Love ’em or hate ’em – commercials are here to stay. Their only purpose, apart from disrupting us from watching our shows straight through, is to advertise products in an efficient and appealing way. Some are funny, inspiring, crazy, and stupid, but most are just a nuisance. That doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten some of our absolute favorites! Take a look at the biggest commercial actors from all those pesky TV ads and what they’re up to now.
Jonathan Goldsmith
He’s probably the most famous face on this list and you certainly know Mr. Goldsmith from the Dos Equis commercials. Goldsmith may think he’s the most interesting man in the world on TV, but he’s been slowing down in the film/TV world. Goldsmith only has one acting gig since 2003 outside of the commercial world.
Dos Equis Beer Commercial –
John Goldsmith
Magnum Ice Cream Commercial
The greatest ice cream in the world? It’s possible, and it also doesn’t take away from your weight loss plans. Plus the commercial starred our favorite actress, Rachel Bilson, who you probably recognize from The O.C., That 70’s Show, Hart of Dixie, and Gossip Girl.
Magnum Ice Cream Commercial – Rachel Bilson
Rachelle Wood
She’s the beautiful smile behind a host of different commercials including Head & Shoulders, Chevy, Nintendo and Reebok. Wood has also appeared on the hit TV shows How I Met Your Mother and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She sure doesn’t need any weight loss tips!
GoDaddy Commercial – Rachelle Wood
Beck Bennett
Beck Bennett is a quick weight loss program away from becoming Hollywood’s next Ryan Reynolds. Bennett is known for his ‘It isn’t that difficult’ commercials but he’s more popular for his work on Saturday Night Live.
ATT Commercial – Beck Bennett
Stephanie Courtney
Yeah, you know Miss Courtney. Stephanie Courtney is Flo from the Progressive commercials (I adore Flo!) but she is also a gifted comedic actor. Courtney has made several pushes into the TV and film world with her most recent gig being in Girlfriend’s Day.
Progressive Insurance Commercial – Stephanie Courtney
Farris Patton
This British queen was the Orbit girl for a loooong time. She’s now working as a model and also does YouTube videos with her husband.
Orbit Patton
Isaiah Mustafa
This Old Spice guy used to play football over in Europe. Now he’s the next in line of a string of famous Old Spice characters. Mustafa recently starred in Horrible Bosses and Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments which is a TV series.
Old Spice Commercial – Isaiah Mustafa
Vanessa Branch
Got a dirty mouth? Vanessa Branch is as famous for her Orbit Gum commercials as she is for simply looking great. Branch doesn’t need any help with rapid weight loss as she is a beauty pageant winner. If you remember, Branch has also starred in Pirates of the Caribbean and Port Charles.
Orbit – Vanessa Branch
Brown’s Chicken Commercial
Long before he was Michael Scott in The Office or any of his hilarious films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Evan Almighty, and Crazy, Stupid, Love, Steve Carell starred in a Brown’s Chicken commercial. How fun.
Brown’s Chicken Commercial
Laurel Coppock
Yup! It’s Jan the Receptionist, the Toyota lady! Laurel Coppock is an accomplished comedic actress with training from Circle in the Square Theater. Coppock hasn’t done a whole lot outside of the commercial world but she has credits in films like Crazy, Stupid, Love and History of the World….For Now.
Toyota Commercial Laurel
Dennis Haysbert
Haysbert is the voice and industrious presence behind the Allstate Insurance commercials. Haysbert is one of the wealthiest commercial actors in the world and he’s now starting to branch off into film. Haysbert recently starred in the hit horror film, Dead Rising: Watchtower. He’s doing well for himself.
Allstate Commercial Dennis
Pringles Commercial – Brad Pitt
As if the legendary Brad Pitt needs an introduction, we will however gift you with this. He once starred in a Pringles commercial, and it looks like he never needed weight loss tips.
Pringles Commercial Brad Pitt
Carly Foulkes
You might know her as the T-Mobile Girl but we know her as the face that inspired so many lose weight programs. Foulkes is a Canadian born actress with a few short films to her name. Right now it seems like Foulkes is still finding her footing in the industry.
Carly Foulkes
Mutual Savings Bank Commercial – Tina Fey
Just like weight loss programs, you gotta start somewhere. And come one, only the great Tina Fey could make such a look seem cute: a horrifying 90’s mom haircut, a rose vest, and an oversized shirt.
Mutual Savings Bank Commercial Tina Fey
Kia Automotive Commercial
As one of the leading actors in Hollywood, Kia struck gold when they got Christopher Walken to star in one of their commercials. Crazy!
Kia Automotive Commercial
T.J. Jagodowski
You may know Mr. Jagodowski from the hit Sonic Drive-In commercials that are currently running nationally but there is so much more to the famous actor. Jagodowski is a Chicago based improv actor who graduated from the Second City. He’s also been in Stranger Than Fiction and Get Hard. His Sonic commercials may not help lose weight, but they sure are funny!
Sonic
Melanie Paxson
Paxson is from Champaign, IL and she studied comedy at Second City in Chicago. Paxson is most well known for her work in a series of Gladware commercials but she’s gone on to do quite a bit in the film world. Paxson has been in Saving Mr. Banks as well as the two Descendants films from Disney!
Gladware
Catherine Lloyd Burns
Catherine Lloyd Burns was the ‘Mother Nature’ character for a line of Tampax products. Burns has a slew of television credits to her name with her most famous gig being in Malcolm in the Middle for 15 episodes.
Mother Nature
Billy West & JK Simmons
Did you ever wonder who the voices behind the M&M characters were? Well here they are! Billy West is the voice of many different characters, including Woody Woodpecker, Philip Fry from Futurama and the red M&M. While JK Simmons has gone on to have an extraordinary acting career, he starred in Law and Order, The Closer and Whiplash to name a few.
Billy West & JK Simmons
Morgan Smith
Did you know that the Wendy’s girl is actually, naturally a blonde? Yep, sure is! Morgan hasn’t done a whole lot on television but she has taken work in the hit shows Veep and Boardwalk Empire — not too bad, right!
Morgan Smith Wendys
Jake Stone
Did you know that Jake from State Farm is, well, actually Jake from State Farm? Jake Stone was an employee at State Farm when he was pushed to audition for the famous commercials. Talk about hiring from within!
Jake Stone
John Gilchrist
It’s Mikey the cereal kid all grown up! Although he has done over 200 commercials, it’s the Life commercials that he’s most well known for. He’s now the director of media sales for Madison Square Garden.
John Gilchrist
Jerry Lambert
You probably know Jerry Lambert as the Geico guy but the truth is the comic actor has been in so much more. Lambert has appeared in over 80 projects including some of the finest on television: Modern Family, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Key and Peele. Lambert is such a funny guy!
Jerry Lambert1
Hallie Eisenberg
We are going back in time a bit with our next adorable commercial actor. Hallie Eisenberg is the cute little girl behind those famous Pepsi commercials from the late ’90s. If Hallie’s last name sounds familiar it is because her brother is Jesse Eisenberg, the famous film actor. Hallie Eisenberg took a step back from acting in order to focus on graduating college, that’s just amazing. Before she quit Eisenberg had appeared in a slew of TV and film projects.
Pepsi – Hallie Eisenberg
Dean Winters
He’s the action hero face of the Allstate ‘Mayhem’ commercials and a crossover success, as well. Winters got his real start in the TV series OZ but he has since been all over the place. Winters has starring roles in John Wick and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows to his name. He seems to be going places!
Mr. Mayhem Allstate Commercial
Ben Affleck
Are you surprised to see this name on the list? Well back in 1989, he played the ‘Burger King guy’ and is still mortified that he did considering he’s a huge Hollywood star now. We all gotta start somewhere!
Ben Affleck1
Diane Amos
She’s the Pine-Sol lady! Diane Amos has made a killing working in commercials. Especially when she’s shouting at you 99% of the time. Despite being active in the industry for decades, Amos has only wandered into the TV/film world sparingly.
Pine Sol Commercial
Jake Wood
Jake Wood is the voice behind the GEICO gecko! That’s awesome! This British actor also stars in the English soap opera EastEnders, it’s very popular over the pond.
Jake Wood
Paul Marcarelli
Do you know him now? Good. Paul Marcarelli is famous for his horn rimmed glasses look in the legendary Verizon commercials from over half of a decade ago. Marcarelli hasn’t done much on screen outside of the commercial world and right now he is starring in a line of Sprint commercials.
Paul Marcarelli
Demetri Goritsas
Who could forget the Slim Jim guy?! He was a legend for his booming voice and lunatic behavior. Just kidding but not really. He has gone on to do some voice-over work, especially for some hard hitting documentaries.
Demetri Goritsas
GoDaddy’s Bar Refaeli and the Nerd
During the 2013 Super Bowl, Israeli model Bar Rafaeli and Jesse Heiman did the unthinkable. And in the name of an epic Super Bowl commercial. Their 10 second kiss dropped jaws everywhere, during filming however, it took numerous takes and the commercial is 60 seconds long in reality – we just got a 30 second snippet as that’s what time they were allotted.
GoDaddy’s Bar Refaeli And The Nerd
Eric Violette
Why yes it is the FreeCreditReport.com guy. He’s also an actor, musician and lead singer of the band, God Against God. Although to us, he’ll always be that annoying guy singing abut free credit reports.
Freecreditscore Eric
Jared Fogle
He was the face of the Subway food franchise. Now Fogle is serving time behind bars for some pretty unspeakable things. The less said, the better.
Subway Jared
Milana Vayntrub
She’s the quirky, cute, and funny girl behind the current AT&T Commercials. However, there is more to Vayntrub than meets the eye! Vayntrub was born in the USSR before moving to America. She recently made an appearance in the new Ghostbusters film and she has a host of TV/web series to her name. How awesome!
ATT Lily Commercial
Geneva Carr
Carr is a TV and stage actress, with an extensive acting resume, but she is best known for her role of the “mom” in AT&T Mobility’s mobile phone commercials. Oh yeah, those were quite the commercials! She has also starred in the Broadway play Hand To God, for which she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.
Geneva Carr
John Hodgman
Hodgman is the ironic, deadpan face of the ‘PC guy’ in the famous Apple commercials. Hodgman also has found success on television on The Daily Show. Hodgman also landed his own Netflix special.
John Hodgman
John Lehr
Lehr has been pretty much everywhere in Hollywood but he got his start in acting in Chicago. Lehr is most well known for his part of the GEICO Cavemen commercials but he also has found work on shows like Quick Draw, Jailbait, and even Friends. Lehr said the caveman makeup took over three hours to apply. Crazy.
Geico Caveman Commercial – John Lehr
Vince Offer
He’s the man of a million ideas. Vince Offer is a famous TV product slinger who is most well known for his work with the ShamWow. Vince Offer, formerly known by his real name — Offer Shlomi, has kept busy with consistent commercials over the past five or six years.
Vince Offer
Wendy Kaufman
Yup, the Snapple Lady. She actually worked in Snapple’s billing department and decided to answer customer’s letter because no one else would and thus began the idea for the commercials in which she was featured.
Wendy Kaufman
Snickers Commercial – Betty White
Everything about this Snickers commercial is perfect! I mean, not only is it Snickers but they got Betty White to star in it! Well done.
Snickers Commercial Betty White
Paul Whitehouse
You’ll definitely remember this comic actor thanks to his huge beard. Whitehouse was the face of the AVIVA insurance commercials but he’s been in a little bit of everything. Whitehouse recently appeared in Alice Through the Looking Glass and the Johnny Depp vehicle, Mortdecai. Whitehouse is an accomplished voice actor and TV actor.
Paul Whitehouse
Henry Strozier & Justin Hagan
It’s the Ocean Spray duo! Strozier actually starred alongside Jodie Foster in the film “Contact,” while Hagan has appeared in the background of numerous different TV shows in the past.
The Ocean Spray Commercial
Billy West
He’s one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. Billy West’s voice is behind the Red M&M as well as a host of other hit TV shows. West is a starring actor in Futurama as Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, and Dr. Zoidberg. West also has had his voice in such legendary franchises as TMNT, Tom and Jerry, and Scooby-Doo.
Billy West
David Leisure
He’s the man behind the Isuzu motors commercials from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001. He became a very famous TV actor and is known for his role as Charley Dietz from the sitcom Empty Nest.
David Leisure
Ben Curtis
It’s the Dell dude! He has gone on to star in some television shows and was even a guest star on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno but he just can’t get away from the Dell dude fame.
Dell Ben Curtis
Gillian Vigman
Vigman is one of the most famous people on our list. She’s been a steadfast part of the TV world having starred in New Girl and Suburgatory. Vigman looks great on film too with a recurring role in the hit Hangover franchise. Vigman certainly doesn’t need any help to lose weight easy.
Gillian