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Michael Winslow

 
Actor: Michael Winslow
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Sep 06, 1960 in Spokane, Washington
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '80s, 2000s
  • Major Genres: Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Police Academy, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, Alphabet City
  • First Major Screen Credit: Alphabet City (1984)

Biography

"Human sound-effects machine" Michael Winslow first achieved prominence on the standup comedy circuit in the early '80s. The African-American Winslow went on to a few TV guest spots, including an impressive "straight" role as an emotionally disturbed student on The White Shadow. His greatest fame lay not in dramatics, however, but in his awesome ability to create remarkably convincing sound effects -- police sirens, helicopters, machine gun fire, to name a few -- using nothing more than his voice. This singular skill was one of the few saving graces of the many Police Academy movie raunchfests of the 1980s, wherein Michael Winslow was cast as Sgt. Lavel Jones. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Michael Winslow
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Michael Winslow
Born September 6, 1958 (1958-09-06) (age 51)
Spokane, Washington
Occupation Actor/Comedian
Official website

Michael Winslow (born September 6, 1958) is an American actor and comedian known as the "Man of 10,000 Sound Effects"[1] for his ability to make realistic sound effects using only his voice. He lives in Winter Garden, Florida, an outlying suburb of Orlando.

Contents

Life and career

Michael Winslow was born in Spokane, Washington, the son of Robert Winslow.[2] He attended the Lisa Maile School of Acting, Modeling, and Imaging. His first television appearance was on The Gong Show in which he squeezed in spot-on sound-alikes of Benji the movie dog, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song". He is best known for his role as Sgt. Larvell "Motor Mouth" Jones in the Police Academy series of movies and TV shows. In 1985, Island released a 12" of Michael Winslow titled "I Am My Own Walkman". Winslow is also a motivational speaker.

References in other media

  • In 2007, Winslow was featured as himself in promos for ESPN Radio. The hook of the promo is that without ESPN's constant updates, a listener's sports knowledge would be as dated as 80's icon Winslow.
  • Also in 2007, Winslow was featured in a Geico commercial with a real customer (Alex Klein), performing his signature sound effects to enhance the story of the customer's Geico experience. He is mentioned as "that guy who does those funny sound effects".
  • In the first season of the animated program King of the Hill, Bobby Hill practices making sound effects while his mother cleans up his room. When asked what he's doing he replies, "I gonna be a stand up comedian one day and make noises like that guy from Police Academy."
  • In The Simpsons episode "Marge Be Not Proud", Bart Simpson is caught stealing and is lectured by Homer, who concludes with the lines: "We live in a society of laws. Why do you think I took you to all those Police Academy movies? For fun? Well I didn't hear anybody laughing, did you? Except at that guy who made sound effects." Homer then attempts to make random sound effects, laughs at himself and forgets what he was talking about.
  • Michael Winslow was parodied by Phil LaMarr in a MADtv skit mocking Hollywood Squares.
  • In the Family Guy episode "Family Guy Viewer Mail #1" (during the sub episode “Li'l Griffins”), the characters are required to stay in a haunted house to impress Lois. They hear what appears to be the sound of a wolf, but discover it's just Michael Winslow making noises, which in turn scares them even more.
  • The episode "Sausage Fest" of Robot Chicken featured Winslow's Larvell Jones from Police Academy as well as the other police officers when they join the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning to become X-Men. Michael Winslow voiced his character as well as the accompanying sound effects. Throughout the sketch, Jones character seems to be making screeching sound effects whenever Professor Xavier rolls around on his wheelchair. Xavier realizes this and uses his powers to make Jones brain dead so that he can't do this anymore, only to find out that his wheelchair was, in fact, screeching on its own. Winslow also performed an alternate ending theme for the credits of that episode.
  • Winslow was spoofed on In Living Color, with David Alan Grier making sound effects. Although the biggest punchline was a narrator saying "You remember Michael Winslow from Spaceballs, as well as Police Academy 1, Police Academy 2...." and continues naming the Police Academy films up to a non-existent Police Academy 8 and 9.

Live appearances

Filmography

References

  1. ^ "Michael Winslow - The Man Of 10,000 Sound Effects". BroadwayWorld.com. 2008-07-12. http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=29876. Retrieved 2008-08-17. 
  2. ^ Michael Winslow Biography (1960?-)

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Michael Winslow".  Read more