Charles Martinet recently shed light on his new role as Mario ambassador after stepping away from his long-standing role as the voice of the iconic character. Nintendo released a special message today in which Martinet provided an explanation for his new position as Mario ambassador following his departure as the voice of Mario.
“Today is a very big day for Nintendo, the Mushroom Kingdom, and for me,” Martinet expressed. “You may know me from voicing characters from Nintendo’s games like Super Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi, and today I’m happy to share with all of you that I’m stepping into a brand new role as the Mario Ambassador.”
Martinet revealed that his new role will involve extensive travel around the world, spreading the joy of the Mario family and continuing to connect with passionate fans, whom he deeply cherishes.
In the video message, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto joined Martinet, reminiscing about their working relationship and disclosing that Martinet would affectionately call him “Papa” whenever they crossed paths.
Miyamoto commended Martinet’s contributions, stating, “You have travelled the world visiting events, joyfully performing the voice of Mario for fans, and putting smiles on people’s faces.”
While it remains uncertain who will be taking over the role of Mario’s voice actor, Miyamoto shared that with the release of Super Mario Bros Wonder in October, “the voices of some Mario characters have become new, so please check them out.”
Martinet began working for Nintendo in 1991 and made his debut as Mario in the CD-ROM version of Mario Teaches Typing in 1994. Since then, he has become a household name, also lending his voice to characters like Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi.
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