Charles Martinet: the voice of Mario

CharacterCharles MartinetVoice acting

An audition in 1991 he wasn't even invited to, and thirty-two years of “It's-a me”. Born on September 17, 1955 in San Jose and a seasoned stage actor, Charles Martinet lent his voice to Mario from 1991 to 2023. This portrait retraces the legendary audition, the early “Mario in Real Time” days on the trade-show floor, the crowning moment of Super Mario 64 and his stepping back in 2023.

For more than thirty years, a single voice brought Mario to life: that of Charles Martinet. That “ It's-a me, Mario! ” tossed out with a cheerful Italian accent is him. A seasoned stage actor before becoming the most heard voice in video games, Martinet played the plumber from 1991 until the retirement announced in 2023.

Behind the character lies a surprising path: an audition he very nearly missed, an accent softened to charm children, a handful of other heroes voiced along the way and a world record to top it off. Here is the portrait of the man who lent his vocal cords to Nintendo's hero, before trading the microphone for an ambassador's role.

Contents

• A stage actor before Nintendo
• The legendary 1991 audition
• From “Mario in Real Time” to Super Mario 64
• Far more than Mario: every role he voiced
• 2023: retirement and the ambassador role
• At a glance
• FAQ

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A stage actor before Nintendo

Charles André Martinet was born on September 17, 1955 in San Jose, California, and grew up in Cupertino. As a teenager he lived in Barcelona and then in Paris, where he graduated from the American School of Paris. Back in the United States, he dropped his history studies to devote himself to the theatre.

His training was solid: an apprenticeship at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, a stint at Drama Studio London (where he discovered his gift for accents), then founding member of the San Jose Repertory Theatre. He racked up more than 75 stage productions. He would later name the character of Gremio, in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew , as one of the direct inspirations for his Mario voice.

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The legendary 1991 audition

In 1991, Martinet got a call from a friend: a trade show was holding an audition where you had to “talk to people while playing a plumber”. He turned up at the last minute, just as the casting crew was packing away its gear. He simply asked: “May I audition, please?”

The brief: an Italian plumber from Brooklyn. Martinet started from a cartoonish Italian-American accent, then deliberately softened it to make it warm and friendly, suited to children. He improvised without pause until the recording tape ran out. Several of the character's cult catchphrases were born from that improvisation.

Born in 1996 as a simple Super Mario 64 transformation, Metal Mario became a full-fledged Mario Kart racer fifteen years later — a rare leap from special effect to character.

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From “Mario in Real Time” to Super Mario 64

His very first role did not happen in a game, but at a booth. Thanks to the Mario in Real Time (MIRT) system, developed by SimGraphics, a facial-capture rig mirrored Martinet's mouth movements live onto a 3D Mario head. At trade shows, visitors could chat with Mario “live”.

His voice then made it into games: Mario Teaches Typing (CD version, 1994), then Mario's Game Gallery (1995). But it was Super Mario 64 (1996) that etched that voice into collective memory for good, with its “Wahoo!” and “Yahoo!” let loose on every jump.

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Far more than Mario: every role he voiced

Martinet was never “just” Mario. With the same set of vocal cords, he lent his voice to much of the family of the Mushroom Kingdom:

• Luigi, the shy brother, as well as Wario and Waluigi, the rivals.
• Baby Mario, Baby Luigi and Baby Wario, the miniature versions.
• Toadsworth (Peach's steward), Metal Mario, Shadow Mario and Dr. Mario.
• Several bosses from Super Mario Advance such as Wart, Mouser, Tryclyde and Clawgrip.

That versatility earned him a Guinness World Record: the most video game voice-over performances as the same character, with more than 100 appearances as Mario at the time of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

The franchise he embodied piles up the certified records: the best-selling of all time, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and its 67.35 million copies as of December 31, 2024.

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2023: retirement and the ambassador role

On August 21, 2023, Nintendo announced that Charles Martinet would stop voicing Mario and the franchise's characters. He is not leaving the family, though: he became “Mario Ambassador”, a tailor-made role that has him travelling, meeting fans, signing autographs and performing his voices again at events.

His successor at the microphone is Kevin Afghani, who takes over Mario and Luigi starting with Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023), Wario in WarioWare: Move It! (2023), Waluigi in Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024), then the babies in Mario Kart World (2025).

A little parting wink: in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), Martinet makes two cameos. He plays Giuseppe, a pizzeria regular who lets out a “Wahoo!”, and also Mario's father, with a voice “he had specifically chosen not to give Mario 32 years earlier”.

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At a glance

Full name	Charles André Martinet
Born	September 17, 1955, San Jose (California)
Voice of Mario	1991 – 2023
First role	Mario in Real Time (MIRT), Nintendo trade shows
Iconic game	Super Mario 64 (1996)
Successor	Kevin Afghani (from Mario Bros. Wonder, 2023)
New role	“Mario Ambassador” since 2023

🍄 Want to keep the adventure going? Discover our Mario figures in the shop.

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FAQ

• Does Charles Martinet still voice Mario?
  No. Since the announcement of August 21, 2023, he no longer lends his voice to Mario or to the franchise's other characters. He now holds the ambassador role (“Mario Ambassador”), devoted to meeting fans and to Nintendo events.
• Who replaced Charles Martinet?
  The actor Kevin Afghani. He takes over Mario and Luigi starting with Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023), Wario in WarioWare: Move It! (2023), Waluigi in Super Mario Party Jamboree (2024), then Baby Mario and Baby Luigi in Mario Kart World (2025).
• Which other characters has Charles Martinet voiced?
  Besides Mario, he has played Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Wario, Toadsworth, Metal Mario, Shadow Mario and Dr. Mario, as well as bosses such as Wart and Mouser in Super Mario Advance.
• How did he land the role of Mario?
  In 1991, a friend told him about an audition to play an Italian plumber from Brooklyn. Arriving at the last minute, while the crew was already packing up, he asked to try out and improvised the voice until the tape ran out. He deliberately softened the accent to make it appealing to children.
• Does Charles Martinet hold a world record?
  Yes. Guinness World Records credited him with the most video game voice-over performances as the same character, with more than 100 appearances as Mario at the time of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

 

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