The BBC is reporting that Bob Hoskins, the man who brought “Mario Mario” to life in 1993’s Super Mario Bros. movie and played Eddie Valiant in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, has died at the age of 71. Hoskins had been battling Parkinson’s Disease since 2012 and his agent said he died of pneumonia on Tuesday, “surrounded by family.”
John “Luigi Mario” Leguizamo wrote in his autobiography, Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas, and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends, that he and Hoskins bonded on the Super Mario Bros. set by drinking copious amounts of alcohol and laughing about how stupid the whole thing was. Hoskins had a few other choice words about his most-hated role for The Guardian in 2007:
“The worst thing I ever did? Super Mario Bros. It was a f*****’ nightmare. The whole experience was a nightmare. It had a husband-and-wife team directing, whose arrogance had been mistaken for talent. After so many weeks their own agent told them to get off the set! F*****’ nightmare. F*****’ idiots.”
Our thoughts go out to Hoskins’ family and friends.
