Biography
Known as the "man of 10,000 sound effects," Michael Winslow rose to fame with the wacky noises he made as Larvelle "Motor Mouth" Jones in the wildly popular "Police Academy" franchise. After leaving college he launched his stand-up career, making his first appearance on "The Gong Show," where he mashed up an impression of Jimi Hendrix, movie-canine Benji, and a Led Zeppelin song into his allotted time. Naturally, Winslow won, and this gave his voice talents the exposure they needed; soon he was cast as the goofy Jones in 1984's slapstick comedy "Police Academy." Winslow is actually the only actor who starred in all seven of the franchise's films, the TV show, and the animated series. The character was a comedy staple of the 1980s and it even led Winslow to release a 12-inch single, "I Am My Own Walkman." The "Police Academy" cash cow, along with work on the "Extralarge" detective show alongside Bud Spencer, carried Winslow into the 1990s, but when his wife died of a drug overdose in 1993 he took time away from Hollywood. In the late 1990s and 2000s he carried on with his stand-up career and sitcom appearances; Winslow also worked as a motivational speaker. In 2008 he began hosting "Way Back Wednesday with Winslow" on the WGN network, hosting airings of mostly 1980s movies.
