Michael Leslie Winslow is an American actor, comedian and beatboxer billed as The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects for his ability to make realistic sounds using only his voice. He is best known for his roles in all seven Police Academy films as Larvell Jones. He has also appeared in Spaceballs, Cheech and Chong's Next Movie, The Love Boat, and commercials for Cadbury and GEICO.
Early life
Winslow was born in Spokane, Washington, the son of Verdie and Robert Winslow. He attended the Lisa Maile School of Acting, Modeling and Imaging. Winslow grew up at Fairchild Air Force Base where, according to his own account, he had few friends. To pass time, he would imitate the sounds of engines, animals, anything that made noise. Following his high school and college periods, he performed in nightclubs and theaters, where his sound imitation skills won him positive appraisal and enough money to move to and perform his act in Hollywood.
Career
His first television appearance was on The Gong Show in which he squeezed in sound-alikes of Benji the movie dog, Star Trek, and Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze". He is best known for his role as Larvell Jones in the Police Academy series of movies and TV shows. In 1985, Island Records released a 12" of Michael Winslow entitled "I Am My Own Walkman". In 1986, Winslow presented the Best Sound Effects EditingOscar to Charles L. Campbell and Robert Rutledge for their work on Back to the Future. In 1987, Winslow appeared as a radar operator in the movie Spaceballs, in which he performs all the sound effects during his scene himself. Mel Brooks, stated that by doing so, Winslow saved the film money. Winslow is also a motivational speaker. Since the fall of 2008, Winslow has hosted the motion-picture television series called "Way Back Wednesday with Winslow" on the cable superstationWGN America, which features movies mostly released in the 1980s. He continues to perform stand-up comedy around the globe. Michael Winslow debuted his own iPhone and iPod Touch apps in 2010, bringing his sound effects and comedy to a mobile platform. ThatsKungFu generates Winslow's kung fu fighting sounds when the device is swung in a fighting motion. NoizeyMan, billed as the "World's Noiziest App", contains video, ringtones, sound effects, and mini games, all created by Winslow. In 2011, Winslow worked with Orlando, Florida-based game development studio Phyken Media on a mobile game for iOS and Android platforms entitled Wizard Ops Chapter 1, providing all the sound effects for the game. He also lent his voice on Wizard Ops Tactics, a turn-based tactical game and spiritual successor to the previous game. He was also featured in a commercial for GEICO Insurance during their "we hired a celebrity" ad campaign.
