Charles Martinet

"Ah, that Charles Martinet. Nice Italian boy."

- Mario

Charles Andre Martinet (last name pronounced mar-tin-AY), born September 17, 1955 in, , United States of America, is a prominent voice actor of the Mario games. He voices several major characters, including Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Wario, Metal Mario, the male bosses in Super Mario Advance, and many other male characters in the Mario series. The Internet Movie Database attributes over 150 works to Martinet in total. Martinet speaks fluent French, English and Spanish, but, ironically, not much Italian. His first voice over work at Nintendo was voicing the announcers, boxers, and the referee in  for the SNES.

Martinet originally was not invited to audition for the role of Mario. He crashed the auditions, and was asked to do an Italian accent. His recordings left so much of an impression that they were the only one sent to Nintendo. A former Shakespearean actor, Martinet has stated that Mario's voice was based on his voice for Gremio, a character from .

Martinet first officially voiced Mario in the Super Mario Bros. pinball machine in 1992, though he was uncredited in the game. The next time he portrayed Mario, and the first time as several other characters, was for Mario in Real Time in 1994, when he had motion sensors hooked to his face, which transposed his facial movements to a computer-generated Mario head on a screen. Martinet watched people passing by the screen through a surveillance camera and talked to them as Mario. This is used rather often by Nintendo when attending trade shows. An altered form of Mario in Real Time appeared in 1995's Mario's Game Gallery (later reissued as Mario's FUNdamentals), which is the first video game to have Mario portrayed by Charles Martinet.

Portrayals

 * Super Mario Bros. pinball machine – Mario
 * Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World – Mario
 * Mario in Real Time – Mario / Mario's face / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Donkey Kong / Mama Mario / Papa Mario / Himself
 * Mario Teaches Typing – Mario / Mario's face
 * Mario's Game Gallery – Mario
 * Super Mario 64 – Mario / Mario's face / Bowser's laugh / Boos / Thwomps
 * Super Mario 64 Original Soundtrack – Mario
 * Mario Kart 64 – Mario / Luigi (English) / Wario (English) / Thwomps (English) / Boos / System Voice (English)
 * Mario Kart 64 (slot machine) – Mario / Luigi / Wario
 * Mario Teaches Typing 2 – Mario / Mario's face
 * Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium – Mario
 * Mario Kart 64 Race Tracks – Mario / Luigi / Wario
 * Mario Kart 64 Original Soundtrack – Mario / Boos
 * Yoshi's Story – Boos
 * Mario Kart 64 on Club Circuit – Mario
 * Mario's FUNdamentals – Mario
 * Mario Party – Mario / Boos / Thwomps / Goombas
 * Super Smash Bros. – Mario / Luigi
 * Mario Golf – Mario / Luigi / Baby Mario / Wario / Metal Mario
 * Mario Party 2 – Mario / Mario's face / Boos / Thwomps / Goombas
 * Mario Tennis – Mario / Luigi / Baby Mario / Wario / Waluigi / Boos / Announcer
 * Mario Party 3 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Boos / Thwomps / Goombas
 * Super Mario Advance – Mario / Luigi / Clawgrip / Tryclyde / Mouser / Fryguy / Wart
 * Dr. Mario 64 – Dr. Mario / Wario / Metal Mario / Vampire Wario
 * Mario Kart: Super Circuit – Mario
 * Wario Land 4 – Wario
 * Luigi's Mansion – Luigi / Mario / Boos / Boolossus
 * Super Smash Bros. Melee – Mario / Luigi / Dr. Mario
 * Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 – Mario / Luigi / Boos
 * Super Mario Sunshine – Mario / Boos / King Boo
 * Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 – Baby Mario / Baby Luigi / Boos / Mario
 * Mario Party 4 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Boos / Thwomps / Goombas
 * Nintendo Puzzle Collection – Mario / Dr. Mario / Wario / Metal Mario / Vampire Wario
 * WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! – Wario
 * Wario World – Wario
 * Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 – Mario / Luigi / Boos
 * Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Shadow Mario / Boos / Thwomps
 * WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! – Wario
 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!! – Mario / Luigi / Baby Mario / Baby Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Boos
 * Mario Party 5 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Boos / Thwomps / Goombas
 * Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga – Mario / Luigi
 * Mario Golf: Advance Tour – Mario / Luigi / Waluigi / Wario / Thwomps
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong – Mario / Mini Marios
 * Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door – Mario / Doopliss (when impersonating Mario)
 * Mario Pinball Land – Mario / Boos
 * WarioWare: Twisted! – Wario / Wario-Man
 * Mario Power Tennis – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Mario Party 6 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Boos / Thwomps / Goombas
 * Super Mario 64 DS – Mario / Mario's face / Luigi / Wario / Boos (shared with Sanae Suzaki) / Bowser's laugh / Thwomps
 * WarioWare: Touched! – Wario / Wario-Man
 * Yoshi Topsy-Turvy – Boos
 * Nintendo Sound Selection Vol.3: B-Side Music – Luigi
 * Mario Party Advance – Boos / Thwomps
 * Yoshi Touch & Go – Baby Mario
 * Yakuman DS – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Boos
 * Mario Superstar Baseball – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Baby Mario / Baby Luigi
 * Mario Tennis: Power Tour – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Whisker / Sass
 * Mario Kart Arcade GP – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Robo Mario / Boos
 * SSX on Tour – Mario / Luigi
 * Super Princess Peach – Mario / Luigi
 * Mario Party 7 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Boos / Thwomps / Goombas
 * Mario Kart DS – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Super Mario Strikers – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time – Mario / Luigi / Baby Mario / Baby Luigi
 * New Super Mario Bros. – Mario / Luigi / Wario
 * Mario Hoops 3-on-3 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis – Mario / Mini Marios
 * Yoshi's Island DS – Baby Mario / Baby Wario / Boos / Six-Face Sal / Baby Bowser
 * WarioWare: Smooth Moves – Wario / Tiny Warios
 * Wario: Master of Disguise – Wario
 * Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Robo Mario / Boos
 * Super Paper Mario – Mario / Luigi / Mr. L
 * Mario Strikers Charged – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Mario Party 8 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Big Top / Thwomps / Goombas / Captain Goomba
 * Super Mario Galaxy – Mario / Luigi / Dry Bones (shared with Toru Asakawa) / Cosmic Mario / Cosmic Luigi
 * Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Dry Bones (shared with Toru Asakawa)
 * Mario Party DS – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Thwomps
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Wario-Man / Waluigi / Boos
 * Mario Kart Wii – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Baby Mario / Baby Luigi
 * Mario Super Sluggers – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Baby Mario / Baby Luigi
 * Wario Land: Shake It! – Wario / Chortlebot
 * WarioWare: Snapped! – Wario
 * Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story – Mario / Luigi
 * WarioWare: D.I.Y. – Wario
 * WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase – Wario / Wario-Man
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! – Mario / Mini Marios
 * Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Boos (shared as Sanae Suzaki) / Dry Bones (shared with Toru Asakawa)
 * New Super Mario Bros. Wii – Mario / Luigi
 * Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Mario / Luigi / Dry Bones (shared with Toru Asakawa) / Cosmic Clones
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! – Mario / Mini Marios
 * Mario Sports Mix – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * AR Games – Mario
 * Super Mario 3D Land – Mario / Luigi / Dry Bones (shared with Toru Asakawa) / Boos (shared with Sanae Suzaki) / Cosmic Clones
 * Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Dry Bones (shared with Toru Asakawa)
 * Fortune Street – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Mario Kart 7 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Metal Mario
 * Mario Party 9 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Mario Tennis Open – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Baby Mario / Metal Mario
 * New Super Mario Bros. 2 – Mario / Luigi
 * New Super Mario Bros. U – Mario / Luigi
 * Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon – Luigi / Mario
 * Game & Wario – Wario / Captain Wario / MechaWarios / Wario-Man
 * Photos with Mario – Mario / Luigi
 * Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move – Mario / Mini Marios
 * New Super Luigi U – Luigi
 * Mario & Luigi: Dream Team – Mario / Luigi / Luiginoids / Dreamy Luigi
 * Mario Kart Arcade GP DX – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Baby Mario / Fire Mario / Tanooki Mario / Ice Luigi / Metal Mario / Gold Mario
 * The Year of Luigi Sound Selection – Luigi
 * New Super Mario Bros. U + New Super Luigi U – Mario / Luigi
 * Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Mario Party: Island Tour – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Boos (shared with Sanae Suzaki) / Bubble Mario (unused)
 * Super Mario 3D World – Mario / Luigi / Boos (shared with Sanae Suzaki)
 * Yoshi's New Island – Baby Mario / Boos (shared with Sanae Suzaki)
 * Mario Golf: World Tour – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Gold Mario
 * Mario Kart 8 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Baby Mario / Baby Luigi / Metal Mario / Tanooki Mario
 * Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Boos (shared with Sanae Suzaki)
 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Wario-Man / Waluigi / Dr. Mario / Boos
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars – Mini Marios / Mario / Mini Luigis
 * Mario Party 10 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Nintendo Sound Selection: Endings & Credits – Luigi / Mario
 * Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition – Mario / Luigi / Boos / King Boo
 * Luigi's Mansion Arcade – Luigi
 * Super Mario Maker – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Cat Mario / Gold Mario / Silver Mario / Builder Mario / Mario Trio
 * Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Gold Mario
 * Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam – Mario / Luigi
 * Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Dry Bones (shared with Toru Asakawa)
 * Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge – Mini Mario / Mini Luigi
 * Paper Mario: Color Splash – Luigi
 * Mario Party: Star Rush – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Boos
 * Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS – Mario
 * Super Mario Run – Mario / Luigi
 * Mario Sports Superstars – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Baby Mario / Baby Luigi / Metal Mario
 * Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Baby Mario / Baby Luigi / Metal Mario / Gold Mario / Tanooki Mario
 * Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle – Mario / Luigi / Boos (shared with Sanae Suzaki)
 * Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions – Mario / Luigi
 * Super Mario Odyssey – Mario / Luigi
 * Mario Party: The Top 100 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Mario Tennis Aces – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * WarioWare Gold – Wario / Wario Deluxe
 * Super Mario Party – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Goombas
 * Luigi's Mansion (Nintendo 3DS) – Luigi / Mario / Gooigi / Boos / Boolossus
 * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mario / Luigi / Dr. Mario / Wario / Wario-Man / Waluigi / Boos
 * Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey – Mario / Luigi
 * New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – Mario / Luigi
 * Super Mario Maker 2 – Mario / Luigi
 * Mario Kart Tour – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi / Baby Mario / Baby Luigi / all corresponding variants
 * Luigi's Mansion 3 – Luigi / Mario / Gooigi
 * Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi
 * Paper Mario: The Origami King – Luigi
 * LEGO Super Mario – Mario / Luigi
 * Super Mario 3D All-Stars – Mario / Mario's face / Luigi / Bowser (shared with Scott Burns and Kenny James) / Boos / Thwomps / Dry Bones (shared with Toru Asakawa) / Cosmic Mario / Cosmic Luigi
 * Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit – Mario / Luigi
 * Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury – Mario / Luigi / Boos (shared with Sanae Suzaki) / Fury Shadow
 * Mario Golf: Super Rush – Mario / Luigi / Wario / Waluigi

Trivia

 * At the time of his audition, Charles Martinet had never heard of Mario or Nintendo.
 * In Mario Party, Super Smash Bros., Mario Golf, and Mario Party 2, as well as the Japanese version of Mario Kart 64, his surname is misspelled "Martinee", like how it is pronounced.
 * According to an interview in 2009, Charles Martinet told Shigeru Miyamoto that he wanted to voice Link in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, though Miyamoto told him that Link would remain without a speaking voice. In the final game, his grunts and yells were portrayed by Nobuyuki Hiyama.
 * Charles Martinet's favorite Mario game is Super Mario Maker. He is also a fan of the Mario Kart series, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Super Mario 3D World.
 * Martinet has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as providing the "most video game voiceover performances as the same character" (at least 100 as Mario, as of the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate).
 * Prior to doing voicework for the Mario franchise, he voiced the character Arnie the Dinosaur, a parody of Barney the Dinosaur, in the movie Nine Months, with Arnie coincidentally resembling Yoshi, one of Mario's friends.
 * Coincidentally, the voice clip sampled for Bowser's laugh in Super Mario 64 was recorded by Martinet years before his debut as Mario.