R.I.P.: Mark Elliott, Voice Over Artist, Former KFRC DJ

Mark Elliott (September 24, 1939 – April 3, 2021)

Mark Elliott, known for being the voice behind many Disney trailers for several decades, has died, his representative confirmed. He was 81, reports USAToday.

According to Elliott's rep Peter Varano, the actor died over the weekend.

"A true gentleman. It was an honor to represent him. We will miss him and we will never forget him," Varano added. "He was an incredibly talented voice-over actor. His career spanned decades and inspired many newcomers to the industry," Varano said in a statement. "Though many fans only knew him as a voice we were fortunate to know him as a person. His talent was only surpassed by his generosity and kindness."

Born John Harrison Frick Jr. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and began his voice career as a disc jokey for local radio stations.

Elliott was a radio disc jockey, starting at KPIG and then going to KCRG (both in his home town of Cedar Rapids, IA), and went on to deejay for KIOA in Des Moines, Iowa (as Sandy Shore), WKYC in Cleveland, Ohio (as Buddy Harrison), and RKO General radio stations CKLW in Windsor/Detroit (as Ed Mitchell), KFRC in San Francisco and KHJ in Los Angeles.

Later, Elliott guest hosted for Casey Kasem on American Top 40 several times between 1977 and 1982, and again when Kasem hosted Casey's Top 40, he was the regular guest host from 1989 to 1993. He also had his own music countdown show for Drake-Chenault, The Weekly Top 30, which aired between 1979 and 1982.

Elliott started working with Disney for trailer voice overs in 1977. He said his first job was to voice the trailer of the re-release of the 1950 film "Cinderella." 

Elliott was the voice behind many Disney at-home movie trailers including classics like "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "The Lion King" and "Tarzan." His last gig with Disney was in 2001.

 

Fellow voice actor Joe Cipriano posted a tribute to his late colleague on Facebook saying Elliott and was "a true gentleman."

"Getting to share all of our scenes in Lake Bell’s “In a World” was icing on the cake. I’m so sad about Mark’s passing," Cipriano wrote.