Phil LaMarr

Infobox actor
name = Phil LaMarr


imagesize = 150px
caption = Phil Lamarr
birthname = Phillip LaMarr
birthdate = birth date and age|1967|1|24
birthplace = Los Angeles, California
United States
deathdate =
deathplace =
othername =
website = http://homepage.mac.com/phillamarr
academyawards =
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Phillip "Phil" LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and voice actor, as well as one of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series "MADtv".

Early life

LaMarr was born in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Harvard-Westlake 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 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.)

Career

"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 impersonated 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, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nat King Cole, Sherman Hemsley, Chris Rock, and Ray Charles.

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

Other television projects

LaMarr's television credits include a starring role on "Justice League" 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", "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 Johnny Cochran. LaMarr reprised his role as Hermes Conrad in the "Futurama" movie, "Bender's Big Score". He also voices Jackie Khones, a recurring character 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 on . LaMarr's newest role will be voicing Gambit in the new animated tv show, Wolverine and the X-Men.

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" 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 had a cameo in "Spider-Man 2" as the train passenger who caught Spider-Man before he fell.

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 brief, cameo appearance in the Comedy film 'Step Brothers'; in which he is viewing a House for sale with his wife.

Involvement in Video Games

LaMarr did the English voice over work for Vamp the seemingly immortal vampire-esque villain from and . Additionally, LaMarr did the voice over work for the character Reddas from SquareEnix's Final Fantasy XII.

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.

elected works

External links

* [http://homepage.mac.com/phillamarr Official web pages]
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* [http://www.madtv.com Official MADtv site]
* [http://sidebar.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=266301 An Audio Interview with Phil LaMarr by SiDEBAR]