how many times he brought my written words to life, how many times he saved the day. I will always think of Don sitting in the old PC23 here at CBS waiting to read the next spot, sitting in the booth reading a book. Don took care of every moment he had here on earth; to chat, to read, to care, to learn more about people. He had a car take him from session to session, so he could use his time wisely rather than fighting traffic. That was genius. When he began working out of his house I was always amazed at how he could read copy into a spot that he wasn't seeing and bring it to life, pitch perfect, on time and with nuances that no other human voice could bring. I and so many others in this industry will miss our dear friend Don. Hopefully, we will all take Don's example and make the most of the time we have.

My Memory

bob Sep 02, 2008

"in a world'....whitout you too sad..R.i.P

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