The Voice Behind the Laughter: Carlos Alazraqui

As one of the most popular voice actors in entertainment today, Yonkers comedian Carlos Alazraqui is impressing audiences nationwide. What began as a gig working the comedy circuit in Sacramento, California evolved into a career voicing some of film and television's most beloved animated characters. From Rocko on “Rocko's Modern Life” to the dual role of Juandissimo Magnifico and Denzel Crocker on “The Fairly OddParents” , Alazraqui's talent for creating fun and unique characters has made him a staple of youth media. Over four decades, Alazraqui navigated the highs and lows of the entertainment industry. All the while he built a body of work that continues to delight and entertain viewers of all ages.

Discovering Comedy in College

Alazraqui was born in Yonkers on July 20, 1962 to Argentine parents, and moved to Concord, California in his youth. In the mid-1980s, he discovered his passion for entertainment as a student at the Sacramento campus of California State University. Under the pressure of academic studies, Alazraqui found solace in the open mics and comedy clubs in and around campus. He embraced the art of comedy and took to the stage to hone his craft. There he learned the techniques and timing to make his audiences laugh.

Alazraqui's early years in comedy reached a peak in 1993 when he won the prestigious San Francisco Comedy Competition. Defeating seasoned comedians like Patton Oswalt and Marc Maron, he showcased his talent for humor–captivating audiences with wit and charm. The competition gave him experience performing against seasoned entertainers and also exposed him to producers in the entertainment industry. He moved to Los Angeles and began looking for opportunities to expand his career into acting.

Finding His Voice

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles in the late 1980s, Alazraqui began working as a voice actor for Saturday morning cartoon. Many favorites included “Tiny Toon Adventures”, “Darkwing Duck”, and “Goof Troop”. In 1993 he landed the lead role voicing Rocko on “Rocko's Modern Life”, and remained on the cast for 53 episodes. For the next several years, he continued working on children's animated series including “Aladdin”, “Animaniacs”, and “Timone & Pumba”. Alazraqui was also successful in booking voice acting roles in animated feature films including “Beauty and the Beast”, “Pocahontas”, “Toy Story 2”, and “Finding Nemo”. Voicing video game characters was also a natural fit for him. He voiced game characters in “Top Gun: Fire at Will” and “Star Wars: Starfighter”, among others.

At the turn of the millennium, Alazraqui tested the waters of live-action acting with minor television roles in “Twin Peaks”, “That 70's Show”, and “Lizzie McGuire”. He later landed a regular role as Deputy James Garcia on “Reno 911!” . Over 105 episodes, he brought a unique blend of humor and humanity to the character, garnering widespread acclaim and adoration including a 2022 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Television Movie for the extended movie episode, “Reno 911!: The Hunt for QAnon”.

New Characters and Commercial Success

Throughout the 2000s, Alazraqui experienced success in voice and screen acting with numerous roles in animated productions, video games, live action television series, and feature films. During this period, he was cast to voice the chihuahua in a series of popular Taco Bell commercials . With more than 300 professional acting credits to his name, Alazraqui describes how he began acting and the inspiration behind his extensive portfolio of characters.

I was definitely drawn to different dialects and characters at home with South American parents and my best friend Kevin, who's parents were from Glasgow, Scotland. Watching cartoons and all the great 70s TV sitcoms, Monty Python . But watching Carol Burnett really gave me some early inspiration […] Voice acting, like stand up comedy, is theatre of the mind. We do it naturally.

Interview with Carlos Alazraqui

With a career spanning over 40 years, Alazraqui's journey reflects a legacy of laughter and inspiration that transcends media. Whether he's making children laugh as the voice of their favorite animated characters or earning a cult following with his comedic roles in some of television's most popular series, he remains grounded in his passion for storytelling and connecting with audiences. As his career continues to flourish, including voice performances in 2023's smash hit “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”, Alazraqui finds solace and joy in the simple moments shared with his wife and two daughters.