Phil LaMarr

Phillip "Phil" LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his voice acting on the animated series Futurama, Static Shock, Samurai Jack, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as the video games Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II The Sith Lords, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, The Jak and Daxter series of Video Games, Final Fantasy XII, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, inFAMOUS, and The Mercenaries Series.

Early life
LaMarr was born in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Harvard High School in North Hollywood and Yale University, where he helped found the improv comedy group Purple Crayon. One of his biggest roles at Yale was the title character in the British comedy Trevor. After graduating in 1989, LaMarr became a member of the award-winning sketch and improv comedy group The Groundlings. He also studied improv at The Second City and at the ImprovOlympic in Chicago with Del Close. He has also improvised with Cold Tofu and Off the Wall. His early film jobs arose from connections from his improv and college years. For example, LaMarr appeared in the film It's Pat (1994), written by friends from the Groundlings, and he appeared in Bio-Dome because the director was a friend from college. However, his big break came in a small but memorable role in Pulp Fiction as Marvin (he would later reprise the role in a MADtv sketch parodying the film).

MADtv
LaMarr, unlike most of the other original nine cast members of MADtv, had extensive television and film jobs experience when he joined the show. Even before college, he had voiced a character on the Mister T cartoon show.

Some of the recurring characters LaMarr performed on MADtv were Desperation Lee ("Funky Walker Dirty Talker"), Jaq the UBS Guy, "sexy player" Rick, talentless R&B singer Savante and Rocket Revengers star Lieutenant Abraham Jefferson (a.k.a. Lincoln Willis).

LaMarr has done "impressions" of celebrities such as Sammy Davis, Jr., Tommy Davidson, Louis Farrakhan, Michael Jackson, Vernon Jordan, Martin Lawrence, Spike Lee, Sidney Poitier, Colin Powell, Prince, Bill Maher, Ben Vereen, Chris Tucker, Michael Winslow, Rick James, Billy Crystal, Bobby Brown, Bernard Shaw, Sinbad, Kanye West, Don King, Johnnie Cochran, Nat King Cole, Sherman Hemsley, Chris Rock, Ice-T, and Ray Charles. He has done impressions of Moe Howard from The Three Stooges while playing an African-American version of the character.

LaMarr left MADtv at the end of the fifth season (2000).

Samurai Jack
LaMarr gave voice to the title character in the Cartoon Network animated series Samurai Jack, which started in 2001 and ended production in 2004. The show was about a time-displaced samurai living in a dystopian future.

Other television projects
LaMarr's television credits include a starring role on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited as Green Lantern, a major role as Hermes Conrad and various other characters on Futurama, the title roles on Static Shock, and guest starring roles on Cold Case, Eve, Reno 911!, the British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Without a Trace, Invader Zim, The Bernie Mac Show, NYPD Blue, Living Single, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Murphy Brown, and Family Guy. In season three of Mind of Mencia, he played the ghost of Johnnie Cochran. LaMarr reprised his role as Hermes Conrad in the Futurama movies Bender's Big Score, The Beast with a Billion Backs, Bender's Game, and Into the Wild Green Yonder. He also voices Wilt and other recurring characters in Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Carver Descartes on The Weekenders, and several characters in the critically acclaimed Afro Samurai. He additionally voices Jazz, Omega Supreme, Oil Slick, and Jetstorm on Transformers Animated. LaMarr's newest role will be voicing Gambit and Trask in the new animated TV show, Wolverine and the X-Men. Recently LaMarr portrayed Nautolan Jedi Master Kit Fisto in Star Wars : The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network; he also played Amit Noloff, a one time character, and a Tactical Droid. He also had a major role in Class of 3000 as Philly Phil. LaMarr will voice JARVIS and Wonder Man in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Film and theatre projects
LaMarr's stage credits include The Tempest, As You Like It, Guys and Dolls, Asylum, South Coast Repertory's Make the Break and Sacred Fools Theater's inaugural production of The Fatty Arbuckle Spookhouse Revue.

On the big screen, LaMarr has appeared in the comedies Kill the Man, Free Enterprise, Cherish, Pulp Fiction, and Manna from Heaven. He appeared in Speaking of Sex with Bill Murray and Catherine O'Hara, and Back by Midnight with Kirstie Alley, Rodney Dangerfield, and Randy Quaid.

LaMarr's recent film appearances include Fronterz (2004) and Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman (2005). As of April 2006, LaMarr is filming Cook-Off!, in which he will appear as Rev. Thaddeus Briggs, Esq.

LaMarr made a cameo appearance in the Will Ferrell film Step Brothers in which he is viewing a house for sale with his wife.

LaMarr also was in the Yum Corp Sexual Harassment training videos.

LaMarr is currently preparing to play Cowboy Curtis in the Broadway production of The Pee-wee Herman Show which begins performances Oct. 26th at the newly named Stephen Sondheim Theater. He played the role when the show was recently revived in Los Angeles. The character was originally portrayed on television by Laurence Fishburne.

LaMarr also appear in Spider-Man 2 as one of the riders standing behind Spidey, as he was trying to save the subway train.

Video game voiceover work
LaMarr did the English voice over work for Vamp, a villain of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Additionally, LaMarr did the voice over work for the character Reddas from Square Enix's Final Fantasy XII. He also did several voices, including Skelter, for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines.

He also did the English voice acting for the part of Sig in the Jak and Daxter video game series as well as voicing several characters in the game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, as well as the voice of Gadon Thek in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. As well as a featuring in the Sega CD game Make My Video C+C Music Factory. He also was the voice of Chris Jacobs in both Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction and its sequel, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. He plays the character John in the PS3 title Infamous. Also he plays the character Dr. Ragland in the game Prototype.

He also was the voice of the grumpy Kane in the game The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, and Marty in the movie game tie in Madagascar. LaMarr also recently voiced the merchant "Vulgrim" in the new action/adventure hybrid Darksiders. He did the voice work for the character of Sig in Jak 2, as well as reprise the role in Jak 3, along with another character, Count Veger.

He reprised his role as Kit Fisto for the video game: Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes. LaMarr voiced Rick Grimes in the animaton film of The Walking Dead.