OBITUARIES

Iconic Movie Trailer Voice Over Artist Hal Douglas Has Passed Away

by Ethan Anderton
March 13, 2014
Source: New York Times

It's been six years since iconic movie trailer voice over artist Don LaFontaine passed away, and now that niche in the entertainment industry has lost another great. Hal Douglas has passed away at age 89 due to complications from pancreatic cancer. Along with LaFontaine and Don Morrow, Douglas was one of the top three movie trailer voice over artists in the industry. The man lent his voice to trailers for Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Con-Air and Lethal Weapon, but also dabbled in comedy with contributions to the trailers for Coneheads and Meet the Parents. We could list his work all day, but it's better if you listen.

Here's a demo reel of some of the work Hal Douglas did, and you'll recognize his voice immediately:

And over 10 years ago, Mr. Douglas actually got in front of the camera for this clever movie trailer for Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up comedy documentary Comedian, where they make fun of some of his job's tropes:

As The New York Times notes, Douglas was humble, speaking of his job, "I’m not outstanding in any way. It’s a craft that you learn, like making a good pair of shoes. And I just consider myself a good shoemaker.” Before Douglas became a movie trailer legend, Douglas actually trained as a pilot and served in the Navy during World War II for three years, followed by a study of acting at the University of Miami. After taking jobs on radio and television for commercials and lead-ins to TV shows, he ventured into movie trailers, and became the iconic voice we know today. Voice overs in trailers aren't as common as they once were, but Douglas was one of the best, and will always stand as one of the greats in that arena. Rest in peace.

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