Acting is a funny business; one day, you're anonymously playing a waiter or waitress in a silly commercial, and the next day, you have a major supporting role in a new hit series. The interesting part is when the struggling and non-struggling phases of that actor's life collide on the screen, and you begin to recognize the actors in those previously-anonymous bit parts.Many people have already noticed that Becki Newton, who plays the mean-but-vulnerable receptionist Amanda on Ugly Betty, plays a waitress on an Olive Garden commercial that's currently in pretty heavy rotation across the dial (heck, the ad was shown during a Betty episode where Newton played both Amanda and a Betty look-alike). But, did you know that Michael Urie, who plays Marc, Amanda's partner in cattiness, also played a waiter in an ad?
An explanation, and the video of Becki's Olive Garden ad, is after the jump.
People living in the northeast have probably seen Urie's ad, which is for the Mohegan Sun casino. In the spot, a waiter asks a couple if they want dessert, and the wife icily says, "no thanks," launching her pudgy husband into a monologue about wanting his tiramisu. The ad's been around for a couple of years, but I only noticed the other day that Michael Urie plays that waiter. Go to this page and click the "Tiramisu" ad and see for yourself. And, like I said, Becki's Olive Garden ad is below.
That's a pretty good acting stretch, going from friendly wait staff to bitchy fashionistas, isn't it? What other current TV actors have you seen in current commercials (I think I saw the guy who plays Walter in a cell phone ad, too)? Let me know in the comments.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-14-2007 @ 10:16PM
Carlos Plascencia said...
Hey the guy who plays walter is in the mob Verizon wireless commercial
Reply
2-15-2007 @ 4:30PM
Ingrid said...
Yes, the guy who plays Walter was in the cell phone ad where you believe he is meeting some criminals out in the middle of nowhere and his "network" has followed him.
Reply
2-15-2007 @ 12:08AM
brian said...
Jordan Belfi, most famously from Entourage, can be seen kissing and canoodling a blond underneath a gazebo in commercials for DeBeers Diamonds. Thankfully, Entourage plays sans commercials, but when does Mr. Belfi make an appearance anyway?
Reply
2-14-2007 @ 11:23PM
Charles said...
Yeah, that's Walter in that Verizon ad.
I had no clue that was Becki Newton in that one commercial! I'm still having a hard time picking up on it.
It's not really a current commercial at all, but for what it's worth, the actor who plays Ignacio Suarez, Betty's dad, was the villian for the first set of episodes in 24's fourth season. (He was the man in charge of the compound where the Heller's were being held, slated to be killed live on the internet)
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2-15-2007 @ 3:36AM
flotsky said...
Not quite an ad, but I recently noticed Sawyer from Lost in Aerosmith's Crazy promo video, looking incredibly young as a bag thief.
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2-15-2007 @ 7:41AM
sanna said...
To #4. I think you meant Aerosmiths Crying video :-)
Reply
2-23-2007 @ 10:11PM
Ashley said...
the woman looking for her 'date' actually has a major role in a soap opera, guiding light(longest running soap).
Reply