50 Familiar Faces From TV Commercials

There's nothing worse than having your program interrupted by a commercial break, however, some commercials have managed to win over audiences despite their inconvenience. These commercials usually have a bit of humor in them and are catchy at the same time. Therefore, companies decide to make these commercials into mini-series bringing back the same concept and actors to continue the running joke. While viewing these commercials you may notice some familiar faces, some may have already been famous and others may have become famous thanks to the commercials themselves.
If you are interested in seeing who these familiar faces are, scroll through this gallery and find out.
The Snapple Lady
You might know her as the "Snapple Lady" but the woman behind the popular ad is Wendy Kaufman. The "Snapple Lady" is only one of many commercials she’s starred in over the years but it is also arguably the most popular of the bunch.

Before starring in the ad, she was a Snapple employee, and the fact that she found the time to respond to fan queries made her stand out to the ad agency, who also became intrigued by her personality. As a result of Kaufman’s bubbly personality, Snapple increased sales from $23 million to $750 million within a year.
The Orbit Gum Girl
Vanessa Lynn Branch is the lady behind several famous "Orbit Gum Girl" adverts; she’s starred in all of the brand’s commercials in recent times, barring her heart-warming smile that certainly convinces you to try an Orbit. Besides being the "Orbit Gum Girl," Vanessa has also worked on projects like Redline, Little Hercules, and 90210.

She’s done skit roles on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and she’s also quite the talented model. You might catch her face on a host of TV shows as well and her stunning smile only partly explains why she earns half a million dollars per annum.
The Maytag Man
Colin Ferguson is best known for his role as Sheriff Carter in Eureka. He’s also appeared on a host of TV shows, including Then Came You. His most popular character is "The Maytag Man," a role he landed in 2014, which pays him $1 million per year.

Ferguson does Maytag commercials while also appearing in movies and other projects; he’s been featured in a couple of Christmas movies for Lifetime like Every Christmas Has a Story. However, not much is known about his personal life because he keeps those details private.
The Pine-Sol Woman
Diane Amos has had a successful partnership with Pine-Sol, a cleaning product brand. She’s best known for the Pine-Sol commercials because she almost single-handedly popularized the products, but she’s also been featured in projects like Patch Adams, Jasmine, Twisted, and Sweet November over the years.

Her first TV role was in Midnight Caller, in which she was featured as Janet. She’s also a comedian, and she’s the cleaning product company’s spokeswoman. She earned $250,000 for the Pine-Sol commercials and she hasn’t slowed down since.
The Wendy’s Girl
The beautiful freckled face that we all know as "The Wendy’s Girl" is actually Morgan Smith-Goodwin. Morgan Smith-Goodwin landed the role in the commercial because she fit the brand’s plan to hire someone that looked like the pioneer Wendy for the role. Morgan was raised in Alabama, where she attended Birmingham Southern College. She moved to the Big Apple to pursue her passion for acting and while there, she got to perform in several concerts and benefits that gave her the publicity she needed on her way to landing her first Broadway role.

Besides commercial acting, Morgan is also a talented actress known for her fan-favorite character in Veep. She’s also been featured in projects like Gigi in Love in the Time of Corona. She earned $3 million for "The Wendy’s Girl" commercials but she’s actually a natural blonde who dyed her hair for the commercials.
The Target Lady
The lady we all know as "The Target Lady" is Maria Bamford, a gifted voice actress and stand-up comedian with an enthusiastic personality that has enabled her to create a lasting impression, the kind that makes brands popular.

Besides her role in commercials, she’s also starred in a handful of movies, and been featured as a voice actor in some projects as well. Maria has done some voice acting for movies like American Dad and Spongebob Squarepants. She was also featured in Hell & Back.
The Old Spice Guy
Old Spice is a famous brand that made Isaiah Mustafa famous as "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like." Isaiah’s manly man vibe and personality helped the campaign immensely and was just what the brand needed.

It didn’t hurt that he also added some funny expressions and monologues to the mix as well. Catchphrases like, "I’m on a horse and look at your husband… now look at me" were made famous by Mustafa. He earned $5 million for the campaign and he’s also starred in Horrible Bosses and Days of Our Lives.
The Most Interesting Man in the World
Jonathan Goldsmith’s intriguing feature in a Dos Equis Beer marketing campaign earned him the title of "The Most Interesting Man in the World." His charisma and intriguing personality resonated with audiences so much that he went viral, and became a meme.

He had a background in acting before switching to commercials; he was featured in a Perry Manson series, and a couple of Western movies. So when he joined forces with the Don Equis beer brand, it was little surprise that the brand recorded a significant increase in sales.
The Cingular Wireless Umbrella Girl
Angela Sarafyan is an American actress best known for her role as "The Umbrella Girl" in the Cingular Wireless commercials. The commercials were quite popular and successful, and as a result, she began to land successful non-commercial roles as well.

She’s been featured in Westworld, The Immigrant, Repo Chick, and a host of TV shows like Criminal Minds and Judging Amy. She earned only $75,000 for the Cingular Wireless commercials but the publicity she’s gotten from it is certainly worth much more.
Brad Pitt - Chanel No. 5
Chanel is a luxury fashion house that enlisted the help of Brad Pitt to promote their Chanel No. 5 perfume line when it was released. He was the first man to promote the Chanel No. 5 line and the company had to pay $7 million to get him on board.

Paying Pitt all that money was worth it though, as the marketing campaign was highly successful. It helped remove the impression that Chanel was a female brand as men became aware that they had products for men too.
The Slim Jim Dude
Demetri Goritsas is an American actor best known as the "Slim Jim Guy." His role in multiple successful movies pales in comparison with the publicity he gets from the commercial. Demetri got trained at the Royal School of Speech & Drama, and he also doubles as a documentary narrator in addition to his work in entertainment.

The Slim Jim brand of Jerky snacks was popular in the 90s but they’re not so popular these days so Demetri has been starring in TV shows and movies lately. However, there is no doubt that when anyone grabs a Slim Jim, Demetri's voice is in their head.
Jake from State Farm
Kevin Miles’ role as "Jake from State Farm" in the State Farm commercial is the most popular of the many roles on his commendable resume. He popularized the "It’s Jake… from State Farm" line and as a result, he helped the brand improve its turnover.

Besides commercials, Miles is also a successful actor; he began acting in 2010 after landing a role in Innocent. He’s also been featured on projects such as Underdogs, S.W.A.T., and Pretty Smart. He was once again featured in a State Farm short in 2017 and has continued to do so, even teaming up with NBA players to promote the brand.
David Beckham - Adidas
In addition to being a retired football player that enjoyed a remarkable career, David Beckham is also something of a fashion icon so it's no surprise that Adidas paid him so much money to get him to endorse their products.

He is a recognizable face to millions of people around the world so getting him to be the face of Adidas was a smart move for the company, regardless of how much it cost them. There was an instant improvement in sales while he endorsed their products.
Nathan Barnatt - Kmart
Nathan Barnatt isn’t the most famous face in commercials, but the success of the Kmart commercials he was featured in means he still deserves a mention. Barnatt was featured as an overly excited dude on a mission to publicize the "Kmart Shop Your Way Points" campaign.

As a result of the Kmart campaign, he was featured in ads for Handa and GameStop as well. Besides his commercial acting, Nathan owns a YouTube channel called ARG, and he’s also behind the Keith Apicary internet personality.
Gillian Vigman
It would be an injustice to link Gillian Vigman to one individual brand because she’s worked with a number of brands over the years in addition to her acting. Gillian has been featured in movies like Walk of Shame and The Hangover, as well as New Girl, Life Sentence, and Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Vigman appears to be fond of commercials as she’s worked with brands like Swifter, DirecTV, Dole Fruit Bowls, and more to create successful commercials. She was rightly named the commercial queen by fans and the media.
50 Cent - Reebok
50 Cent raked in a whopping $80 million from his partnership with Reebok, which at the time was one of the most expensive celebrity endorsements. He was enlisted by the brand to promote their G Unit sneakers and he got to wear some of the shoes himself.

The commercial worked wonders as it raked in a lot more money for Reebok, so it turned out paying 50 Cent all that money was the right move. Reebok stores quickly got depleted during the holiday seasons because sales were so good.
Tim Williams - Trivago
Trivago is a brand that helps people find cheaper accommodations for their weekend getaways. They created a memorable campaign to push their message to the audience and therefore enlisted Tim Williams to help them spread the word.

As a result of the successful campaign, Williams became the face of the German hotel search brand. In addition to being the face of the brand’s campaigns, Tim is also a famous film and television actor and has landed roles in films such as Ninja Assassin and Labyrinth.
LeBron James - Nike
LeBron James is definitely one of the greatest NBA players of his generation. He’s a terrific athlete with a respectable following so endorsement deals are always on deck for him. Nike paid him $90 million to get him to sign a seven-year contract.

He could only wear Nike products while the contract lasted but it was a win-win for all as Nike recorded a monstrous increase in sales as a result of the deal, and LeBron earned over $12 million per year in addition to his NBA income.
Sonic Drive-In - Two Guys Campaign
As a result of their successful marketing campaigns, Sonic Drive-In is regarded as a fun place to be in the summer. Their "Two Guys" campaign starring Peter Grosz and T.J. Jagodowski is particularly convincing.

The pair are comedians that were featured in the brand’s commercials for nearly a decade before their partnership ended. Grosz is a successful comedian and actor in addition to being a commercial actor. Jagodowski is also a successful improv performer and comedian known for his role in Prison Break and Get Hard.
Paul Marcarelli - Sprint/Verizon
Paul Marcarelli's decision to switch to Sprint and star in commercials for the company surprised many because, for many years, he had been the spokesperson for Verizon. He coined the famous catchphrase, "can you hear me now" while working for Verizon, and he was a member of the Verizon team for nearly a decade before he switched.

Besides his commercial acting for Sprint and Verizon, Paul has also been featured in commercials for T-Mobile, Heineken, and Old Navy, so he’s essentially worked with lots of cellular brands. Despite catching some flack for continuously switching brands, Paul has still had a successful run in all of his commercials.
Dennis Haysbert - Allstate Commercials
As a result of his role in commercials for Allstate Insurance, Dennis Haysbert became one of the most recognizable commercial actors. He’s had such a long and fruitful partnership with the brand that his role is sometimes referenced in campaigns.

Besides his commercial acting, Dennis is also a successful movie actor known for his portrayal of baseball player Pedro Cerrano in the Major League movies. He was also the first actor to voice the character Kilowog in Green Lantern, and he’s also narrated a host of documentaries over the years.
Dean Winters - Allstate Commercials
Dean Winters is a famous TV and commercial actor best known for playing the role of Mayhem in the Allstate auto insurance commercials. He’d earned a reputation for playing tough-guy roles so the Mayhem character was a perfect fit as he was already famous before the collaboration.

He’s been featured on shows like Law &Order: SVU and Oz where he starred as Ryan O’Reilly. Dean has also been featured in movies such as American Gods, John Wick, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and more.
Leonardo DiCaprio - Bubble Yum
You might remember Leonardo DiCaprio's remarkable performance in Titanic as he was still quite young when he starred alongside Kate Winslet in the blockbuster. However, the star actor had been around for a while before he starred in any movie.

As a kid, DiCaprio starred in a Bubble Yum Chewing Gum TV Commercial in the 1980s. The commercial aired when the young actor was just getting started, and it was aired on national television.
John Gilchrist - Life Cereal
Little Mikey is a likable kid that starred in the Life cereal commercials, delivering a performance for the ages in the process. The commercial stars Little Mikey and his brother, who tried to get him to have a taste of Life cereal, and once he did, he found that he actually liked the taste.

The kid that was featured in the commercial is John Gilchrist, and the other kid is actually his biological brother, Tommy. The Life cereal commercial was so successful and popular that it received a Clio Award.
The Dell Computer Dude
Ben Curtis is a Tennessee native best known for his role in multiple memorable Dell ads. Becoming the face of Dell worked wonders for Curtis’ career as an actor, but before that, he was an equally gifted magician.

The peculiar thing about the success of the first Dell commercial he did is he was three years older than the age Dell desired for the commercial actor but he was selected because he impressed the casting directors. He popularized the "Dude, you’re getting a Dell" phrase.
The 7 Up Guy
Orlando Jones was called the "7 Up Guy" for years because he was the brand’s spokesperson for three years. His remarkable writing chops and comedic ability combined to make him the perfect candidate for the 7-Up commercials in the brand’s opinion and they were proven right.

Jones is also remembered for his role in the sketch comedy series, MAD TV. He kicked off his career as a screenwriter for A Different World, an ABC Comedy series, and he also made some cameo appearances on the series.
Edith Fore - LifeCall Commercial
Audiences refer to her as the "I’ve Fallen, and I Can’t Get Up Lady" from the LifeCall commercials but her real name is Edith Fore. The amount of money she was paid for the ad is unknown but we do know that she became famous for it at the very least.

In the ad, Edith suffered a hip injury that touched the audiences as she talked about her pain after her fall. She also wears a LifeCall pendant that functions by contacting the LifeCall team instantly if a user falls after pressing the button.
The Jenny Craig Girl
The Jenny Craig commercial in 2012 featured Valerie Bertinelli in a marketing campaign centered around weight loss. The highlight of the commercial was when Valerie walked out in a bathing suit to the delight of viewers.

The ad inspired countless people across the US with Valerie’s "nothing's stopping me from diving into this summer" line. However, beneath the memorable commercial, the actress had to work tirelessly to lose weight so she could advertise for the brand but it wasn't all bad as she got paid $1.55 million for it.
Catherine Zeta - T-Mobile
Catherine Zeta and T-Mobile had a successful partnership but they had to part with $20 million to get her to endorse and promote their brand. The good thing is she was worth every penny as the campaign was quite popular.

She was asked to return and be the spokesperson for T-Mobile but that didn’t work out eventually, and she was replaced. T-Mobile declared that sales increased significantly as a result of her input so it was a win-win for all.
The Pantene Girl
Kelly Lebrock is also called the "Pantene Girl" thanks to her incredible curls in the Pantene marketing campaign. She coined the "Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful" line during the commercial, and because of her, it quickly became a famous line in the 80s when the commercial was released.

The concept of the ad was her hair looked so good because she applied Pantene on it regularly. Kelly wasn’t yet an established actress when the commercial was done but she gained a lot of recognition as a result of it.
The Pepsi Girl
Hallie Eisenberg is best known as the "Pepsi Girl" because the commercials made her quite the famous face on TV in the early 2000s. What set her commercials apart was the amount of light-hearted humor they contained, which helped market the Pepsi brand.

Several of the ads featured the "Pepsi Girl" at a restaurant, where they ordered a Pepsi but they were informed they could only get a Coke which caused her to do a character imitation so she’d get a Pepsi. The success of those campaigns enabled Hallie to do commercials for other brands as well.
Jay-Z - Samsung
Jay-Z is a talented rapper and one of the most successful entertainers in the world. Samsung tried to tap into that success by entering into a partnership with the rapper in which he’d promote the Samsung Galaxy while promoting his album.

They paid him $20 million for it but it was worth it as there was an instant improvement in interest in the company and its products. Both Jay Z and the Korean giant benefitted immensely from the marketing campaign.
Beyoncé - Pepsi
Like her husband, Jay Z, Beyoncé has also been part of a successful marketing campaign for a major brand. The A-List singer and actress has amassed a huge following over the years in the entertainment industry, which benefitted Pepsi significantly after they paid her $50 million to promote their brand.

The campaign featured Beyoncé as the face of the brand, and their celebrity endorser, which should have been a win-win but unfortunately, the brand recorded a slight decrease in sales. This was confusing because the commercial with Beyoncé and J-Lo had viewers going crazy.
Tiger Woods - Nike
Everything was going great for Tiger Woods until he became involved in scandals and controversies that derailed his career. Fortunately, those scandals didn’t get in the way of his endorsement deals as Nike stuck by his side throughout the whole ordeal.

Despite his scandalous attributes, Nike continued to see massive success with Tiger Woods as the face of their brand. His name didn’t tarnish the image of the brand as some expected, and the decision was worth the risk at the end of the day.
J.K. Simmons - Farmers Insurance Group
J.K. Simmons is a tenacious actor whose face is recognizable to movie fans all over the world. Beyond his appearances in movies and TV shows, he’s also known for his partnership with the Farmers Insurance Group for whom he plays the role of Professor Nathaniel Burke of the University of Farmers.

Simmons popularized the "we know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two" line during one of the many campaigns he did for the brand. His remarkable and realistic performance in the commercials gave the brand much-needed credibility.
Milana Vayntrub - AT&T
Milana Vayntrub is a famous commercial actor known for her role as a spokesperson for AT&T. She was enlisted to play the role of Lily Adams from 2013 to 2016, but after exceeding expectations, her contract was extended by four years.

Besides her role in several commercials, Vayntrub is also known for her appearances in TV shows like Silicon Valley, where she guest-starred in two episodes, and she also appeared in This is Us. She’s also a voice actor, whose most memorable performance came in Marvel Rising.
Stephanie Courtney - Progressive
Stephanie Courtney is arguably the most recognizable commercial actor thanks to her performance as an insurance agent in commercials for the Progressive brand. Her iconic hair, blue headband, and red lipstick make the commercial difficult to forget.

Besides being the girl in the Progressive ads, Courtney has also been featured in a host of projects like Tom Goes to the Mayor, and Renee where she played the role of the receptionist. She’s also been featured on The Goldbergs, Mad Men, and Cavemen.
Angelina Jolie - Louis Vuitton
Angelina Jolie partnered with Louis Vuitton, a high-end luxury designer known for quality products and wears to promote their beautiful handbags. The company had to pay the stunning actress $10 million to get her to feature in a commercial with their bag.

The campaign pictured above was set in rural Cambodia and it became famous for the wrong reasons as fans wondered why such a background was selected to promote a luxurious item. Beyond the controversy though, the brand recorded a sales boom as a result of the campaign.
Karan Soni - AT&T
Karan Soni’s role as the cab driver and protagonist’s sidekick in the Deadpool movies made him famous but he’d actually been around for a while before he landed that role. He was featured as AT&T’s Charlie, a likable IT nerd that came off as a bit weird but then his pickup line more than made up for it.

The Indian actor popularized the "I like it spicy but not LLLL spicy" line in the ad. Recently, he was enlisted as the spokesperson for the Diet Coke rebranding campaign.
Beck Bennett - AT&T
AT&T had a memorable commercial some years ago in which a businessman was featured having a conversation with a couple of kindergarten-grade kids. Beck Bennett played the role of that businessman, and the ad was a good thing for the network company and Bennett himself as he has become a lot more famous as a result.

In 2013, he was featured on Saturday Night Live as a featured player and was made a full cast member two years later. He’s done impressions of political personalities like Mike Pence and Vladimir Putin over the years.
Captain Obvious
Brandon Moynihan starred as "Captain Obvious" in a commercial for Hotels.com. The character was featured in the ad to demonstrate how seamless the process of booking accommodations with the company is.

"Captain Obvious" was therefore portrayed as a dapper captain that showed up at the right time whenever anyone needed help after getting themselves into bad situations that could have been avoided with better information. The actor behind the commercial and character, Brandon Moynihan, also doubles as a cinematographer and was working on a documentary called The Summerwood Series while starring in the commercials.
Jeff Goldblum - Apartments.com
Jeff Goldblum is best known for his role in Jurassic Park, and for starring as the Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnorak. However, his best work might be as Brad Bellflower in the commercials for Apartments.com where his eccentric nature and personality were the highlights of a memorable ad.

The ad features the catchy, "Change your apartment… change the world" phrase. Jeff has a ton of movie credits to his name, including a feature in Independence Day and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Toyota’s Jan
Laurel Coppock is the actress behind Jan from the Toyota commercials character that viewers adore. The beautiful actress has been featured in projects like Crazy, Stupid, Love, Hot in Cleveland, and 2 Broke Girls.

She mostly does cameo roles and bit parts on TV shows, and she’s married to Bobby Mort, with whom she shares one child. It’s hard to forget her role in the Toyota commercials as she was featured as a sales rep in them, surrounded by a bunch of co-workers.
Martin the Geico Gecko
Jake Wood is best known for portraying the likable green gecko in several commercials for the Geico brand. The British actor is also known for his work in multiple BBC TV shows, and he’s also been featured in a couple of movies as well over the years.

He reprised his role as the gecko for the Geico brand for over 10 years, so he really didn’t have to do much else. When Geico terminated their partnership after so many years, viewers were quite displeased.
The Ocean Spray Guys
Justin Hagan and Henry Strozier were featured together in intriguing commercials where they both were harvesting cranberries for juice in the cranberry bogs. The actors mostly did minor roles on TV shows like Madam Secretary and The Good Wife before that point so the commercial was good for the pair as they became more famous as a result.

They engaged in hilarious conversations during the commercials that viewers adored, causing the commercials to be a resounding success. Talk about getting a lot out of a little, as all they had to really do was stand there during the commercials.
The ShamWow Guy
At the height of the commercial’s fame, Vince Offer’s "ShamWow Guy" character was one of the most famous ad characters. Vince began by promoting ShamWow and Slap Chop before he rose to prominence as a result of his infectious energy and quick wit.

He encountered some legal trouble that slowed down his momentum somewhat but he’s since rebounded, and he’s now promoting products like the InVinceable kitchen cleaner and The Schticky. Addressing his legal trouble earlier in his career, Offer described it as mistakes being an inevitable occurrence in life.
Red and Yellow M&M’s
M&M’s well-received campaigns were actually performed by well-known actors. Billy West voiced the red M&M while J.K. Simmons voiced the yellow one. It’s unsurprising that the commercial is so memorable and successful as Billy West is an accomplished voice actor while his co-star, Simmons is an Academy Award-winning actor best known for his role in Whiplash.

Billy and Simmons took up the roles from Jon Lovitz and John Goodman who both voiced the 1990s campaign for the brand. However, I think we could all agree that Billy and Simmons elevated the commercials to new heights.
Geico Caveman
The Geico Caveman character for the Geico insurance brand took a lot of work and makeup to complete, and the actor behind the commercial is John Lehr whose face looks nothing like the cheeky character. Lehr is also a successful comedian and actor that has established himself in show business.

He was a perfect fit for the commercials, which were hilarious at the time but were also offensive to certain individuals. Lehr was the face of the Geico insurance brand at the time.
Dr. Rick Progressive
The man viewers know as Dr. Rick on the popular Progressive Insurance commercials is Chicago native Bill Glass. The ads undoubtedly exceeded expectations, and they feature Dr. Rick, a self-help pro with a hilarious mustache that is trying to stop younger people from acting like their parents, just because they bought a house.

Bill Glass has had some appearances in smaller TV shows like Laugh at LA, Fresh Off the Boat, and Men at Work, but he is most well known as Dr. Rick. Bill has also done some work for other brands, starring in some Toyota and Jack in the Box commercials.