Maurice LaMarche
The masterful voice behind some of animation's most cerebral and hilariously pompous characters, from a scheming lab mouse to a deadpan alien.
Born 1958 (age 68)·Canadian voice actor·Birthday: March 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Maurice LaMarche didn't just do voices; he crafted personalities with a rich, resonant baritone that could convey genius, arrogance, or weary bureaucracy with a single syllable. A stand-up comedian from Canada, he broke into animation and found his true calling. His career-defining role came as The Brain, the Napoleonic mouse whose plans for world domination were perpetually foiled by his simple-minded partner, Pinky. LaMarche infused the character with a Shakespearean gravitas borrowed from his impression of Orson Welles. That same vocal dexterity brought life to Futurama's long-suffering Kif Kroker and the melodramatic robot actor Calculon, as well as classic roles like Inspector Gadget's unseen boss, Chief Quimby. For decades, his voice has been a subtle, sophisticated anchor in the chaotic world of cartoons, earning him a beloved place in the industry.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Maurice was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Maurice Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Maurice's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his work as The Brain on 'Pinky and the Brain'.
- Voiced the iconic role of The Brain for over 25 years across multiple series and specials.
- Provided the voice for Egon Spengler in the animated series 'The Real Ghostbusters'.
- Has been a principal voice actor on 'Futurama' since its inception, playing key characters like Kif Kroker and Calculon.
Did You Know?
His impression of Orson Welles, used for The Brain, was famously based on Welles' late-career radio commercials.
He performed the voice of the animated version of Alec Baldwin in the film 'Team America: World Police'.
He began his career as a stand-up comedian and impressionist in Toronto.
He voiced the character of Big Bob Pataki, Helga's father, on the cartoon 'Hey Arnold!'.
“The Brain is 10 percent my voice, and 90 percent Orson Welles reading the phone book.”
