America's Got Talent

‘Police Academy' Star Dazzles ‘AGT' Judges With Unique Voice Talent

Michael Winslow starred in the "Police Academy" film series in the '80s and '90s

Actor Steve Guttenberg, Michael Winslow on set of the movie "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol"
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

The latest "America's Got Talent" hopeful might look a bit familiar.

Michael Winslow became a household name while starring as Larvell Jones in the "Police Academy" film series in the '80s and '90s and was known for his keen ability to make cool sound effects with his voice. Now, the 62-year-old is dusting off his unique talent once again to audition for the new season of "America's Got Talent."

On Tuesday night's episode, Winslow dazzles the talent show's judges while showing off his beatboxing and sound effects, and it looks like his skills are as sharp as ever.

In a backstage interview before his audition, the self-proclaimed voicetramentalist says his repertoire now includes hundreds of thousands of sound effects and explains how he got his start.

"I always did this and this was just a part of me. I've been making sounds since I was a kid," he said.

After finishing high school, Winslow hitchhiked to Los Angeles with the goal of pursuing his passion, and went on to become a part of the "Police Academy" franchise. Afterward, he would appear in hit titles such as "Spaceballs" and "Gremlins."

When his wife died in 1993, Winslow took a break from the industry to focus on raising his children. When asked why he decided to audition for "America's Got Talent," Winslow explained that his son encouraged him to follow his passion once again.

"After raising my two kids, I'm in a different phase. I think this is my time," he said. "And 'America's Got Talent' is the place for me to show the world I still have something to offer, I still have some sounds to make."

Judge Simon Cowell instantly recognized the former actor and told him he was psyched to watch his audition: "I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that you're here."

Winslow explained that one of his parents was in the Air Force and said his sound effects helped him adapt to his new surroundings whenever he had to move.

"Every two or three years we had to move, so that meant I had to make up my own friends, my own movies, my own soundtrack, my own sound scape," he said.

Winslow's audition was pretty amazing and the judges seemed to be impressed, so the question remains: Did he make it to the next round of the competition? Tune in to the next episode when it airs on NBC at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night to find out!

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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