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Charles Martinet, the iconic voice behind Mario for nearly three decades, has clarified his approach to character performances during fan meetups after recent social media speculation. Following confusion sparked by a convention appearance, the newly appointed Mario Ambassador explained his self-imposed limitations when interacting with fans.
Clarifying the Character Performance Guidelines
Martinet's enthusiastic in-character performances have long delighted fans at conventions. However, recent claims by YouTuber Ricky Berwick suggested Nintendo might be restricting Martinet's famous character voices - prompting the veteran voice actor to set the record straight.
After Martinet's appearance at Phoenix Fan Fusion 2025, Berwick (with 6.25 million YouTube subscribers and 14.1 million TikTok followers) claimed the actor "wasn't even allowed to do the voice of Mario or any of his iconic character's voices" during the event. The post gained traction online, coinciding with news that Samantha Kelly, another longtime Nintendo voice actor, had been replaced as Princess Peach and Toad.
While Nintendo officially retired Martinet from voice acting duties in 2022, they honored him with a special farewell video featuring Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and bestowed the honorary title of Mario Ambassador. Martinet has remained actively involved in fan events through convention appearances since then.
Martinet's Personal Approach to Character Integrity
Martinet directly responded to clarify that any limitations on his performances stem from his personal commitment to character authenticity rather than Nintendo-imposed restrictions. His decision focuses on avoiding improvised dialogue not present in official Nintendo games.
"Oh Ricky, I do the voice for every fan I meet," Martinet explained in his response. "I just don't improvise non-Mario phrases or dialogue." The veteran performer emphasized this was his own choice to maintain the integrity of Nintendo's beloved characters.
The actor reassured fans they can still expect to hear his signature Mario voice at events. "That's my choice to be sure," Martinet continued. "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! #woohoo"
Currently, Mario's voice in games is performed by Kevin Afghani, while Chris Pratt voices the character in the Super Mario Bros. Movie series, with a sequel scheduled for next year.
