Maurice LaMarche

Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor and former stand-up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Zapp Brannigan's beleaguered assistant Kif Kroker, melodramatic soap acting robot Calculon and other characters; The Brain in Animaniacs and Pinky And The Brain, and Egon Spengler on The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters.
== Early life ==
LaMarche was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but his family moved to Timmins, Ontario, very soon after he was born.Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (5th question) Interview with Quick Stop Entertainment (8th question) LaMarche's childhood was filled with his "own little world of cartoons and sixties television". It was not until his sophomore year of high school that he learned of the popularity his talent for mimicry 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 actually used all the way up until the end of his stand-up career.
== Stand-up ==
At the age of 19, LaMarche took his high school act to an open mic night in New York City, 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.
Three years later, at the age of 22, LaMarche moved straight to Los Angeles 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 all over the U.S., with several appearances on Merv Griffin and "An Evening At The Improv", but in spite of such interest, LaMarche always believed that, while his impersonations and stage presence were strong, he needed to develop funnier comedy material. Despite being so critical of himself, LaMarche would be granted the opportunity of being 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, 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, George Carlin, Howie Mandel, David Sanborn and Donna Summer, usually in the main showrooms of Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
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 for the next two years, effectively stalling his stand-up career. After getting sober on Inauguration Day in 1989, LaMarche embarked again into the world of his first love, standup comedy, in the early part of 1990. However, just as he was regaining lost momentum, tragedy struck once more, as 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 says, "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.'"
== Voiceover acting ==
LaMarche's first entrance into the voiceover industry was in 1980 in Easter Fever and Take Me Up to the Ball Game, two Canadian films from Nelvana. LaMarche did not venture into voiceover acting again until years later as a side endeavor during his full-time standup comedy career.
=== Television ===
LaMarche began on Inspector Gadget and went on to Dennis the Menace, Popeye and Son and The Real Ghostbusters. After The Real Ghostbusters, LaMarche became a regular mainstay of the voiceover industry appearing in such shows as Tiny Toon Adventures, GI Joe, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: The Animated Series, Taz-Mania, Where's Waldo, 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 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! as Big Bob Pataki, Queer Duck, The Chimp Channel, and Sonic Underground as Sleet. During this time Maurice would become the voice actor for Mortimer Mouse who he would voice in the television series Mickey Mouse Works and Disney's House of Mouse. It was at this time, 1999, that LaMarche began work on Futurama, and since Futurama LaMarche has continued to work steadily in television, including guest roles on The Simpsons (where he once again parodied Orson Welles). His most recent regular role came as Hovis the butler on the Nickelodeon series Catscratch. LaMarche voice of Victor in Playhouse Disney's Handy Manny Halloween episode.
LaMarche has done various voice work for many Warner Bros. Animation and DiC Entertainment cartoons. He also delivered the protracted belches for the "Great Wakkorotti" shorts on Animaniacs, in which Wakko Warner performed various pieces of music. In 2011, LaMarche reprises his role as Yosemite Sam in Cartoon Network's new series, The Looney Tunes Show.
==== Pinky and the Brain ====
LaMarche plays the character of The Brain in Pinky and the Brain. In creating the voice for Brain, LaMarche says he looked at a picture of the character and immediately thought of Orson Welles, although the character wasn't 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 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, 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 ("full of country goodness and green pea-ness"), and another for Blotto Bros. wine.
==== Futurama====
Much of his best known voicework is from Futurama where he voiced Zapp Brannigan's beleaguered assistant Kif Kroker, melodramatic soap acting unit Calculon, the Caligula-esque Hedonismbot, and Lrr, Supreme Ruler of Omicron Persei 8, among numerous others. He has also done his Orson Welles impression on the show, winning a 2011 Outstanding Voice-Over Performance Emmy for his portrayal of Lrrr and Orson Welles in episode "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences". He won another Emmy the following year for Futurama episode "The Silence of the Clamps".
==== 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 chilling 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's on-camera performance in Ed Wood; Pepé Le Pew in Space Jam; supplying the voice of the Alec Baldwin puppet in Team America: World Police, and reprising his roles from Queer Duck and Futurama in the direct-to-video 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, Eileen Brennan, and Miles Chapin.
In Mark Hamill'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. Among other gags, he re-enacted his impression of Orson Welles' famous frozen peas commercial outtake.
== Roles in television, film, and video games ==
Year 	Film 	Role 	Notes
1980 	Easter Fever 	Don RattlesSteed MartinPeter Easter Bat 	Animated special
1980 	Take Me Up to the Ball Game 	 	Animated special
1985-1986 	Inspector Gadget 	Chief Quimby (second season only) 	Animated series
1986 	The Transformers 	Six-Gun 	Animated series
1986 	Popples 	Puzzle 	Animated series
1986-1991 	 	Egon Spengler 	Animated series
1987 	 	Rod Sperling 	Live action
1987 	Popeye and Son 	Popeye 	Animated series
1988 	Beany and Cecil 	Dishonest John 	Animated series
1988 	Dennis the Menace 	George WilsonHenry Mitchell 	Animated series
1989-1992 	G.I. Joe 	CopperheadLow-LightSpiritSerpentorDestroHeavy DutyBig BenRed Star 	Animated series
1990 	TaleSpin 	General Patton 	Animated series
1990-1991 	Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: The Animated Series	ZoltanKetchuckTomato Guy 	Animated series
1990-1995 	Captain Planet and the Planeteers 	Verminous SkummDuke Nukum 	Animated series
1990-1995 	Tiny Toon Adventures 	Dizzy DevilOrsen WhalesYosemite Sam 	Animated series
1991-1995 	Taz-Mania 	Hugh Tasmanian DevilDaffy Duck 	Animated series
1991 	Felix the Cat: The Movie 	The Grandfather 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
1992 	Cool World 	Interrogator #2Mashdrunken bar patronDr. Vincent "Vegas Vinnie" Whiskers 	Live action/Animated film
1993-1995 	Bonkers 	Mr. BlackenblueMarch HareSmartsTuttle Turtle 	Animated series
1993-1998 	Animaniacs 	BrainSpartacusBob HopeSquitWakko (burping only) 	Animated series
1994 	Ed Wood 	Orson Welles 	Voice only
1994 	The Little Mermaid 	Scuttle 	2 episodes
1994-1995 	 	Jeremy HawkeOrson WellesAdditional Voices 	Animated series
1994-1996 	 	Human Ton & HandyPiglegMr. SmartypantsVarious other characters 	Animated series
1995 	Full Throttle 	Nester 	Video game
1995 	Napoleon 	Snake and frill-Necked Lizard 	Voice only
1995-1997 	Freakazoid! 	LonghornDanCaptain "K" 	Animated series
1995-1998 	Pinky and the Brain 	The Brain 	Animated series
1995-1998 	Gadget Boy and Heather 	BorisMulch and HumusMyron DabbleChief StrombolliG9 	Animated series
1995-2001 	 	Yosemite SamAdditional voices 	Animated series
1996 	Space Jam 	Pepe Le Pew 	Animated film
1996 	Dexter's Laboratory 	Simion 	Animated series
1996 	Rocko's Modern Life 	Conglomo Lizard 	Animated series
1996 	All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 	Lost & Found Officer 	Animated film
1996 	Hey Arnold! 	Big Bob Pataki Additional Characters 	Animated series
1997 	Space Goofs 	Etno 	Animated series
1997 	Extreme Ghostbusters 	Egon Spengler 	Animated series
1997-2004 	Johnny Bravo 	Dr. AlphonseSquint RingoFish Lips MaloneAdditional voices 	Animated series
1998-2000 	Histeria! 	George WashingtonAbraham LincolnWoodrow WilsonJoseph StalinGroucho MarxAdditional voices 	Animated series
1999 	Wakko's Wish 	BrainSquit 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
1999 	 	Harry WallerBernard the Sarcastic Cockatoo 	Voice only
1999 	Inspector Gadget's Last Case: Claw's Revenge 	Inspector GadgetChief Quimby 	Voice onlyAnimated film
1999 	Queer Duck 	Oscar WildcatMr. DucksteinOther Characters 	Animated series
1999-2000 	Mickey Mouse Works 	Mortimer MouseProfessor Ratigan 	Animated series
1999-2000 	Dilbert 	The World's Smartest Garbageman 	Animated series
1999-2000 	Sonic Underground 	SleetSWATbotsAthair (Great Grandfather of Knuckles) 	Animated series
1999-2000 	Sabrina: The Animated Series 	Additional Voices 	Animated series
1999–2003, 2008–2013	Futurama 	Kif KrokerMorboCalculonLrrrHorrible Gelatinous BlobWaltHedonismbotDonBotAdditional characters 	Animated series
2000 	Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman 	Mr. Lawrence Talbot 	Voice onlyAnimated film
2000 	Hard Drinkin' Lincoln 	John Wilkes Booth 	Animated series
2001 	Baby Felix & Friends 	Master Cylinder 	Animated series
2001-2002 	 	Tommy Vinegar 	Animated series
2001-2003 	The New Adventures of Lucky Luke 	Joe DaltonBuffalo Bill 	Animated series
2001-2003 	Gadget and the Gadgetinis 	Lt. Gadget 	Animated series
2001-2003 	Disney's House of Mouse 	Mortimer MouseProfessor Ratigan 	Animated series
2001-2007 	Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law 	Azul FalconeStan FreezoidApache ChiefFred FlintstoneYogi BearDer SpuzmacherInch HighSpeed BuggyHi-RiserDoggie DaddyDroopyQuick Draw McGrawWally GatorMorocco MoleGarokCavey Jr.Magilla GorillaMr. PeeblesBenny the BallDum DumShazzanAtom AntNitron	Animated series
2002 	Balto II: Wolf Quest 	Balto 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2002 	Inspector Gadget's Last Case: Claw's Revenge 	Inspector Gadget 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2002 	Hey Arnold!: The Movie 	Big Bob PatakiHead of Security 	Animated film
2002 	Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring 	Spike and Alley Cat 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2002-2004 	Teamo Supremo 	Baron Blitz 	Animated series
2002-2008 	Codename: Kids Next Door 	Father 	Animated series
2003 	101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure 	Horace 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2003 	K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments 	Omri and Amos 	Animated series
2003-2004 	Sabrina's Secret Life 	Salem 	Animated series
2004 	Team America: World Police 	Alec Baldwin 	Voice only
2004 	Balto III: Wings of Change 	Balto 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2004 	Felix the Cat Saves Christmas 	Rock Bottom 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2004 	Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers 	One of The Beagle Boys 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2004 	Comic Book: The Movie 	Himself 	"Behind the Voices"Special featureLive action
2004-2006 	Duck Dodgers 	K'chutha Sa'amMasativo 	Animated series
2004-2006 	Xiaolin Showdown 	Master Fung- Only in season 2 and 3Chucky Choo 	Animated series
2005 	A.T.O.M. 	EelFender 	Animated series2 episodes
2005 	Pom Poko 	Narrator 	Animated film (English dub)
2005-2007 	Tripping the Rift 	Gus 	CGI-animated series
2005-2007 	Catscratch 	Hovis 	Animated series
2005-2008 	My Gym Partner's A Monkey 	Principal Poncherello Pixiefrog, Mr. Mandrill, Mr. Hornbill, Mr. Blowhole 	Animated series
2006 	Tekkonkinkreet 	Fujimura 	English dub
2006 	Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas 	Yosemite Sam 	Animated film
2006 	Casper's Scare School 	PirateThurdigree Burns 	Animated television film
2006 	Barnyard 	Igg the Cow 	Animated film
2006 	Queer Duck: The Movie 	Oscar Wildcat 	Direct-to-video
2006 	The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XVII 	Orson Welles 	Animated series
2006 	Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 	Mortimer Mouse 	Animated series
2006 	Operation: Z.E.R.O. 	Father 	Animated television film
2006-2007 	Shuriken School 	Mr. NoNaginataKubo UtamaroZumichitoDaisuke Togakame 	Animated series
2007 	Futurama: Bender's Big Score 	Kif KrokerMorboCalculonLrrrAdditional characters 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2007-2008 	Tak & the Power of Juju 	Chief 	Animated series
2007-2009 	Random! Cartoons 	KlempBirdsdorfPickle CopDog CatcherElecaptain SamBjornWorking Troll #1 	Animated series
2008 	Crash: Mind over Mutant 	Dr. Nitrus Brio Znu 	UncreditedVideo game
2008 	Futurama: Bender's Game 	Various characters 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2008 	 	God 	Independent film
2008 	Guild Wars: Eye of the North 	Vekk Lork 	Video game expansion pack
2008 	Dead Space: Downfall 	WhiteBavaro 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2008 	Tripping the Rift: The Movie 	Gus 	Direct-to-videoCGI-animated film
2008 	Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs 	Kif KrokerVarious Characters 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2009 	Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder 	Kif KrokerThe DonbotClampsCalculonMorboLrrrVarious characters 	Direct-to-videoAnimated film
2009-2011 	Bob & Doug 	Various characters 	Animated series
2011 	Batman: Arkham City 	Mr. Freeze, Calendar Man 	Video gameby Rocksteady Studios
2011-2013 	Adventure Time 	Grand Master WizardWizard PolicemanStranson DoughblowVarious Criminals in Wizard Prison 	Animated series2 episodes
2010-2013 	Pound Puppies 	Jean Luc GlaciaireAgent FrancoisHench Grocer 	Animated series
2011-2013 	Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 	Vincent Van Ghoul 	Animated series
2011-present 	 	Yosemite Sam 	Animated series
2012 	Dan Vs. 	Gigando-Mart CustomerGovernor of CaliforniaReporterDock WorkerMel Darwin 	Animated series1 episode
2012 	Wreck-It Ralph 	Root Beer Tapper 	Animated film
2012 	Robot Chicken 	BrainRicky Recycle Bin 	Animated series
2012 	Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance 	One of the Beagle Boys 	Video game by Square Enix
2012 	The Penguins of Madagascar 	Various 	Animated series
2012 	Lego Hero Factory 	Splitface 	Animated series
2012 	Have a Laugh! 	Mortimer Mouse 	Animated series
2012-present 	Robot and Monster 	GartPerryLoudmouth 	Animated series
2012-present 	The Legend of Korra 	Equalists AnnouncerDefence AttourneyAdditional voices 	Animated series
2012-present 	Ultimate Spider-Man 	Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom 	Animated series
2012-present 	Transformers: Rescue Bots 	Chief Charlie BurnsAdditional voices 	Animated series
2013 	Brickleberry 	Kurt ThoreauNative American ChiefFlamey the BearDonnie (Connie's Anti-Christ Baby) 	Animated series
2013 	Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. 	Doctor Doom 	Animated series
2013 	Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness 	HeilangLin Kuei 	Animated series
2013 	Frozen 	King of Arendelle 	Animated film
2013-present 	Avengers Assemble 	Doctor Doom 	Animated series
2013 	I Know That Voice 	Himself 	Documentary
2013-present 	Rick and Morty 	Alien #2ParamedicScary OldersonDog Accountant 	Animated series
2014 	Gravity Falls 	Additional Voices 	Animated series
=== Other media ===
*Commercials
**Kellogg's Froot Loops spokesbird Toucan Sam.
**The animated Willy Wonka character in Nestlé's Willy Wonka Candy Company commercials
**Narration for Lexus commercials.
*Video games
**Toucan Sam and Willy Wonka (both in Horton Hatches the Egg) in Storybook Weaver
**Toucan Sam and Willy Wonka (both in Horton Hatches the Egg in Storybook Weaver Deluxe
**Several characters in Lucasarts' Full Throttle
**Yoshimo and Renal Bloodscalp in the award-winning RPG, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.
**Jack O' Lantern in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
**Vekk in Guild Wars Eye of the North
**The Brain in Animaniacs: The Great Edgar Hunt
**Doctor Nitrus Brio in Crash: Mind over Mutant
**Mortimer Mouse Disney Golf
**Toadman in Battle Beast
**Stinky the Skunk in The Great Math/Word/Reading Adventure
**Narrator in the commercial for the video game Nightmare Creatures 
**William Shakespeare in The Simpsons Game
**Night Shift in Skylanders: Swap Force
*Web Originals
**Avocado Soldier in Axe Cop Motion 
== References ==
== External links ==
* 
* Interview with Maurice LaMarche on "The Joe Cook Program"
* Maurice LaMarche Interview on Talk Radio Meltdown
* Maurice LaMarche honors at Emmys Official Site
Category:1958 births
Category:Living people
Category:Male actors from Toronto
Category:Canadian male film actors
Category:Canadian impressionists (entertainers)
Category:Canadian male voice actors
Category:Annie Award winners
Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners
Category:People from Timmins
Category:Franco-Ontarian people