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Voiceover King Don LaFontaine Passes Away

Voiceover legend Don LaFontaine has passed away at the age of 68. LaFontaine died on Monday afternoon at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles from complications stemming from pneumothorax, which resulted in a collapsed lung, according to his agent Vanessa Gilbert. The official cause of LaFontaine's death has not been released by officials at press time.

LaFontaine earned the title "The King of the Voiceovers," and rightfully so. He enjoyed a lengthy career in the movie trailer business. He was also the voice of Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, in addition to having done voice work for major networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, as well as Fox, UPN, TNT, TBS, and The Cartoon Network. It is estimated that his voice was used in hundreds of thousands of television and radio spots over the years. He also did commercial work for Chevrolet, McDonalds, Budweiser, and Coca Cola.

LaFontaine worked on nearly 5000 films. He served as the in-show announcer for the Screen Actors Guild and Academy Awards. All of this activity landed him the notoriety of being the busiest actor in the history of the SAG. He is survived by his wife, singer Nita Whitaker, and their three children.

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
09.03.08