Biography

Maurice LaMarche

Jump to

Maurice LaMarche is a Canadian-born comedian and voice actor from Toronto, Ontario who has lived and worked in the United States since 1980. He is most well-known for voicing The Brain on Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs; Lrrr, Morbo, Hedonismbot, Calculon and Kif Kroker on Futurama; Mr. Big in Zootopia; King Agnarr in Frozen; Mr. Freeze in Batman: Arkham City; Yosemite Sam in The Looney Tunes Show; Abradolph Lincoler and Adult Morty Junior on Rick & Morty; Toucan Sam in Froot Loops commercials (1987-2020), and Orson Welles on both The Critic and The Simpsons. He was also the signature voice of the entire U.S. ad campaign for Lexus from 2009 to 2017. He has won two Primetime Emmy Awards (and received a third nomination) for his character voice work on Futurama, as well as a Daytime Emmy nomination for playing The Brain on Steven Spielberg Presents Pinky And The Brain.
- IMDb mini biography by: Christian Frates

Perhaps the best sound-alike artist in the industry
His character "The Brain"
His impression of Orson Welles
Frequently brought in as a "stunt burper" due to his ability to imitate the bodily function
Salient voice

His most famous character, "The Brain," from the Emmy-winning Pinky and the Brain (1995), is a take-off on actor Orson Welles (the inspiration for his impression came from a recording of Orson ranting during the taping of a British frozen peas commercial).
Used to smoke Cuban cigars voraciously, as he believed they gave his voice the depth needed to play Orson Welles. However, he quit and has been completely smoke-free since July 17, 2007.
Was granted a private audience with The Dalai Lama, based on the eloquence of a note he passed to the Buddhist leader's secretary on a flight from Los Angeles to Vancouver in April of 2004 as His Holiness was about start his Canadian tour. The note described his struggle with the anger and rage he'd carried for 17 years at his father's murderer, and he asked for His Holiness' help. He was ushered to The Dalai Lama's seat, where they spoke for ten minutes. LaMarche has spoken publicly of it as a defining moment in his life.
Dubbed the voice of Orson Welles (played by Vincent D'Onofrio) in the film Ed Wood (1994), but was not credited.
Voted "Most Likely to Be Someone Else" by his Toronto high school classmates. Only the third person in history, and the second in the last 50 years, to be the official voice of Popeye. Voices Toucan Sam, Fruit Loops' animated spokes-bird.

"You can make them laugh, but you can't make them happy" (Attributed to Sam Kinison in Rolling Stone, but was originally said to Kinison by LaMarche).
Don't let anyone fool you. We're all flying by the seat of our pants. Every last one of us. So why not try and do what you want to do, rather than feel like there's some "secret knowledge" that everyone else was given, and which you somehow weren't? The only secret, if there is one, is not giving up. Put in your 10,000 hours, and watch what happens.
[on Frank Welker] He's amazing. Those sounds should not emanate from a human being but they do.