Charles Martinet

Charles Martinet (born September 17, 1955) is an American actor best known for giving life to the iconic video‑game plumber Mario from 1991 until his retirement from voice work in 2023. Growing up in California, Spain and France, he became fluent in French, Spanish and conversational Italian, a linguistic skillset that later helped him master a wide range of accents for characters across dozens of Nintendo titles. After studying history and politics at the University of California, Berkeley, he pivoted to acting, training at the Drama Studio London and honing his craft with the Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the San Jose Repertory Theatre. His breakthrough came when a last‑minute audition on a beach led Nintendo to hire him as the voice of Mario for a live‑demo system called Mario in Real‑Time (MIRT), where his improvised, friendly Italian‑American accent turned into the cheerful tone fans now recognize. The 1996 release of Super Mario 64 cemented his role, and he subsequently voiced Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, and numerous other characters, ultimately being recorded in over one hundred titles—a Guinness World Record for a single character.

Beyond the Mushroom Kingdom, Martinet has lent his voice to memorable roles such as Paarthurnax in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Magenta in the English dub of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. He has also narrated documentaries, performed in educational software, and appeared at major gaming conventions worldwide, becoming a beloved ambassador for Nintendo. After stepping down as Mario’s voice, he transitioned to the official “Mario Ambassador” role, continuing to engage fans, sign autographs, and represent the brand at events while occasionally returning for cameo voice work in newer projects.