Let’s be real for a second. If you grew up in the late 80s or early 90s, your afternoons were probably defined by a very specific, slightly chaotic energy. You’d sit down, the TV would flicker to life, and suddenly there’s a professional wrestler dressed in red overalls rapping about pasta. It sounds like a hallucination. It wasn't. The Super Mario Super Show cast managed to bridge the gap between pixelated sprites and actual human beings in a way that was both deeply weird and incredibly charming.
It’s easy to look back now and laugh at the low-budget sets or the fact that Mario basically sounded like he was from Brooklyn via a gravel pit. But back then? This was the peak of Nintendo mania. The show was a hybrid, mixing live-action segments with animated cartoons, and the success of the whole thing rested entirely on the shoulders of a very small, very dedicated group of performers. Honestly, without the specific chemistry of the Super Mario Super Show cast, the series probably would have folded in a week. Instead, it became a cult classic that people still meme to death decades later.
Captain Lou Albano: The Definitive Mario?
When people talk about Mario today, they think of the high-pitched, "Wahoo!" energy of Charles Martinet or the Hollywood polish of Chris Pratt. But for a generation of kids, Mario was—and always will be—Captain Lou Albano.
Lou wasn't an actor by trade; he was a professional wrestling legend. He was a manager in the WWF (now WWE) known for wearing rubber bands on his face and screaming into microphones. Casting him was a stroke of genius. He brought a physical presence to the role that made sense. You believed this guy could smash a brick with his head.
Albano didn't just voice the character in the cartoons. He played him in the live-action segments, too. He'd stand there in a cluttered basement set—supposedly in Brooklyn—dealing with guest stars ranging from Magic Johnson to Elvira. It was surreal. He stayed in character, too. Mostly. There’s a famous story that he actually grew out his facial hair specifically for the role because he hated the fake mustaches they tried to make him wear. That’s commitment.
The Voice Behind the Legend
In the animated portion, Lou’s voice was different. It was gruff. It was thick with a New York accent that felt authentic because, well, Lou was a New Yorker. He didn't try to make Mario sound like a magical elf. He made him sound like a plumber who was tired, hungry, and probably wanted a nap after saving the Princess for the tenth time that week.
Danny Wells as Luigi: The Perfect Foil
You can't have Mario without Luigi, and Danny Wells was the unsung hero of the Super Mario Super Show cast. While Lou was the "star," Wells provided the comedic timing that kept the live-action skits from falling flat.
Wells was a Canadian actor who had a decent career before the show, notably appearing on The Jeffersons. He played Luigi as the slightly more anxious, slightly more sensible brother. It’s a dynamic that has stayed with the characters ever since. In the show, Luigi was often the one getting stuck with the chores or being the butt of the joke, and Wells played it with a "why me?" shrug that was genuinely funny.
Tragically, both Lou Albano and Danny Wells passed away within a few years of each other (Albano in 2009 and Wells in 2013). It felt like the end of an era. They were a duo in real life, often appearing at conventions together, leaning into the legacy of the show long after it off the air. They knew it was goofy. They didn't care. They loved the fans.
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The Animated Voices: Princess Toadstool and Toad
The live-action segments were great, but the heart of the show for many was the cartoon. This is where the rest of the Super Mario Super Show cast really got to shine, even if we never saw their faces.
Jeannie Elias voiced Princess Toadstool (this was before everyone universally called her Peach). She gave the Princess a bit of an edge. She wasn't just a damsel; she was often the one coming up with the plan while the Mario brothers were distracted by a plate of fettuccine.
Then there was John Stocker as Toad. Stocker is a voice acting legend in Canada. If you watched cartoons in the 80s, you heard his voice. He played Toad with this frantic, high-pitched energy that could be grating if played by anyone else, but he made it work. He also voiced Mouser and several other villains, showing off a range that most people didn't appreciate at the time.
King Koopa: The Villain We Loved to Hate
Harvey Atkin provided the voice for King Koopa. Atkin had this incredible, raspy voice that made Koopa sound genuinely threatening but also sort of pathetic. He was the classic Saturday morning cartoon villain—always one step away from victory before a stray fire flower ruined his day. Atkin's performance was so iconic that it influenced how Bowser was perceived for years, even after the games moved away from the "Koopa" name in the West.
Why the Live-Action Guest Stars Mattered
One of the weirdest parts of the show was the guest star roster. Seriously, look it up. The Super Mario Super Show cast expanded every week to include celebrities who had absolutely no business being in a plumber’s basement.
- Vanna White: She played herself in an episode where she needed help with her "Vannas."
- Nicole Eggert: Fresh off Charles in Charge, she showed up for a bit.
- Rowdy Roddy Piper: Another wrestling connection. His chemistry with Albano was electric because they were old friends from the ring.
These appearances made the show feel "big." It wasn't just a cartoon; it was a variety show. It felt like anything could happen. Sometimes they’d have a fashion show. Sometimes they’d have a ghost. It was pure, unadulterated 1989.
The Production Chaos
It wasn't all pasta and laughs behind the scenes. The show was produced by DIC Entertainment, and they were churning out episodes at a breakneck pace. We're talking 65 episodes in a single season. That is an insane amount of content.
The live-action segments were filmed in a very short window. Lou Albano and Danny Wells would spend hours in that basement set, often ad-libbing their lines because the scripts were, let's say, "flexible." This improvisational feel is actually why the show holds up as a piece of kitsch art. It feels loose. It feels like two guys having a blast, which is more than you can say for a lot of over-polished modern children's programming.
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The "Do the Mario" Ending
We have to talk about the ending credits. "Do the Mario." It’s the song that never leaves your head. Lou Albano dancing in front of a green screen, swinging his arms, and occasionally looking like he's forgotten the steps.
It’s arguably the most famous part of the show. It perfectly encapsulated the "just go with it" attitude of the production. Albano wasn't a dancer. He was a 300-pound wrestler. But he gave it 100%. That’s why people still talk about the Super Mario Super Show cast today. There was no ego. Just pure, weird entertainment.
Comparing the Cast to Modern Mario
It’s fascinating to look at how the Super Mario Super Show cast differs from the current Nintendo "canon."
Back in 1989, there wasn't a strict "brand bible." The creators were basically making it up as they went along based on the limited lore from the NES games. This gave the cast freedom. Mario could be a bit of a jerk. Luigi could be the smart one. The Princess didn't have to wear her dress all the time.
Today, Nintendo is very protective of Mario. Every "Wahoo" is calibrated. While the new movies and games are technically superior, they lack the "anything goes" spirit of the original cast. Lou Albano’s Mario felt like a guy you might actually meet in Brooklyn. Chris Pratt’s Mario feels like a movie star. There’s a difference.
The Legacy of the Cast
So, what happened to the Super Mario Super Show cast after the pipes stopped smoking?
Most of them continued working in the industry. John Stocker is still a pillar of the Canadian voice-acting community. Jeannie Elias has a massive resume of voice work. But for many, this show remained their most "visible" work.
The show found a second life on DVD and then on streaming services like Netflix. A whole new generation of kids got to see Lou Albano dance. It became a staple of "YouTube Poop" culture in the early 2000s, where editors would remix the episodes into surrealist nightmares.
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Honestly, the cast probably would have loved it. They were part of something that didn't take itself too seriously. They knew they were selling toys and video games, but they did it with a wink and a smile.
How to Revisit the Super Mario Super Show Today
If you’re looking to dive back into the madness, there are a few ways to do it. You can find many of the episodes on YouTube, though the quality is often exactly what you’d expect from a 40-year-old tape.
- Watch for the Guest Stars: Don't just watch the cartoons. The live-action segments are where the real gold is. Look for the episode with Magic Johnson—it’s a time capsule.
- Listen to the Voice Shifts: Notice how the cast changes their tone between the "real world" and the "Mushroom Kingdom." It’s a subtle bit of acting that often goes unnoticed.
- Appreciate the Practical Effects: The sets were cheap, but they had character. Look at the background details in Mario’s basement. It’s filled with weird Nintendo Easter eggs.
The Super Mario Super Show cast wasn't trying to win Emmys. They were trying to entertain kids who were obsessed with a 8-bit plumber. They succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams, creating a version of the Mario brothers that remains a nostalgic cornerstone for millions.
To truly appreciate the history, you should track down the "lost" episodes that didn't make it to the initial DVD releases. Some of the segments featuring licensed music had to be edited or removed due to copyright issues. Finding the original broadcast versions is like finding a piece of lost media history. It’s a reminder of a time when TV was a little more experimental, a little more disorganized, and a lot more fun.
The next time you play a Mario game, take a second to think about Captain Lou Albano. Think about him dancing in a basement in 1989. That’s the real Mario magic.
Next Steps for Fans
To get the most out of your nostalgia trip, start by searching for the "Super Mario Super Show" shout-factory DVD sets, as they contain some of the best-restored footage. You should also check out interviews with John Stocker on YouTube; he often shares behind-the-scenes stories about the recording sessions that give a whole new perspective on the production. Finally, if you're a fan of the wrestling connection, looking up Lou Albano's "The Body Shop" segments will show you exactly why he was the perfect choice for Mario's loud, larger-than-life personality.