Don LaFontaine Net Worth

Don Lafontaine net worth is
$80 Million

Don Lafontaine Wiki Biography

Donald Leroy LaFontaine was born on the 26th August 1940 in Duluth, Minnesota, USA, and was a famous voice actor who lent his voice to more than 5,000 film and video game trailers, as well as hundreds of thousands of television advertisements, and various internet promotions. His career was active from 1962 until 2008, when he passed away.

So, have you ever wondered how rich Don LaFontaine was? It was estimated by authoritative sources that LaFontaine’s net worth was over $80 million, the result of his successful involvement in the entertainment industry mostly as a voice actor.

Don LaFontaine Net Worth $80 Million

Don LaFontaine was raised by his parents Alfred and Ruby LaFontaine. In 1958, he matriculated from Duluth Central High School, and immediately joined the United States Army; he was stationed at Fort Meyer, Virginia, and worked as a recording engineer for the US Army Band and Chorus.

Shortly after his discharge, he moved to New York and began his career as a sound editor and engineer at National Recording Studios. In 1962 he started working with radio producer Floyd L. Peterson on radio advertisements for Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove”, and the two worked so well together that they went into business in 1963, producing advertisements exclusively for the motion picture industry, which added a considerable amount to his net worth. In the following years, their company became successful enough to employ more than 30 people. LaFontaine and Peterson are often credited as the creators of many famous catch phrases that can still be heard in trailers, such as “In a world…”, “A one man army”, and “Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no way out”.

LaFontaine’s professional voice acting career began in 1965, after he had to replace the unavailable voice actor for the trailer of the western film “Gunfighters of Casa Grande” in order to have something to present to their client, MGM. To his surprise, MGM bought the spots, thus LaFontaine continued to work as a voice over artist for the next 16 years.

For a number of years he worked for, and eventually became the head of Kaleidoscope Films Ltd., a film trailer production house. In 1976, he decided to become independent, and started his own production company called Don LaFontaine Associates, with his first work being the trailer for “The Godfather, Part II”, increasing further his net worth. Two years later, he was asked to join Paramount Pictures as the head of their trailer department. He became the Vice President of the company, but decided to leave and move from New York to Los Angeles in 1981, as he missed being involved in the active production.

Over the following years in Los Angeles, LaFontaine was at his peak, voicing over 60 promotions a week, sometimes as many as 35 per day. Most studios were willing to pay high fees for his services, which significantly increased his net worth. He was nicknamed ‘Thunder Throat’, and ‘The Voice of God’.

During his lifetime, LaFontaine cemented his position as the ‘King of Voiceovers’. He worked on nearly 5000 films, such as “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”, “Shrek”, “Law & Order”, “Batman Returns” and many others, and lent his voice to various programs on NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, UPN, Cartoon Network, and others. Additionally, he voiced hundreds of thousands of television and radio advertisements, for companies such as Chevrolet, Ford, Budweiser, McDonalds, Coke, etc. All of these projects increased his net worth to a large degree.

Regarding his personal life, Don LaFontaine was married to Joan Studva from 1967 until 1988. In 1989, he married singer and actress Anita Whitaker. He was the father of four children. Don passed away of complications from a pneumothorax at the age of 68, on the 1st September 2008 in Los Angeles, California.


Full NameDon LaFontaine
Net Worth$80 Million
Date Of BirthAugust 26, 1940
DiedSeptember 1, 2008, Los Angeles, California, United States
Place Of BirthDuluth, Minnesota, United States
Height1.73 m
ProfessionVoice actor
NationalityAmerican
SpouseNita Whitaker (m. 1989–2008), Joan Studva (m. 1967–1988)
ChildrenChristine LaFontaine, Elyse LaFontaine, Skye LaFontaine
ParentsRuby LaFontaine, Alfred LaFontaine
IMDBhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0480963/
MoviesSanta vs. the Snowman 3D, The Making of Star Wars, Claire Makes it Big
TV ShowsAmerica's Most Wanted, Fillmore!, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, Lazer Tag Academy
#Trademark
1Use of the scene-setting phrase "In a world where..." in his voiceovers for movie trailers
2His booming, powerful voice
#Quote
1In a world...
2It's never too early....for a salad!
#Fact
1After high school, he enlisted in the Army, and learned about recording engineering. The first promo he engineered was for Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).
2His first professional voice work came while working on the 1964 movie Gunfighters of Casa Grande (1964). He filled in for a voice actor in a radio promo. This led to more voice work; by the 1970s, he was one of Hollywood's busiest voice talents.
3In interviews he stated that his voice spontaneously cracked in mid-sentence at the age of 13. He became very self-conscious about his "new" voice until his classmates at school would pay him to speak as their fathers to make "sick calls" on their behalf so they could take a day off from school.
4Father, with Nita Whitaker, of Christine, Skye and Elyse.
5His agent is Vanessa Gilbert.
6Said that Peter Thomas influenced his career.
7In an interview he stated that his favorite voice-over for a film trailer was the one he recorded for David Lynch's "The Elephant Man" (1980).
8Was imitated in Pablo Francisco: Bits and Pieces - Live from Orange County (2004).
9Recorded as many as 25 voice-over sessions in a single day and over 100 separate spots in a day.
10His is the voice you hear on the majority of the trailers/previews at movie theaters nationwide. His body of work included voice over narrations for at least 5,000 film trailers and possibly as many as half a million TV and radio spots.
11Did voice-over work for over 40 years.
12Claimed that he was able do nearly 80 voice-over jobs in a day.

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Taking the Hill: The Warrior's Journey Home2009DocumentaryHost / Narrator
Phineas and Ferb2009TV SeriesNarrator
Family Guy2001-2009TV SeriesNarrator / FOX Announcer
Captain Alpha Male2009TV MovieLord of All Good
Free Radio2008TV SeriesDon LaFontaine
American Dad!2008TV SeriesMovie Trailer Announcer
America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back1991-2008TV Series documentaryAnnouncer
Frank TV2007TV Series
Live!2007Announcer (voice)
Internet Safety Force2007Video shortOpening Narration
Random! Cartoons2007TV SeriesAnnouncer
Interrogation2006/IIShortLuke
World's Most Amazing Videos1999-2006TV SeriesAnnouncer
Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story2005VideoFOX Announcer (voice)
Ark2005Narrator (voice, uncredited)
Fillmore!2002-2004TV SeriesAnnouncer
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun2003Video GameAttract Loop Narrator (voice)
Santa vs. the Snowman 3D2002ShortNarrator (voice)
Stargate SG-12001TV SeriesWormhole X-Treme Trailer Announcer
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction1997-1999TV SeriesAnnouncer
Claire Makes It Big1999ShortWild Horses Trailer Narrator (voice)
Sandman1998Santa, Balladeer
Team Knight Rider1997-1998TV SeriesOpening Narrator
JAG1997-1998TV SeriesOpening Narrator
Santa vs. the Snowman1997TV ShortNarrator (voice)
Plump Fiction1997Voice-over (voice)
The Birdcage1996Radio Newscaster (voice, uncredited)
Cung on zo1993Trailer Announcer (voice)
Last Action Hero1993Movie Trailer Announcer (voice, uncredited)
A Man Called Sarge1990Narrator (voice)
Scrooged1988IBC Promo Announcer (voice, uncredited)
Time Walker1982Reporter
St. Helens1981Narrator (uncredited)

Miscellaneous

TitleYearStatusCharacter
For the Bible Tells Me So2007Documentary narrator
World's Deadliest Sea Creatures1998TV Movie announcer
World's Most Daring Rescues1997TV Movie documentary announcer
The Magic of David Copperfield XVI: Unexplained Forces1995TV Special announcer

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Interrogation2006/IIShort executive producer / producer
Sandman1998executive producer

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Interrogation2006/IIShort
Sandman1998writer

Sound Department

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Coming Apart1969sound editor
San Sebastian 1746 in 19681968Short documentary sound editor

Music Department

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Hitter1979music editor

Production Manager

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Hitter1979post-production supervisor

Thanks

TitleYearStatusCharacter
They Put It Out There2011TV Movie special thanks
Phineas and Ferb2009TV Series in memoriam - 1 episode
Like Those Who Dream2008Short special thanks

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The World's Greatest Magic 51998TV SpecialHimself - Narrator (uncredited)
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction1997TV SeriesHimself - Narrator
Five Men and a Limo1997ShortHimself (as Don La Fontaine)
The World's Greatest Magic 41997TV SpecialNarrator (uncredited)
The World's Greatest Magic 31996TV SpecialNarrator (uncredited)
The World's Greatest Magic 21995TV SpecialNarrator (uncredited)
The World's Greatest Magic1994TV SpecialNarrator (uncredited)
Untitled 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Featurette1992TV Short documentaryNarrator (uncredited)
Willow: The Making of an Adventure1988TV Movie documentaryNarrator (voice, as Don La Fontaine)
Soldier Girl1980DocumentaryHimself - narrator
The Making of 'Star Wars'1977TV Movie documentaryNarrator (voice)
VO Buzz Weekly2012TV SeriesHimself
Unseen2011/IIDocumentary short voice
America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back2010-2011TV Series documentary
Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer2009DocumentaryHimself
Head Case2008TV SeriesHimself / Announcer
Spread TV2007TV SeriesHimself
alt.news 26:462007TV Series documentaryHimself
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno2007TV SeriesHimself
The 79th Annual Academy Awards2007TV SpecialAnnouncer (voice)
Breakfast2007TV SeriesHimself
The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch2007TV SeriesHimself
Last Call with Carson Daly2006TV SeriesHimself
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition2006TV SeriesHimself
I-See-You.Com2006Himself (as Don La Fontaine)
Jeopardy!2005TV SeriesHimself - Clue Giver
Family Guy2005TV SeriesHimself
Behind the Scenes: Behind Enemy Lines2002Video documentary shortNarrator
Boot Camp2001TV SeriesNarrator (voice)

Archive Footage

Known for movies


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