The voice of Mario from the famous Nintendo games is in Edmonton for the city’s Comic and Entertainment Expo.
Charles Martinet has been doing voices for Mario Bros. for nearly 30 years. He says he got the role after an unplanned audition.
“I honestly crashed an audition. I was there on a beach doing what actors do, waiting for the phone to ring and it was a friend who said, ‘Go crash this audition,'” Martinet said.
To his surprise, Martinet was hired at a time when he didn’t know much about video games. He says the experience has been the most joyful of his career.
“I get to have this wonderful life doing what I love to do.”
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In addition to voicing the title character of the Nintendo game, Martinet also voices Baby Mario, Luigi, Baby Luigi, Wario, Waluigi and Toadsworth.
Martinet says he voices the game through a mixture of reading off a script and improvising.
The role has allowed him to travel to places like Edmonton for the Comic and Entertainment Expo, where he gets to meet Mario fans.
“It’s just such a joy. The expo is the most wonderful experience. You get to meet people that you become friends with for life, and it’s like a giant party,” Martinet said.
The actor has also been to Australia, Mexico and Chile to meet Mario fans.
The Edmonton Comic and Entertainment Expo starts Friday afternoon and runs until late Sunday afternoon at the Edmonton Expo.