Post by Hoist on Sept 19, 2015 2:30:54 GMT -5
So if Grimlock is my favorite Autobot of all time, my favorite Decepticon has always been and always will be Starscream. For a very long time now I've been watching a single episode from G1 each Saturday morning - just like when I was a kid and it struck me how unique Starscream was, with high high pitched voice, desire for leadership and like the comics his self-serving and sneakiness to look after no#1. It occured to be though that in the cartoons part of his uniqueness was due to his voice actor Chris Latta.
Born August 30, 1949, Christopher Lawrence Latta was born in Orange, New Jersey and became Christopher Charles Collins when his step father adopted him. His biological father Robert Latta was a New York stage actor, his mother Jane Morin worked as an advertising executive. After growing up in Harlem, he studied acting, dancing, voice and mime and worked on the New York and Boston stage after, also doing voice over work for Boston radio. He made his animation voice acting debut as one of the English dubbers of the 1979 anime series Space Battleship Yamato (also called Star Blazers). He was most recognizable in that series as the voice of space marine Sgt. Knox during the Comet Empire installment.
Many will started to know Latta however as the Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe before Starscream in Transformers. First for five part mini series before it became a regular series in 1985. He had to register as Chris Latta as there was already another Chris Collins actor performing. Both characters had that unique shrill, high and raspy voice, but you may not know he was actually Wheeljack and the human Sparkplug as well. Chris also voice characters in Inhumanoids, Visionaries: Knights of Magical light and originated the voice of Mr Burns in The Simpsons in three series #1 episodes, as well as Moe the bartender. He left in the first series with Hank Azaria took over the voice of Mow and Harry Shearer for Mr Burns. As Chris Collins he also had roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation (Captain Kargan and Captain Grebnedlog) and two different Markalians in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as well as the first episode of NYPD Blue. Elsewhere he had a bit part in the US film RoadHouse with Patrick Swayze and had a stand up comedy career in the 1980s and 1990s.
It's been 21 years since his death (Cerebral hemorrhage) on June 12th 1994 - scarily two months after my own mother died, he was married twice with three kids and when he was inducted into the Transformers Hall of Fame his daughter Abigail accepted on his behalf to a standing ovation. He was a talented, interesting man tkaen way before his time with a colorful life - Flint Dille (Who noted on the commentary track for the 20th anniversary DVD release of The Transformers: The Movie)
"There was one summer when I had to bail Chris Latta (Starscream, Cobra Commander) out of the Hollywood jail in order to get him to the recording on time. Never figured out what he was in for, but he said it was jaywalking. Chris was a wild, interesting guy. I liked him and was very sorry to hear that he died."
Chris's legacy will forever live on whether in G.I. Joe or Transformers As a kid the character of Starscream was always a favorite because of the treachery and the high voice, but only as an adult over the years when I've re-watched episodes have I realized how important this guy was to me, some eerie parallels and why his characters especially Starscream was so important to me and my favourite, it's not just the character but a lot of it has to do with Chris Latta in retrospective, I just never knew it.
*All information gathered from Wikipedia.
Christopher Charles Collins
August 30, 1949 – June 12, 1994
Born August 30, 1949, Christopher Lawrence Latta was born in Orange, New Jersey and became Christopher Charles Collins when his step father adopted him. His biological father Robert Latta was a New York stage actor, his mother Jane Morin worked as an advertising executive. After growing up in Harlem, he studied acting, dancing, voice and mime and worked on the New York and Boston stage after, also doing voice over work for Boston radio. He made his animation voice acting debut as one of the English dubbers of the 1979 anime series Space Battleship Yamato (also called Star Blazers). He was most recognizable in that series as the voice of space marine Sgt. Knox during the Comet Empire installment.
Many will started to know Latta however as the Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe before Starscream in Transformers. First for five part mini series before it became a regular series in 1985. He had to register as Chris Latta as there was already another Chris Collins actor performing. Both characters had that unique shrill, high and raspy voice, but you may not know he was actually Wheeljack and the human Sparkplug as well. Chris also voice characters in Inhumanoids, Visionaries: Knights of Magical light and originated the voice of Mr Burns in The Simpsons in three series #1 episodes, as well as Moe the bartender. He left in the first series with Hank Azaria took over the voice of Mow and Harry Shearer for Mr Burns. As Chris Collins he also had roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation (Captain Kargan and Captain Grebnedlog) and two different Markalians in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as well as the first episode of NYPD Blue. Elsewhere he had a bit part in the US film RoadHouse with Patrick Swayze and had a stand up comedy career in the 1980s and 1990s.
It's been 21 years since his death (Cerebral hemorrhage) on June 12th 1994 - scarily two months after my own mother died, he was married twice with three kids and when he was inducted into the Transformers Hall of Fame his daughter Abigail accepted on his behalf to a standing ovation. He was a talented, interesting man tkaen way before his time with a colorful life - Flint Dille (Who noted on the commentary track for the 20th anniversary DVD release of The Transformers: The Movie)
"There was one summer when I had to bail Chris Latta (Starscream, Cobra Commander) out of the Hollywood jail in order to get him to the recording on time. Never figured out what he was in for, but he said it was jaywalking. Chris was a wild, interesting guy. I liked him and was very sorry to hear that he died."
Chris's legacy will forever live on whether in G.I. Joe or Transformers As a kid the character of Starscream was always a favorite because of the treachery and the high voice, but only as an adult over the years when I've re-watched episodes have I realized how important this guy was to me, some eerie parallels and why his characters especially Starscream was so important to me and my favourite, it's not just the character but a lot of it has to do with Chris Latta in retrospective, I just never knew it.
*All information gathered from Wikipedia.
Christopher Charles Collins
August 30, 1949 – June 12, 1994