Sad news for movie lovers as People Magazine confirms reports that prolific movie trailer and television voice-over artist Don LaFontaine has died at the age of 68.

A man whose distinctive and authoritative voice could be instantly recognized by generations of movie fans, LaFontaine likely ushered in the apocalypse at least twice a year in movie trailers, yet he still managed to prove that he wasn’t always so deadly serious by teaming with fellow voice-over artists John Leader, Al Chalk, Mark Elliot, and Nick Tate for a side-splitting 2006 skit introducing the 26th Annual Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards. In addition to another humorous display of self-parody that came in the form of a memorable Geico commercial, LaFontaine voiced so many movie trailers that he ultimately became known to the masses as the “‘In a World’ Guy.”

A former recording engineer, film editor, producer, and writer, LaFontaine recorded his first movie trailer voice-over (for the 1964 western Gunfighters of the Casa Grande) after the original voice-over artist failed to show up for the recording session. Since LaFontaine had already written the copy for the trailer it seemed only natural that he would be the man to step behind the microphone and pick up the slack, the results being so impressive that the rest of his creative endeavors would soon take a backseat to his voice-over work. At last count LaFontaine had voiced over 5000 film trailers, his small screen jobs (such as the voice of 24 and the 79th Annual Academy Awards for starters) easily dwarfing that number.

As a tribute, your friends at the All Movie Guide have assembled a collection of various short clips that highlight LaFontaine’s playful sense of humor as much as they do his cavernous, commanding voice - a voice that will no doubt continue to echo through the heads of movie lovers for generations to come.

Enjoy.

LaFontaine’s story in his own words:

Podcast interview:

Today Show profile:

Five Guys in a Limo:

Geico ad:

Bird’s Eye frozen vegetables:

Chickens - Featuring Don LaFontaine: