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Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''
Hey Arnold! ''Hey Arnold!'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Craig Bartlett. It originally aired on Nickelodeon from October 7, 1996, to June 8, 2004. The show centers on fourth grader Arnold Shortman, who lives with his grandpar ...
'' (1996–2004), and a variety of characters in ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years ...
''. He also voiced Egon Spengler in '' The Real Ghostbusters'' and its follow-up '' Extreme Ghostbusters''.


Early life

LaMarche was born in
Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
, on March 30, 1958, to Guy LaMarche and Linda Bourdon. His family moved to
Timmins Timmins ( ) is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the Mattagami River. The city is the fourth-largest city in the Northeastern Ontario region with a population of 41,145 (2021). The city's economy is based on natural resource ext ...
, Ontario, soon after he was born. LaMarche's childhood was filled with his "own little world of cartoons and sixties television". It was in his second year of high school that he learned of the popularity his talent for
mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. Often, mimicry f ...
could garner him. This realization came from a coincidental performance in a high school "variety night" when a couple of friends urged him to enter. The act he performed at the variety night was "celebrities as waiters" which he used until the end of his stand-up career. One of his neighbors and schoolmates was future comedian, Mike Myers.


Career


Stand-up comedy

At the age of nineteen, LaMarche took his high school act to an
open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether t ...
night in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, performing to a reaction in which, as he describes, "they just totally ignored me". This reaction was coupled with the backlash LaMarche received from fellow Canadian comedians who LaMarche describes as discouraging him from pursuing a career outside of Canada. He returned to Canada, continued to do stand-up, and also started a career in voice work. Three years later, LaMarche moved to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
to further his stand-up career. This move, LaMarche says, would always be something he regretted doing instead of moving to New York: "... in retrospect, I thought it was a mistake. I think that a couple of years in New York would have made me a stronger comedian." Over the next five years, LaMarche's career would gradually progress, playing comedy clubs throughout the US, with several appearances on '' The Merv Griffin Show'' and ''An Evening At The Improv''. In spite of such interest, LaMarche believed that, while his impersonations and stage presence were strong, he needed to develop funnier comedy material. Despite being critical of himself, LaMarche was asked to be part of the 1985 HBO production ''Rodney Dangerfield Hosts the 9th Annual Young Comedians Special'', on which also appeared Bob Saget, Rita Rudner, Louie Anderson,
Yakov Smirnoff Yakov Naumovich Pokhis (russian: Яков Наумович Похис; born 24 January 1951), better known as Yakov Smirnoff (russian: Яков Смирнов; ), is a Ukrainian-American comedian, actor and writer. He began his career as a stand ...
, and the breakout first appearance of Sam Kinison. Although he was received and reviewed favorably, in looking back on his own performance in that special, LaMarche believed he was "probably about five years away from going from being a good comedian to being a great comedian" and being the "only impressionist that actually comes from somewhere". During his standup career, LaMarche opened for such acts as
Rodney Dangerfield Rodney Dangerfield (born Jacob Rodney Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004) was an American Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-line joke, one-liner humor, his c ...
,
George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercul ...
,
Howie Mandel Howard Michael Mandel (born November 29, 1955) is a Canadian-American comedian, television personality, actor, and producer. Mandel voiced the character Gizmo in the 1984 film '' Gremlins'' and the 1990 sequel '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch''. ...
,
David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 19 ...
, and
Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her musi ...
, usually in the main showrooms of
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...
and
Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.
. On March 9, 1987, LaMarche's father was murdered, shot to death by a lifelong friend in a Toronto hotel lobby in front of dozens of witnesses. This sent LaMarche into depression and
alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
for the next two years, effectively stalling his stand-up career. After getting sober on January 20, 1989, LaMarche embarked again into the world of standup comedy in the early part of 1990. As he was regaining lost momentum, his 18-year-old sister was killed in a car accident in September of that year. At this point, though he remained sober, LaMarche decided he just could not do standup comedy anymore. He said, "at that point I just threw up my hands and went, 'Oh, that's it. I don't have any funny left in me. I'm done'".


Voice acting


Early Canadian work

LaMarche's entry into the voiceover industry was in 1980 in ''Easter Fever'' and '' Take Me Up to the Ball Game'', two animated Canadian TV specials from
Nelvana Nelvana Enterprises, Inc. (; previously known as Nelvana Limited, sometimes known as Nelvana Animation and simply Nelvana or Nelvana Communications) is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment company owned by Corus Entertainment. Founded ...
. He also was a regular voice performer on Toronto's pioneering cult TV hit ''
The All-Night Show ''The All-Night Show'' is a television series starring Chas Lawther and produced by Jeff Silverman which ran from September 19, 1980 to August 29, 1981 on CFMT-TV in Toronto. The show was created and written by Errol Bruce, Chas Lawther, Michae ...
'', which debuted in September 1980; a continuing feature had the lips of LaMarche inserted into a photograph of a famous person, and having LaMarche imitate that person to deliver a show promo or announcement. When LaMarche left the show in 1981, a young up-and-coming comic named
Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy t ...
was recruited to take his place as a voice actor.


Television

It took a few years after his 1981 move to Los Angeles for LaMarche to establish himself in the American voiceover industry, which he initially pursued as a side endeavor during his full-time standup comedy career. LaMarche began on '' Inspector Gadget'' with that show's second season in 1985, and went on to '' Dennis the Menace'', ''
Popeye and Son ''Popeye and Son'' is an American animated comedy series based on the ''Popeye'' comic strip created by E.C. Segar and published by King Features Syndicate. Jointly produced by Hanna-Barbera and King Features subsidiary King Features Entertainmen ...
'' and '' The Real Ghostbusters'' where he played Egon Spengler. After ''The Real Ghostbusters'', LaMarche became a regular mainstay of the voiceover industry, appearing in such shows as ''
Tiny Toon Adventures ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' is an American animated comedy television series that was broadcast from September 14, 1990, to December 6, 1992. It was the first collaborative effort of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation a ...
'', '' GI Joe'', '' Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: The Animated Series'', '' Taz-Mania'', ''
Where's Waldo ''Where's Wally?'' (called ''Where's Waldo?'' in North America) is a British series of children's puzzle books created by English illustrator Martin Handford. The books consist of a series of detailed double-page spread illustrations depicti ...
'', '' The Little Mermaid'', '' Batman: The Animated Series'', and '' Bonkers'' before landing perhaps his most recognized role in 1993 as The Brain on '' Animaniacs'' and later its spin-off show '' Pinky and the Brain''. Following this, LaMarche worked on '' The Critic'', '' Freakazoid!'', and ''
The Tick ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' before then reprising his role of Egon in '' Extreme Ghostbusters''. The stretch of two years after this saw LaMarche portray characters in such shows as ''
Hey Arnold! ''Hey Arnold!'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Craig Bartlett. It originally aired on Nickelodeon from October 7, 1996, to June 8, 2004. The show centers on fourth grader Arnold Shortman, who lives with his grandpar ...
'' as Big Bob Pataki, '' Queer Duck'', and ''
The Chimp Channel ''The Chimp Channel'' is an American sitcom which aired on TBS Superstation in 1999. Based on the '' Monkey-ed Movies'' interstitials that TBS aired one year prior, it is the network's first original sitcom. The series primarily consists of costume ...
''. During this time LaMarche would become the voice actor for Mortimer Mouse whom he would voice in the television series '' Mickey Mouse Works'' and ''
Disney's House of Mouse ''Disney's House of Mouse'' (or simply ''House of Mouse'') is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation that originally aired for three seasons on ABC and Toon Disney from January 13, 2001, to its finale ...
''. It was at this time, 1999, that LaMarche began work on ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years ...
'', and since ''Futurama'', he has continued to work steadily in television, including guest roles on ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
'' (where he once again parodied
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
). His most recent regular role came as Hovis the butler on the Nickelodeon series ''
Catscratch ''Catscratch'' is an American animated television series created by Doug TenNapel (also known for creating the '' Earthworm Jim'' series). It aired on Nickelodeon from July 9, 2005, to February 10, 2007. It was a loose adaptation of TenNapel's ...
''. LaMarche was the voice of antagonist Father in '' Codename: Kids Next Door'' and was also the voice of Victor in Playhouse Disney's ''
Handy Manny ''Handy Manny'' is a CGI-animated children's television series that premiered with its first two episodes consecutively on Saturday, September 16, 2006, originally as part of Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney block. On Valentine's Day 2011, t ...
'' 2007 Halloween episode. LaMarche has done various voice work for many Warner Bros. Animation and
DiC Entertainment DIC Entertainment Corporation (; also known as DIC Audiovisuel, DIC Enterprises, DIC Animation City, DIC Entertainment, L.P., and DIC Productions), branded as The Incredible World of DIC, was an international film and television production com ...
cartoons. He also delivered the protracted belches for the "Great Wakkorotti" shorts on ''Animaniacs'', in which
Wakko Warner This is a list of characters in the 1993 animated series, ''Animaniacs'', and its 2020 revival. The Warner Siblings (Animaniacs) The Warner Siblings (also known as "the Animaniacs" by fans and the media) are small, silly, mischievous, anthrop ...
performed various pieces of music. In 2011, LaMarche reprised his role as
Yosemite Sam Yosemite Sam ( /joʊˈsɛmɪti/ ''yoh-SEM-ih-tee'') is a cartoon character in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of short films produced by Warner Bros. His name is taken from Yosemite National Park. He is an adversary of Bugs ...
in
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...
's new series, '' The Looney Tunes Show'', and its spin-off, ''
New Looney Tunes ''New Looney Tunes'', originally titled ''Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Production'' in the US and ''Bugs!'' in some markets for its first season, is an American animated television series from Warner Bros. Animation based on the characters from ''Loo ...
''. LaMarche made several appearances in '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' where he voiced Chancellor Neighsay.


''Pinky and the Brain''

LaMarche plays the character of The Brain in both ''Animaniacs'' and the spin-off. In creating the voice for Brain, LaMarche says he looked at a picture of the character and immediately thought of
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
, although the character was not modeled after Welles. Voicing Brain gave LaMarche the opportunity to make use of his signature impersonation of Welles. Many ''Pinky and the Brain'' episodes are nods to Welles' career. LaMarche won an
Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in cinema and television. Originally de ...
for his role as the Brain, and was nominated for an Emmy. LaMarche would later use this accent to voice Father in '' Codename: Kids Next Door''.


''The Critic''

While working on '' The Critic'', LaMarche once voiced 29 characters in one 30-minute episode. His time on ''The Critic'' also afforded LaMarche the opportunity to once again parody
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
, this time after a video reading of a will (the Sherman family was so wealthy, they had hired Welles to narrate it) dissolves into a commercial for Mrs. Pells Fishsticks, as well as another for Rosebud
Frozen Peas ''Frozen Peas'' is the colloquial term for a blooper audio clip in which American actor and filmmaker Orson Welles performs narration for a series of British television advertisements for Findus. The clip is known informally as ''In July'', or '' ...
("full of count-ry goodness and green pea-ness"), and another for Blotto Bros. wine. He also occasionally served as an uncredited fill-in for main cast member Jon Lovitz as
Jay Sherman This is a list of characters in the animated television series ''The Critic''. Overview The Sherman family Jay Sherman ;Voiced by Jon Lovitz "New York's third most popular early-morning cable-TV film critic", 37-year-old Jay Prescott Sherman ...
.


''Futurama''

Much of his best known voice work is from ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years ...
'' where he voiced
Zapp Brannigan This article lists the many characters of ''Futurama,'' an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a ...
's beleaguered assistant
Kif Kroker This article lists the many characters of ''Futurama,'' an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a l ...
, melodramatic soap acting unit Calculon, the Nero-esque
Hedonismbot This article lists the many characters of '' Futurama,'' an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of ...
, Morbo the news anchor, and Lrrr, ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8, among numerous others. He has also done his
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
impression on the show, winning a 2011 Outstanding Voice-Over Performance Emmy for his portrayal of Lrrr and Orson Welles in the episode "
Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom, '' Futurama'' and is the 99th episode overall. It aired on Comedy Central on August 26, 2010. In the episode, the ruler of the planet Omicron Per ...
". He won another Emmy the following year for the episode "
The Silence of the Clamps "The Silence of the Clamps" is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom ''Futurama'', and originally aired July 14, 2011 on Comedy Central. The episode was written by Eric Rogers and directed by Frank Marino. In the epi ...
".


''Heroes''

LaMarche acted, voice only, in the second episode of the hit NBC show '' Heroes'', " Don't Look Back", as the villain Sylar. His voice is heard in a recorded phone conversation on Chandra Suresh's answering machine. The role of Sylar was later played by Zachary Quinto.


Film

LaMarche appeared in many films, including dubbing the voice of Orson Welles over
Vincent D'Onofrio Vincent Philip D'Onofrio (; born June 30, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his supporting and leading roles in both film and television. He has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. His roles include Private Leonar ...
's on-camera performance in ''
Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novel author. In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult cla ...
'';
Pepé Le Pew Pepé Le Pew is an animated character from the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons, introduced in 1945. Depicted as a French striped skunk, Pepé is constantly on the quest for love. However, his offensive ...
in ''
Space Jam ''Space Jam'' is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports comedy film directed by Joe Pytka, with animation sequences directed by Bruce W. Smith and Tony Cervone, and written by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, and Herschel ...
''; supplying the voice of the
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nic ...
puppet in '' Team America: World Police'', and reprising his roles from '' Queer Duck'' and ''
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years ...
'' in the
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy w ...
films '' Queer Duck: The Movie'' and '' Futurama: Bender's Big Score'', respectively. His one on-camera theatrical film performance was in the 1981 Canadian feature ''Funny Farm'', not to be confused with a later Chevy Chase vehicle of the same name. The film follows the story of a young standup comedian's attempt to break into the big-time on the L.A. comedy scene. LaMarche played Dickie Lyons, an impressionist who befriends the main character, Mark Champlin. The film also starred
Howie Mandel Howard Michael Mandel (born November 29, 1955) is a Canadian-American comedian, television personality, actor, and producer. Mandel voiced the character Gizmo in the 1984 film '' Gremlins'' and the 1990 sequel '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch''. ...
, Eileen Brennan, and Miles Chapin. In
Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the '' Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards ...
's 2004 movie '' Comic Book: The Movie'', LaMarche made a rare live appearance to be in the special features of the DVD alongside ''Pinky and the Brain'' co-star
Rob Paulsen Robert Frederick Paulsen III (born March 11, 1956) is an American voice actor, known for his roles in numerous animated television series and films. He received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program and three Anni ...
. Among other gags, he re-enacted his impression of
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
' famous frozen peas commercial outtake.


Commercials

LaMarche has also lent his voice to commercials. He voiced
Kellogg's The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toa ...
Froot Loops spokesbird Toucan Sam, the animated
Willy Wonka Willy Wonka is a fictional character appearing in British author Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' and its 1972 sequel '' Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator''. He is the eccentric founder and proprieto ...
character in
Nestlé Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Switzerland, Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other me ...
's '' Willy Wonka Candy Company'' commercials, and the narrator for
Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...
commercials. He would also appear as himself, doing the voice of
Popeye the Sailor Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar.Yosemite Sam Yosemite Sam ( /joʊˈsɛmɪti/ ''yoh-SEM-ih-tee'') is a cartoon character in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of short films produced by Warner Bros. His name is taken from Yosemite National Park. He is an adversary of Bugs ...
for the ''Yosemite Sam and the Gold River Adventure!'' dark ride at Six Flags Over Texas, which opened in 1992.


Personal life

LaMarche has been married to Robin G. Eisenman since May 19, 1991; together they have a son, Jonathan.


Filmography


Film


Animation


Video games


Live-action


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lamarche, Maurice 1958 births Living people 20th-century Canadian male actors 21st-century Canadian male actors Annie Award winners Audiobook narrators Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States Canadian impressionists (entertainers) Canadian male film actors Canadian male television actors Canadian male video game actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian stand-up comedians Comedians from Toronto Franco-Ontarian people Male actors from Toronto Male actors from Los Angeles Primetime Emmy Award winners Disney people