The Super Mario Bros. Movie: Sebastian Maniscalco auditioned for the role of Mario before landing Spike

Mama Mia! In an alternate timeline, Chris Pratt never voiced Mario in Illumination and Nintendo‘s The Super Mario Bros. Movie. How is this possible? The role could have gone to About My Father actor and comedian Sebastian Maniscalco! Speaking with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos on Live With Kelly and Mark, Maniscalco told the duo he auditioned for the Mario role before joining the cast as Spike, Mario and Luigi’s former boss in the film. While Maniscalco didn’t get the chance to play Mario, he says his version of the character is closer to the voice used by Charles Martinet in the video game franchise.

“Everybody was like, ‘How come they didn’t cast an Italian American for the role?’ So I read for Mario, and I went in there and I did the whole, ‘It’s a’me, Mario!’ And then they said, ‘We’re gonna give you Spike.’ Apparently that didn’t work out. It was great to be part of that movie, the thing’s a juggernaut, and Chris did a great job.”

It’s likely that while Maniscalco is talented, he’s not Chris Pratt-level famous. Illumination and Nintendo likely wanted a household name to voice Mario in the new movie, making Pratt a more logical, if not controversial, choice. Maniscalco gives Kelly and Mark a sample of his version of Mario’s voice in the clip below. I’ll let you decide if it’s any good or not.

Sebastian Maniscalco stars alongside Robert De Niro in the comedy About My Father, which is in theaters now. Laura Terruso directs from a script co-written by Maniscalco and Austen Earl. The story is about Sebastian (Maniscalco) bringing his immigrant hairdresser dad Salvo (De Niro), to a weekend-long getaway to meet his fiancée’s (Leslie Bibb) wealthy and eccentric family (Kim Cattrall, Anders Holm, Brett Dier, and David Rasche). The two groups quickly realize they’re from opposite sides of the track, leading to hilarity, awkward exchanges, and a dead peacock.

While Maniscalco’s Spike feels like a one-and-done appearance, Spike could return in a Mario Bros. Movie sequel. Spike is a big deal in Nintendo lore, having been the foreman of a demolition crew where Mario and Luigi work in the 1985 video game Wrecking Crew. Hammers tend to crush Koopas in Mario games. Maybe Mario, Luigi, and Spike will join forces when a Mario Bros. Movie sequel enters the world.

What do you think about Maniscalco’s Mario voice? Would you prefer his version over Chris Pratt’s? Let us know in the comments section.