Original Super Mario Actor Breaks Silence on Chris Pratt In The Role
Fans of Super Mario which is set to hit the big screen in 2023 have been unhappy for quite some time now. They were really disappointed that Chris Pratt would be the voice of the iconic plumber. As soon as the movie teaser saw the light of day, Super Mario fans went into a complete frenzy.
Many fans pointed out that the trend of using famous non-voice actors in major movies just because of their popularity is very upsetting. They say there are plenty of great voice actors who could have played these roles much better. But producers do not invite them to major projects because they are not big household names.
One of the good examples, redditors argue, is Mark Hamill, who has proven himself to be one of the best voice actors. And he proves the thesis that he will be judged on his voice acting ability and not on his level of fame.
Chris Pratt will voice Mario with his typical American accent, which some see as a problem because there are many Italian-American voice actors who could have done a much better job.
Super Mario producer Chris Meledandri thinks Pratt is the perfect choice.
"We are collaborating with Chris and his experienced team to not just create a character-licensed film, but a new piece of entertainment which brings 'Super Mario Bros.' to life on the screen, and allows everyone to enjoy whether or not they know about the game," he said, adding that once people hear Pratt's performance, most of them will stop criticizing him.
But it is not just fans who think Pratt is not the best candidate to voice the plumber. John Leguizamo, who played Luigi in the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie, has also unleashed a tirade against Pratt and the way the casting was done. Speaking to IndieWire, the actor said the casting was "going backwards".
"I'm O.G. A lot of people love the original. I did Comic-Con in New York and in Baltimore, and everyone's like, 'No, no, we love the old one, the original.' They're not feeling the new one," Leguizamo said.
He also recalled what it took to get him to play Luigi in 1993.
"The directors Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton fought really hard for me to be the lead because I was a Latin man, and they [the studio] didn't want me to be the lead," He said the filmmakers fought really hard and having him on the cast was a breakthrough.
He believes today's decision to "not cast another [actor of color] kind of sucks." And that partially echoes the sentiments of Super Mario Bros. fans on Reddit who were upset that an Italian-American actor was not chosen as the voice.