Charles Martinet was the iconic voice of Mario for 32 years, a phenomenally impressive run. These days, he's been replaced by Kevin Afghani, who voices the character in Mario Kart World, but still serves as a Mario ambassador. Turns out, there are some things he won't do in order to "maintain the integrity" of the plumber.
Internet personality and comedian Ricky Berwick tweets a picture of him and Martinet, alongside the caption: "Charles Martinet wasn't even allowed to do the voice of Mario or any of his iconic character's voices either at the convention I attended over the weekend. It's a fucking shame."
He adds, Martinet only "Wasn't allowed to on video fyi," but "off camera was fine." One person replies, "Yeah, when I met him, I wanted to do a video with him and his voice, but he wasn’t allowed to, since he’s under a contract."
Oh Ricky. I do the Voice for every Fan I meet. I just don’t improvise non-Mario phrases or dialogue. That’s my choice to be sure. I always maintain the integrity of the character.But come and visit me at any Comic Con or Fan expo and you’ll hear super Mario for sure! #woohooJune 10, 2025
"Oh Ricky. I do the Voice for every Fan I meet. I just don’t improvise non-Mario phrases or dialogue," Martinet replies. "That’s my choice to be sure. I always maintain the integrity of the character. But come and visit me at any Comic Con or Fan expo and you’ll hear Super Mario for sure!"
I wonder what the strangest request he's had to turn down is? I imagine a lot of people want to hear Mario say some weird stuff, so I understand why this is a rule Martinet has imposed on himself.
So, if you ever meet Martinet in person, just remember that he takes Mario seriously. He voiced him for 32 years, so I'm not surprised he wants to protect that reputation.
If you want to hear Martinet throughout the years, check out our list of the best Mario games of all time.
