'Luigi Mario' actor, voiceover talent Danny Wells passes away

Super Mario fans who grew up in the 80’s reading Nintendo Power and watching Nintendo-licensed shows mourn the loss of icon Danny Wells, who passed away last November 28.

“The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!” star, known for playing Luigi opposite the late Lou Albano’s Mario, died in Toronto at the age of 72. His death is felt by millions of fans the world over who remember his contributions not just for video games, but for television and film as well.

Born Jack Westelman, Wells played Luigi Mario, the green jumpsuit-wearing plumber and sidekick to his older and rounder brother in the 1989 live action and animated series “The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!”

Wells brought to life Mario’s stalwart brother and sidekick, who assists his sibling in saving the Mushroom Kingdom and Princess Toadstool from the evil King Koopa. He played Luigi in the live-action segments as well as provided the voice of the character during the cartoon itself.

The Live-Action segments, dubbed “Mario Bros. Plumbing” saw Wells and Captain Lou Albano suit up as Luigi and Mario respectively, living in their flat in Brooklyn and getting to meet celebrity guests stars in each episode of the show. The second segment had both actors playing their cartoon selves. These accidentally get sucked into the Mushroom Kingdom and become its defenders against the Koopa army.

In addition to his role as Luigi, Wells also played the recurring role of Charlie in 70’s and 80’s African American sitcom show “The Jeffersons,” and starred in feature films like “Magnolia” and “The Last Kiss.”

He also provided the voice for Captain Arthur Partridge in the Ubisoft video game “Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory,” as well as additional voices for cartoons like “Johnny Bravo and Batman: The Animated Series.”

R.I.P Danny Wells. Thank you for bringing to life one of Nintendo and gaming’s most beloved characters. — VC, GMA News