Voice of the Movies Dies

Well-recognized trailer narrator worked on 5,000 movies

The man who may have had the most famous voice in Hollywood, well known and parodied for trailers that frequently began "In a world where . . ." in a trademark baritone, passed away this weekend after succumbing to a cardiopulmonary condition.

John LaFontaine worked as a voiceover actor for more than 40 years, becoming ubiquitous in movie theaters with his booming voice narrating almost every big box office action film trailer. He became so well known for his work that LaFontaine recently parodied himself in a GEICO insurance commercial in which well-known personalities stand in to narrate a customer's account of a car accident.

The actor and TV personality died at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles from a condition called pneumothorax, which is related to the collapse of a lung.

LaFontaine was a prolific worker, who once performed at 25 voiceover sessions in a single day to complete 100 different spots, according to the Internet Movie Database. He was 68 years old.

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