There are some gigs in the entertainment industry that seem fairly easy, and then there’s Charles Martinet’s job voicing Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi in various Nintendo games. A couple times a year, when Nintendo has a new Super Mario Bros. or Mario Kart or Mario Tennis ready to go, he just has to rattle off a “Wahoo,” an “It’s-a me, Mario,” and a “Let’s-a go,” and then he’s done. Multiply that by 100, and he’s not only an iconic voice actor but also—as of this week—a Guinness World Record holder.
The Guinness people made that announcement a few days ago, declaring that Mario’s appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate marks the 100th time that Martinet has voiced the turtle-killing, dinosaur-riding plumber—an achievement that counts as the most times that one actor has performed the voice of the same character in a video game. Polygon questions that number, saying it could only come up with either 90 or 98, but Guinness seems confident that Ultimate makes it 100. Either way, Martinet’s first appearance as Mario was most likely 1995's Mario’s Game Gallery on PC, though his most iconic turn came a year later in Super Mario 64, and he’s definitely played Mario more times than any other video game voice actor has played any other character.
Guinness even recorded a video podcast with Martinet, who seems like a genuinely cheerful person, and he’s clearly overjoyed to talk about his history with Nintendo, the weird way he got the job, and the fun he’s had doing his Mario voices for people over the years. He even throws in some lines as Waluigi if you’re one of the monsters who likes to hear from that twisted creep, as well as some surprise appearances from other video game characters that he has played.