Maurice LaMarche began doing standup comedy at the age of nineteen at Toronto’s Yuk Yuk’s Komedy Kabaret in 1977, alongside contemporaries Howie Mandel and Jim Carrey. Moving to Los Angeles in 1980, he brought his act to the world-famous Comedy Store, and by 1985, was balancing standup with a burgeoning career in voiceovers, beginning with playing Chief Quimby in “Inspector Gadget” (later taking over the part of Gadget with Don Adams’ blessing when he retired), then 140 episodes of “The Real Ghostbusters” as Dr. Egon Spengler, steadily building his resume to over 150 animated series. During this time, he was also touring across the U.S. and Canada, both on the comedy club circuit, and as a much sought-after opening act for stars like Rodney Dangerfield, George Carlin, Kool & The Gang, and Donna Summer.

He has been Emmy-nominated six times as a voice actor: for multiple characters on “Sid & Marty Krofft present D.C. Follies” in 1990; for playing "The Brain" in “Steven Spielberg Presents Pinky & The Brain" in 1998 (for which he won the Annie Award that same year); then finally winning consecutive Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 2011 and 2012 in Matt Groening’s "Futurama", for which he was again nominated in 2014, but happily lost to Harry Shearer, whom he likes very much. Most recently, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2021 for his performance in “The Rocketeer”, and he won the 2023 Annie Award for his reprisal of “Mr. Big” in Disney+’s “Zootopia+”

Commercially, he has given voice to several hundred commercials, most notably supplying the voice of Froot Loops’ Toucan Sam from 1987 until 2020. However, the commercials that no doubt put his voice into more living rooms and cars than any other was being cast as the ubiquitous Voice Of Lexus for the entire U.S. ad campaign from 2009 to 2017. And yes, they did give him one.

Headshot photo provided by Leanne Brodie. Find her on Instagram @leanne.brodie