Phil LaMarr
A chameleonic voice actor and comedian whose versatile performances have shaped the soundscape of modern American animation.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American actor·Birthday: January 24·Generation X
Biography
Phil LaMarr's career is a masterclass in range, built on a foundation of sharp improv from his early days on 'MADtv.' While his face was familiar from sketch comedy, it was his voice that became ubiquitous, coloring in some of the most distinct characters of the 2000s. He didn't just play roles; he built personalities from the ground up, giving soul to the stoic, centuries-wandering samurai in 'Samurai Jack' and the bureaucratic rhythm of 'Futurama''s Hermes Conrad. In the DC animated universe, he gave gravity to both the street-smart hero Static Shock and the disciplined space cop John Stewart Green Lantern, expanding representation in superhero media with natural authority. His work is the background hum of a generation's childhood and adolescence, a collection of performances so varied that many fans have no idea the same man is behind them all. LaMarr operates not as a star, but as an essential utility player, the guy producers call when they need a character to sound uniquely and memorably real.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Phil was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Phil Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Phil's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
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
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Voiced the titular, dialogue-light hero in Genndy Tartakovsky's critically acclaimed series 'Samurai Jack'.
- Brought the character of Hermes Conrad, the planet express bureaucrat, to life across all seasons of 'Futurama'.
- Was the voice of Virgil Hawkins / Static in the animated series 'Static Shock', a landmark show for its Black teenage protagonist.
- Originated multiple characters during his five-season run as a cast member on the sketch show 'MADtv'.
Did You Know?
He is one of the original cast members of the HBO sketch series 'MADtv', debuting in 1995.
He performed as part of the improv comedy group The Groundlings.
He provided the voice for the vampire Sam in the video game 'The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion'.
Early in his career, he had a small role as Marvin in the film 'Pulp Fiction', the man who gets shot in the face by John Travolta's character.
“The fun of voiceover is you get to play characters that you would never be cast as in a million years in live action.”
