Charles Martinet Departs from Role as Voice of Mario
Charles Martinet, who has been the voice of Mario in Nintendo games since the 1990s, is resigning from his role.
Nintendo of America confirmed Monday that Martinet will now serve as a “Mario Ambassador,” traveling the world to promote the beloved plumber, signing autographs and voicing Nintendo characters.
“It’s been a privilege to work with Charles in bringing Mario to life for so many years, and we want to thank and celebrate him,” Nintendo said in a statement.
In addition to being the original voice of Mario, he has also voiced Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi in video games. Although he did not voice Mario in the recent film, he did have a small role as Mario’s father.
During a question-and-answer session at the Canadian Game and Comic Expo two years ago, Martinet told the crowd, “I want to talk Mario until I die,” in response to a fan’s question, according to gaming blog The Game Crater. But he added “if one day I think I can’t do it anymore, I’ll tell Nintendo to find someone else.”
Nintendo did not say why Martinet is leaving or who will replace him as the voice of Mario.
