Kevin Afghani stormed the limelight in late 2023 when Nintendo unveiled him as the new voice for Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The voice actor bagged the role following the retirement of Charles Martinet who had voiced the characters since the 90s. With Martinet stepping aside to become a global brand ambassador for Mario, Afghani takes up the role that propelled him into mainstream renown.
Apart from Mario and Luigi, he’s also the voice of Wario in WarioWare: Move It!, all of which has endeared him to fans of the Nintendo franchise, placing his talent on the map for more career opportunities. Kevin Afghani acknowledges the massive impact of the roles in his burgeoning career. He welcomed 2024 reflecting on how far he’s come since he landed the iconic roles. “Never in my wildest imagination could I have believed what this year would mean to me,” he wrote on X. “I have lived a lifetime’s worth of dreams in a year and I truly cannot put into words how grateful I am.”
1. Kevin Afghani Is Passionate About Animation And Video Games
Afghani’s love for animation and video games informed his career choice. “I decided to become a voice actor for a single reason; my absolute love for animation and video games,” reads the opening paragraph of the bio on his website. “They are some of the most genuinely exciting forms of art that I have ever seen.” As a voice actor, Afghani wants to lend his passion to characters and help bring them to life. “I want to give a piece of myself to the things that I love,” added the actor as he explained his deep attraction to video games and animations.
2. His First Video Game Role Was In Genshin Impact
AHH. I can finally announce that I am officially a part of Genshin Impact!
You can find my directions as "ask-me-for-directions" Arnold as well as a bunch of little side characters throughout 2.8!
Huge thanks to @ChrisFaiella, @FormosaInteract, and everyone at @GenshinImpact! pic.twitter.com/groyqwxLrD
— Kevin Afghani (@KevinAfghani) July 18, 2022
While the Nintendo role catapulted Kevin Afghani into the spotlight, it is not the first work of the voice actor. He has been active since the 2010s, performing in various commercials. His debut video game role came in 2020 when he voiced the English version of Arnold in Genshin Impact, miHoYo’s action role-playing game. That same year, he voiced Spike in Anime Penguin: Red Snow, a short action film Ben Michael wrote and co-produced with Tom Jenkins. Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is his latest video game role. He provided additional voices for the action role-playing game released on February 29, 2024.
3. The Mario Voice Actor Is A Proud Nerd
Kevin Afghani takes pride in calling himself a nerd. He describes himself as a “big nerd” on Instagram and has shared posts alluding to that on other social media platforms. In a March 2024 X post, for instance, he disclosed that he regards any nerdy person he encounters as his brother. “It doesn’t matter if you are into some sci-fi show from the 80s (that) I have never heard of, or some obscure video game franchise that has somehow dodged my consciousness. We have both made the trek from our caves, we are brothers,” reads parts of the post.
4. He’s The Voice Behind Raditz In Dragon Ball R&R
This is one of the funniest episodes we have done in a while! Check it out! https://t.co/AR1mI81kij
— Kevin Afghani (@KevinAfghani) October 28, 2020
The Mario voice actor debuted as Raditz in a 2018 episode of the comedy series, performing alongside Courtney Meeker, Janna Kathleen, and Lawrence Simpson. He voiced the character in six more episodes between 2018 and 2021, making the series one of the most notable works of his fledgling career. Kevin Afghani also voiced various characters in four episodes of Mashed, a mini-comedy series produced by Spud Gun Studios and The Connected Set. Some of his other works as a voiceover talent include 2022’s Secret History of Cuphead and Among Us & Cuphead (2023).
5. Kevin Afghani Is An American From Agoura Hill, California
Since he gained mainstream popularity, the Nintendo gaming community has speculated on Afghani’s ethnicity and family background. Because of his name, it has been claimed in some quarters that he’s originally from Afghanistan. This isn’t necessarily true as the name is common in Iran and Pakistan among other destinations. While details of his family background and heritage haven’t been ascertained, it’s no secret he’s an American. Kevin Afghani was born on November 9, 1996, in Agoura Hill, California. He has kept a low profile since his rise to fame, fueling speculations about his life outside his career. Check out 5 interesting facts you didn’t know about Kara Zediker.
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