---
title: 'Celebrity Commercials Before They Were Famous'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=MfRjlpNqvyc'
video_id: 'MfRjlpNqvyc'
date: 2026-09-10
duration_sec: 3017
channel: 'WatchMojo.com'
---

# Celebrity Commercials Before They Were Famous

> Source: [Celebrity Commercials Before They Were Famous](https://youtube.com/watch?v=MfRjlpNqvyc)

## Summary

The video counts down memorable commercials featuring celebrities before they became famous. It highlights early appearances by actors like Ed O'Neill, David Tennant, Morgan Freeman, and Keanu Reeves, showing their humble beginnings.

### Key Points

- **Ed O'Neill's Red Lobster Ad** [00:13] — Ed O'Neill appeared in a 1985 Red Lobster commercial, two years before his big break in Married with Children.
- **David Tennant's Boots Ad** [01:25] — David Tennant appeared in a Boots Christmas ad in 2002, before his role as Doctor Who.
- **Morgan Freeman's Commercials** [46:19] — Morgan Freeman appeared in a Listerine commercial and a Polaroid ad in the 70s.
- **Keanu Reeves' Coca-Cola Ad** [47:40] — Keanu Reeves appeared in a Coca-Cola commercial in 1983, before his breakout role in Bill and Ted.
- **Steve Carell's Brown's Chicken Ad** [49:03] — Steve Carell appeared in a Brown's Chicken commercial in 1989, before his big break.

## Transcript

Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most memorable commercials starring celebrities before they got their big break.
Sometimes I need a little payment, sometimes I need a lot. Number 50, Red Lobster, Ed O'Neill. Depending on your generation, you may know Ed O'Neill best as Al Bundy,
the dad from Married with Children, or Jay Pritchett, patriarch of a certain modern family. You think we can just sit downstairs and throw money at this and make it go away? He looks a little different in this early TV appearance from 1985,
two years before his big break. Unencumbered by a crowd of chaotic family members, the young actor tucks into a hot cooked meal at the U.S. seafood chain Red Lobster. What is unusual is seeing the majority of seafood combinations at the same place,
presenting Red Lobster's Seafood Taste of America. O'Neal is the dark-haired guy in the red checkered shirt, enjoying the Louisiana-style seafood. It's the kind of dinner that might have made alter-ego Al Bundy very jealous.
Well, it beats going to Hawaii with your mother. Number 49, Boots, David Tennant. David Tennant became a household name back in 2005 when he took over from Christopher Eccleston in the BBC's revamp of Doctor Who.
Back to the TARDIS? Same old luck. In 2002, he was a jobbing actor. Although his stage work that year got him nominated for an Oliver Award, the man on the street would be more likely to recognize him from the Boots Christmas adverts.
They've got a mix and match on thousands of gifts, which means I could afford to get you something really special. We agreed we were only buying tokens. Persons. Didn't we?
Like Doctor Who, this pharmacy and health and beauty retailer is a great British institution. That year, the team ran a series of commercials featuring a Christmas shopping couple in which Tennant played the husband.
Even the doctor can't resist a bargain. Are you sure about the flying turtle and the baby? Does it come in pink? Number 48, Nerf Slingshot, Seth Green.
From child actor to voice actor, screenwriter to director, Seth Green has been around a while. I don't know, I was thinking I like animals. Maybe I'd be a vet. An evil vet?
No. Maybe like work in a petting zoo. An evil petting zoo? You always do that! Before his roles in Buffy, Austin Powers, and Family Guy,
and way before the creation of Robot Chicken, Green was just that kid from that commercial. In his advertising heyday, the actor helped talk everything from toilet paper to fast food. Ching, two chicken meals and two...
Ching! One chicken sandwich, large fries, and a vanilla milkshake. Ba-da-bing! That'll be $62.75. We're a little shy. The standout is this Nerf ad from 1992.
The combination of the hair, the phony accent, the clothes, and the catchphrases is so 90s that this almost feels like a spoof. Does kind of make us want to buy a Nerf gun, though. It's not the clans we can hit on.
Whoa, I did this! You gotta love it! Like you love mine? Definitely. Nah! No slingshot. Nerfs are nothing.
Number 47, Eggs and Fruits, Aiden Turner. We're not quite sure why eggs, no brand mentioned, needed to be advertised in early 2000s Ireland. Maybe something to do with the 90s Salmonella scare?
I'm used to getting orders, and having known just a little myself, but you are far from deceiving to me. But what better way to get sales up than to enlist a young Aidan Turner, later known as the dashing Ross Poldark, to give them a cute, romantic rebrand?
Eggs. Real good fast food. Always look for the closest one to us. Well, the Irish food board thought it was a good idea anyway, and we can see where they were going with it.
The Being Human and Rival star also had a memorable role in a commercial for fruit juice before he made it to the big time. Oof. It's a natural thing. Number 46, Pac-Man cereal, Christian Bale.
Did you know that in the mid to late 80s you could buy Pac-Man branded cereal? and that it was made up of corn puffs representing Pac-Man's power pellets mixed with lots of mini marshmallows? No, a Snyder.
Here's another fun fact. If you look very closely at this commercial, you can spot a youthful Christian Bale doing his utmost to push the product. Bale started acting young with roles in movies such as Empire of the Sun,
Treasure Island, and Newsies. What does he mean? It's a joke. While this isn't exactly Batman, the kid definitely had potential. Those dance moves are pretty special.
Number 45, Nescafe Gold Blend, Anthony Head. He was Buffy's beloved librarian in the 90s before appearing in Merlin and Ted Lasso. However, between 1987 and 1993, Anthony Head was best known as one half of the Gold Blend couple.
after starring in a Nescafe advertising campaign that had British viewers grit. I'm on the first flight to Milan in the morning. That's terrible. Why? I don't feel so good in Milan.
In a series of 12 ads, all ending in cliffhangers, a real-day, won't-they romance played out between two people who fell in love over a cup of instant coffee. Girl, don't be too goofy, okay?
Oh, I think they could get used to it. It's a very sophisticated coffee. They have a very sophisticated taste. Do that. Sales of Gold Blend increased by 50% in the UK alone, and the Gold Blend couple made the move to the US,
where the coffee was called Taster's Choice. I'd imagine if you hadn't run out of coffee. I'd imagine you hadn't had Taster's Choice. Number 44, CAA, Olivia Colman.
Some commercials stick in your memory because of smart marketing ideas or catchy jingles. Others are memorably annoying, like this 2004 ad for AA car insurance starring a pre-author Olivia Colman.
Bev? Kev! Bev! The English actress got her break in the sitcom Peep Show that same year, but Bev and Kev continued to haunt her for a while.
She even lost jobs over it. Kev? Bev? Kev! Bev! Kev! With an AI car loan, the typical rate is just 6.9%. On a podcast with her Broadchurch co-star, David Tennant, Coleman admitted that the advert became, quote, the bane of her life.
She said, quote, I thought they were going to run that for about a week, but they ran it for what felt like four times a day for a year. What is that one again? To get more car for your money, just ask on 0800-374-999.
That's cool now, and you could also get a free AI car inspection. Number 43, Scott's Porridge Oats, Rory McCann. Rory McCann is most recognizable as the Hound, one of those morally gray Game of Thrones antiheroes that we hated and loved by turns.
I, the true good thing, is a good man. I'm a thought that makes a nice stew, and they'll both be dead come winter. You don't know that! I do know it! He's weak. He can't protect himself. They'll both be dead come winter.
Dead men don't need silver. His role in this series of porridge commercials was more straightforward. Turn up, look big, and Scottish, wear a kilt, and not much else. Still, he did it with flair. Before these ads launched his acting career,
McCann worked as a tree surgeon and helped paint Scotland's Forth Bridge. Now it takes just three minutes to get your hands on real porridge.
You've got crazy. and armed with these credentials, he proved he had the Scottish manpower needed for swimming in frozen lox and similar macho business, supposedly fueled by a big bowl of porridge oats.
Resort. Resort. The little one. Scottish porridge oats. Number 42. Super Noodles. Martin Freeman. Back before he was Bilbo Baggins or even Tim from The Office,
Martin Freeman served up a little of his trademark deadpan humor this advert for Bachelor's Supernoodles. My job is to speak to clients on the phone about quantity and type of paper.
Here, he's less of a mild-mannered everyman, more of a slovenly boyfriend with a sneaky streak. But, you know, in a relatable way. If you can get away with blaming it on the baby, why wouldn't you? Well, I told you to myself.
Well, I told you to myself. In the acting space, however, Freeman does have some tough competition from his on-screen son, who almost steals the show. Multiple viewers actually made complaints,
worrying that the baby had been upset on purpose. Don't worry, he was fine. Oh, too much? Yeah, we'll buy another day of that, mate. Really sure. Well, that's a super-duper-whooper-noodled.
Number 41, Sinesh Shampu, Sharon Stone. Sharon Stone was a major 90s star, most famous for her roles in erotic thrillers like Basic Instinct and Casino, where she gained both award recognition
and sex symbol status. But you said you liked me to use your hands, didn't you? No, I said I liked Johnny to use his hands. For making moves, Nick,
I go as I flow. Her look was so iconic in the 90s that it's hard to picture her in an earlier decade. However, in this shampoo commercial from the early 80s, Stone is the epitome of 80s fashion and beauty standards.
standards. With her big shoulder jackets, big earrings, and even bigger hair, she's really selling the look and the product. Her hair looks fantastic, and her clean-cut 80s glow is worlds
away from the 90s femme fatale image of a few years later. Number 40, WMET Rock Radio, Gina
If we were to describe this commercial for a local rock radio station in just one word, we'd probably say dramatic, or overdramatic to be precise. Although that's probably on purpose.
I know what you're looking for. And I'm going to give it to you. There are screeching guitars, explosions, a suggestive script,
and a young Geena Davis looking more 80s than you've ever seen her before. Don't wait any longer. You may know her best from A League of Their Own, Selma and Louise,
or even as Stuart Little's mom. Here, she's cast as a sultry rock chick, staring straight down the camera to lure viewers over to WMET-FM for Let's Talk More Rock. It's corny as hell, but we'd imagine pretty effective.
WMET, the new rock leader. Number 39, Migraine Medication, Elizabeth Moss. It may be giving Peggy from Mad Men promoting a new campaign pitch, but this is actually a pre-fame Elizabeth Moss advertising Excedrin migraine pills.
Filmed in uncomfortably tense close-ups, the Handmaid's Tale star is sympathetic, but also rather sinister as she acknowledges the pain of the migraine sufferer and promises that she can take it all away.
Moss is magnetic, but there's really no need for this commercial to be quite so unnerving. Bottom line is this. Excedrin migraine takes relieving the pain in half an hour. And if you have migraines, you know how fast that is.
Still, it turned out to be surprisingly popular, running for a number of years and helping the actress support herself during the early days of her career. Excedrin migraine The headache medicine Number 38 The Commercial Federal Bank Amy Adams Amy Adams has proved her versatility and star power over the years with a career that has taken her from dinner theater to the Academy Awards
However, her most enduring image might be that of Giselle in the Disney musical Enchanted. With that in mind, it's not surprising that the actress' first TV commercial also had a musical theme.
In its fun but cheesy Grease parody, Adams picks on the Sandy rule in an effort to make the commercial federal bank look like the hip and swinging place to put your money.
The whole gang is really going for it, but Adams definitely stands out. Get summer fun with free tracking only at Commercial 7th Bank.
Number 37, Cheap Flights, Michael Fassbender. Irish actor Michael Fassbender is no stranger to getting his kid off on screen, but he started earlier than you might think. He was still in drama school when he booked his first hacking gig,
aged 21, in this commercial for SAS Airlines. Waking up in a girl's bedroom, his character takes an ill-advised nighttime stroll
and is caught by the girl's mom while nakedly chugging milk from the fridge. The aim was to advertise cheap flights for under-26s. The tabloid was when you'd rather be somewhere else.
It was a fun, cheeky concept, but a baptism of fire for Fassbender, who was rewarded with his first acting check for 2,200 pounds.
Number 36, Seagram's Wine Coolers, Bruce Willis. Okay, so technically Bruce Willis was already fairly well-known when he bowed to this commercial campaign, thanks to his role as David Addison on the TV show Moonlighting.
This guy's laughing on his feet. Where's that out there? I've already had five calls on my private line from other agencies begging me to come over. However, the Albs do predate Die Hard, the movie that shot Willis to superstardom.
The actor appeared as Seagram's spokesperson in multiple TV spots, singing, flirting with Sharon Stone, and striving to make wine coolers look, well, cool. You're going in? Today?
Yeah. That's enough. Who's the star? You, Seagram's golden wine cooler. It's wet and it's dry. Whether he succeeded or not, we'll leave it up to you. But he looks like he's having fun.
Willis was reportedly paid over $5 million for his work, but he gave it all up in 1988 after going teetotal. I'm going to try. I'm going to see him. Remember? I don't like to jump around.
Remember? But you're not alone. Here. Number 35. Tampons. Naomi Watts. Talking about periods had historically been seen as taboo, But by the 1980s, the times were changing.
The first tampon commercials aired in the U.S. in 1972, and in 1985, they actually started using the word period. A year later, a young Naomi Watts told us all about Tampax's new applicator tampons.
Watts also appeared in an Australian ad for Aussie brand Libre Fleur in 1990. This time, it was less about practical advice, more about pushing Libre Fleur as the sexiest option. Have you tried Tide in your room?
You mean you didn't notice? However, there's still that element of the unmentionable. The suggestion that talking about menstruation in front of men is something new and daring.
And really, times haven't changed that much. You prefer tampons. Don't get cold with anything else. Number 34, Diet Coke, Demi Moore. Before she became a megastar with the success of the movie Ghost,
Sunil Moore took on a lead role in a Diet Coke commercial.
The tagline was, the one soft drink everyone is falling for. So naturally, the leading lady was required to do some actual falling. And very dramatic it was too. One soft drink.
Everyone is falling for it. The special effects are interesting, and we wouldn't say this was her finest acting performance, but more already looks like the kind of movie star everyone falls in love with.
That's why the pun in the tagline works so well. Plus, we love that Diet Coke jingle. Hi. Hi. One challenge, so full of pain, so good, Diet Coke. Number 33, Burger King and Super Sweet 16, Jennifer Lawrence.
She may be worlds away from Katniss Everdeen, but yes, that blonde girl giggling and flirting with a giant hamburger in this commercial is, in fact, Jennifer Lawrence.
The Hunger Games actress began appearing in TV dramas and sitcoms from 2006 onwards. However, it was her ad work that kick-started her acting career.
It was actually a promo for MTV's Super Sweet 16 that earned Lawrence that coveted sad card at age 14. I earned my sad card when I was 14. I did an MTV promo for my Super Sweet 16.
And I remember getting it in the mail and it seemed the best day of my entire life because it officially named me a professional actor. Like the girlfriend of the Whopper Jr. hamburger, Lawrence's character here probably wouldn't make it in the Hunger Games arena,
but it was a prime opportunity to show off her comic acting chops. Number 32. Cheese. Elijah Wood. To Lord of the Rings fans, he will always be Frodo Baggins, but you might also be familiar with a baby-faced Elijah Wood
from films such as Slipper or The Adventures of Hoxton. What is it? No.
I can't come. Further back than that, he was a commercial kid. Our favorite is this one, advertising cheese. Not any particular brand of cheese, just cheese.
Or rather, the National Dairy Board. Mmm, a little cheddar makes same veggies taste better. But take the cheddar cheese away and you can just say. No way! The point seems to be encourage kids to eat their veggies, just throw a load of cheese on them and they'll taste nice, we promise.
It's a hard sell, but Wood looks so happy with his plate of cheesy broccoli that he's almost got us convinced. On all kinds of vegetables, cheese makes all the difference. Number 31, Levi's 501s, Stanley Cucci.
Despite playing a number of supporting roles on stage and screen throughout the 80s and 90s, Sammy Coochie didn't become a household name until 2006. Following the success of The Devil Wears Prada, the after sound scene in his 40s.
That's really what this multi-billion dollar industry is all about anyway, isn't it? Inner beauty. While that isn't unheard of, it can mean that the public has a very specific and unchanging image of you. Being a bald guy with glasses is kind of Tweetian's trademark.
Naturally, it's strange to see him in this jeans commercial from the 80s. In his 20s, sporting more hair and a pair of Levi's 501s.
Number 30, Safeguard and Band-Aid, John Travolta. More recently, you may have seen John Travolta in Capital One's Holiday Night Fever commercial,
which awesomely alludes to one of his most famous roles. It was in the mid to late 1970s when he flexed his musicality on the big screen in Saturday Night Fever, and then in Grease. But did you know that before dancing it up on the big screen, Travolta was singing in commercials?
One of them was for Safeguard, a bath soap. He sings a catchy tune with a couple of other guys in the locker room shower. The other was for Band-Aid, where he's singing in the same setting again. I am such a band-aid, a band-aid, I'm on me.
Number 29, First Tier Bank, Stephen Colbert. Thought I was going to say location, location, location, right? I could have, because we put you first at locations all over Nebraska. Sporting a looser-fitting suit than what he's typically worn on his late-night talk show,
Stephen Colbert appeared in a commercial as the spokesperson for First Tier Bank before he was famous. He looks like he belongs, doing an admirable job of commanding the screen and getting the Nebraska-based bank's message across with the help of engaging graphics.
Also, we must say, it's a memorable slogan Colbert delivers at the end of the commercial. But obviously, it turned out Colbert belonged to a much brighter life, and in front of many more eyes.
Your first year. That first year. Number 28, Burger King, Meg Ryan. I just have to tell you about the aren't you hungry for a Whopper game at Burger King. You can win a Whopper or a Coke.
You're a thousand, five thousand, you're a million dollars. The 1989 rom-com When Harry Met Sally was Meg Ryan's breakthrough leading role in Hollywood. It kick-started her significant impact on the rom-com genre.
In 1982, well before that impressive performance, she was renting new customers and bringing back old ones for Burger King with this fast food commercial. At the time, the woman the media would later dub America's Sweetheart was in her early 20s.
Ryan's enthusiastic delivery probably made a lot of people hungry back when it was airing. Burger King should bring this cash-prized marketing campaign back. You can win a million dollars! Number 27, Bud Light and Duracell, Jeremy Renner.
In this funny commercial for Bud Light, Jeremy Renner wants to get to his fridge for a Bud Light. Too bad he didn't have his Hawkeye persona way back then, because if he did, neither his roommate nor that bouncer would be messing with him.
He was also in another fun commercial for Bud Light, in which his roommate again uses excessive methods to prevent Renner from getting a beer. Not cool, man.
Before reaching star status, Renner also did a commercial for Duracell that used bulbs to show the product's unparalleled battery power. Number 26, Cascade, Charlie Day.
In the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, he's Charlie Kelly.
That series premiered in 2005. But about five years before that, when he was doing a commercial for Cascade, he was still just Charlie Day. To many people, actually, he was a random guy in a commercial
who's ready to retire after graduating from college. He really seems to have it all figured out. In retrospect, this can be seen as a preview of Dave's acting talent, which allowed him to go on to thrive in so many comedic movie and TV scenes.
We're glad he didn't retire when he said he would. Finally, he's kicked the snake. The curse was dissolved away. Where did he get that footer, babe? Number 25. Corn Pops and Juicy Fruit. Aaron Paul.
Man, all I want to do is eat. What do you want to say? So, do we have an understanding? Uh-huh. He's widely recognized as Jesse Paikman from the TV series Breaking Bad, but well before he was getting dangerously involved with illegal substances,
Jesse was promoting much safer legal products such as cereal and chewing gum In 1999 Aaron Paul the man behind the famous character did a commercial for Kellogg Corn Pops His top thinks he listening to him but in reality he only got one thing on his mind
The following year, Paul showed off his telekinetic powers in a funny yet strange Juicy Fruit commercial. About ten years later, he won his first of multiple Emmy Awards. Got to have sweet, got to have juicy fruit.
Nothing satisfies my taste. Number 24, Porsche, Kristen Stewart. Dad, I miss the bus. Really?
While she made it big on the big screen at a young age, Kristen Stewart shined in a Porsche commercial before it all. The premise of the commercial, which highlights the 911 Carrera, is unique and effective, and a young, talented Stewart makes it all work really well.
Something tells us she missed that bus on purpose. Coincidentally, one of Stewart's first significant film roles, the 2004 film Catch That Kid features automobiles, not Porsches, but go-carts, as a key component.
From there, her celebrity status only grew, especially with her role as Bella Swan in the Twilight Saga.
Number 23, Frosted Flakes, Jane Lynch. Amongst her lengthy list of TV and film roles, one of June Rich's most notable and influential is her character Sue Sylvester in Glee,
which premiered in 2009. A lesser-known role, yet an important one nonetheless, came in the 2000 dog show mockumentary Best in Show. As Lynch explained in an interview, it was a Frosted Flakes commercial that helped her land this role
and ultimately launch her career in showbiz. It's a comical 1990s ad featuring a couple of massive Frosted Flakes fans and even bigger Tony the Tiger fans.
That's true dedication right there. The commercial ends with a funny realization as Lynch delivers a line that can be described in one word. Great. Um, I think I'm going to take this with me. You're right.
Number 22, Kodak, Mark Hamill. Julie? Now Kodak introduces a new pocket camera that lets you take your pictures two ways. What are you doing here? I want to take your picture. In 1975, two years before the start of the legendary Star Wars film franchise,
Mark Hamill was in a Kodak commercial. He was in his early 20s at the time, and about to embark on an intergalactic journey to stardom as Luke Skywalker. In the commercial, he's taking a picture of a girl and eventually her mom after showing up unannounced.
Less than $36 for one of those things back then. Oh wow, the times have changed. It's a simple commercial, yet effective in showing the camera's capabilities. I can't come down. I'm studying.
Well, that's okay. I can take it from here. Number 21, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Anne Hathaway. So it's true, isn't it? These guys in there are moving? Yeah.
That's great. The first television appearance of Anne Hathaway's illustrious career came as a teen in a commercial for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. The commercial has a sad premise, it's a funny twist, allowing Hathaway to portray a mix of emotions.
Since then, her ability to effectively do such has been put on display in a myriad of ways, as she carved her way to becoming one of the most famous actresses on the planet. The background music fits well in this commercial, given the storyline being conveyed,
and it's cool seeing a young Hathaway's acting ability to go with it. Number 20, Atari Lynx, Tobey Maguire.
Hey, Mr. Quach, can I go to the bathroom? Two minutes. This commercial absolutely reeks of the early 90s, and it is glorious. A young Tobey Maguire, clad in a sleeveless jean jacket,
goes to the school bathroom to sneak a session on his Atari Lynx. Come on, Matt! Oh, yeah, yeah! Come on! Come on! This was a handheld game console, and the first to feature a color LCD, released in September of 1989.
As the commercial was released in 1990, Maguire would have been just 15 years old. Funnily enough, he appeared in The Wizard in the previous year, the same year that the Atari Lynx was released, but he wasn't given any lines.
Maguire didn't start working steadily until the 90s, and he didn't land a major leading role until 1998's Pleasantville. You wanted to ask me something? Number 19, Mutual Savings Bank, Tina Fey.
Hi. Can have a lot of different names. For example, hi, nice to meet you. Or, hi, I have no idea who you are. Everyone has to start somewhere, including commercials for interest rates at Mutual Savings Bank.
As boring as the subject is, Fey does what she can with the material by playfully showcasing the numerous different ways to say hi. Hi, my name is Sarah Phil. You owe me money.
The commercial was released in 1995 when Faye was just 25 years old. She was already working in the comedy scene at the time, performing with the legendary Chicago troupe, The Second City. Former Second City performer and SNL head writer Adam McKay
encouraged Faye to submit scripts to NBC, and she was eventually hired as a writer. The rest is history. Thank you, Mr. Duvall. Well, thank you. And if you need anything or if you want to talk to somebody...
Thanks. Maybe some other time when my short isn't see-through. Okay. Number 18, Pitfall, Jack Black. No, no, no, no, this can't be happening!
Long before Jablonski Games, and long before YouTube existed for that matter, Jack Black was advertising video games on TV. In the early 80s, when Black was just entering his teenage years, he appeared in a commercial for the Activision video game Pitfall.
He was one of four people to describe their personal adventure with Pitfall Harry, the game's playable character. The game was released on April 20, 1982, and five years later, Black began performing with a UCLA theater troupe called the Actors Gang.
His breakout didn't come until 2000 when he starred in High Fidelity opposite John Cusack.
Number 17, Levi's 501 Jeans, Wesley Snipes. In 1985, Snipes appeared in a truly bizarre commercial for Levi's 501 Jeans.
People stand around singing Doo-Wop like it's 1955, and Snikes comes charging in with the biggest grin on his face before losing his hat in the wind. After some more weird visuals, Snikes again charges the camera with a snarl and a smile
while twirling his hat. The following year, Snikes made his film debut in Wildcats.
He later appeared in the music video for Michael Jackson's Bad and starred in Major League, beginning his ascension to the A-list. Say hey! Who's Maze Hayes here? Play like Maze, and I run like Hayes.
How you doing? Number 16, Bubble Yum, Leonardo DiCaprio. This is a chunk of Superstuff Bubble Yum Bubblegum. This is a loud something, too, hooking boombox. Mostly known for blast.
It's hard to imagine Leonardo DiCaprio not being famous. He's been acting since 1989, and in 1993, he starred as Arnie Grape in What's Eating Gilbert Grape,
earning himself his first Academy Award nomination at 19. In the late 80s, just before his massive breakout, DiCaprio starred in a commercial for Bubble Yum.
He can be seen blowing bubbles, introducing a boombox, rocking out to loud music, and being blown out by enormous speakers. This wasn't the only commercial that DiCaprio appeared in. He also popped up and runs for Mousetrap's Cars, Craft, and Applejack.
Little did everyone know, they were working with a future movie legend. That was the best acting I've ever seen in my whole life. Thank you. Number 15, Tampax, Courtney Cox.
Did you change your life for one week because of that time of the month? After graduating high school, Cox decided to study architecture at Mount Vernon College. However, she never completed her degree as she had developed a love for modeling and acting.
It wasn't long before she was blazing trails. In 1985, a very 80s-looking and spandex-clad Cox made television history by being the first person to say period on a nationally televised commercial.
It makes sense considering the commercial was for Tampax. Remember, there's a feeling with Tampax. It can actually change the way you feel about your period. Before, the word was usually clouded in playful euphemisms like that time of the month.
Nearly ten years later, Cox's life changed forever when she landed the role of Monica Geller, the stunt auditioning for Rachel. Oh, what's that curry taste? Curry.
Number 14, Clearasil, Mark Ruffalo.
This actor's career shot into the stratosphere after starring in The Avengers as Bruce Banner. But he'd been acting long before that, earning major roles in movies like Zodiac. Small coincidence aside, Robert, how can you be sure that Lee Allen is a lead from this file?
Going back even further, a pimple-faced Ruffalo appeared in a commercial for Clearasil in 1989, expressing shock at his pimples and gleefully applying the pad to his face.
A clearly embarrassed Ruffalo was reminded of his early acting work in 2016 when Jimmy Fallon brought it up and aired the commercial on The Tonight Show for millions to enjoy and laugh at. This is some of your earliest work.
Maybe your first job. Do you remember doing the Clearfield commercial? Do you remember this? Vaguely, you're gone. Number 13, Pop-Tarts, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Hold on, Mr. Russian. That's a door. You haven't had your breakfast yet. Oh, I know. Kid, kid, kid. Look, you've got time for Kellogg's Pop-Tarts. In 1991, when Gordon-Levitt was just 10 years old, he appeared in a commercial for Pop-Tarts.
The commercial is told through the perspective of his busy businessman father, who is ordered by his young son to eat breakfast before leaving for work. Look, draw this for your favorite. That's what I need to talk to. That same year, Gordon Levitt appeared in ten episodes of the gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows.
Yeah! It wasn't long after that that he became genuinely famous, starring in the likes of Angels in the Outfield and Ten Things I Hate About You. Yeah, well, I did, but that was until she kissed me.
We still don't know if he made his real dad eat strawberry Pop-Tarts before work. Hey, that didn't go wrong. Yeah. Don't forget your homework. Number 12, Barbie and Lisa Frank, Mila Kunis.
Hi, there. Hi, how are you? This Ukrainian actress moved to the United States when she was seven years old, and two years later, she was enrolled by her father in after-school acting classes at Beverly Hills Studio.
It clearly worked out for her. Her very first acting gig was in a Barbie commercial, where she ogled over Barbie's new glitter hair. Oh, you're right! She also appeared in commercials for Lisa Frank and dolls like Telephone Tammy.
I've got to find more, so I go to the store, and wow, there's tons of awesome Lisa Frank stuff! It wasn long before she earned her breakout role as Jackie on that 70s show To get the role the then 14 Kunis lied about her age
as everyone auditioning needed to be 18 or older. Nothing like a little hustle to get ahead. Number 11, McDonald's, Jason Alexander. To say the just one, she'd like your hamburger hot and your lettuce and tomato cool and crisp all at the same time.
Unlike many others so far mentioned on this list, Jason Alexander was already well into adulthood by the time he appeared in This McDonald's Dad. A gloriously haired Alexander dances and sings about the new mixed BLT,
a cheeseburger that was eventually discontinued in the late 90s. The commercial aired in 1985 when Alexander was 26 and working on Broadway.
It was around this time that Alexander also appeared on a short-lived CBS sitcom called ER, playing a character named Harold Stickley for 15 episodes.
His life would change forever in 1989, only four years after the commercial. That year saw the debut of Skull and Fells, and Alexander's Tony Award win for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.
Would you like to come upstairs for some coffee? No, I can't drink coffee late at night. It keeps me up. Number 10, Pringles, Brad Pitt.
Undoubtedly one of the most famous actors of our time, Brad Pitt began acting in 1987, appearing in episodes of various TV shows, not to mention the spectacular role Guy at Beach with Drink in the comedy Hunk.
Before that, he was appearing in various Pringles commercials as, well, a shirtless, hunky surfer dude. It would later appear in various supporting roles throughout the late 80s and early 90s,
before earning recognition as J.D., another hot shirtless guy in Thelma and Louise.
As he proved in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, he can still pull off the look. Number 9. Burger King.
Sarah Michelle Gellar. Can I look funny for him tomorrow, too? I like to go down. This actress has been in front of a camera almost ever since she learned how to talk. When Gellar was just four, she was discovered by a talent agent in a Manhattan restaurant.
Soon after, she starred in a surprisingly controversial Burger King commercial, where she's heard smack-talking McDonald's tiny burgers and talking up Burger King. I'm believable. Luckily, I know perfect ways to show McDonald's how I feel. I go to Burger King.
McDonald's wasn't very happy about this and tried to prevent the commercial from airing, even naming Deller in the lawsuit. It's not customary for advertisements to directly name-check their competitors. The case was eventually settled and Burger King pulled the ads from TV.
I know what it is. It's unbelievable. Number 8. Time's Ketchup Matt LeBlanc. That's right. Seriously? Long before Friends, Matt LeBlanc was just another kid from Massachusetts.
He left the state at 17 to pursue modeling in New York, but he was continuously told that he was too short. He decided to try acting instead and quickly landed a commercial for Heinz Ketchup. Hot dog please.
You don't have to work. No thanks. I got a cup. If you ever wanted to see LeBlanc seductively eating a hot dog, then here you go. The commercial aired in 1987, three years after he left high school to pursue modeling.
Much like Joey, he continued to land bit roles throughout the late 80s and early 90s, including Married with Children, where he dated Christina Applegate Kelly. So, just where were you while I was wasting my life away with my family?
I wanted to get you something nice. Number 7, Super Nintendo and Toyota, Paul Rudd. When you decide to be a superhero, there's only one place to come, the games of Super Nintendo.
After high school, Paul Rudd worked a variety of odd jobs, including as a bar mitzvah DJ and blazing ham at Kansas' Holiday Ham Company. Not content with that, Rudd moved out of Kansas and began starring in numerous commercials, including one for a Super Nintendo and another for Toyota.
When you get the new car. In the former, he played the Super Nintendo on a drive-in theater screen.
And in the latter, he talks to his brother about the $7,000 Toyota Tercel. The Toyota commercial aired in 1992, three years before he appeared in Clueless.
You're funny. And look at him now. Hey, look at him. Who would have thought? Hey, look at us. Look at us. Who would have thought? Not me. Number six.
Pillsbury and McDonald's. Drew Barrymore. You're a mess. Bake the magic. Making her film debut in 1980, Drew Barrymore has been incredibly famous her entire life.
Part of that has to do with being born into the Barrymore family, but most of it has to do with her or her agent's knack for picking stellar movies. Following a small role in 1980's Altered Space, she became a world-famous child star by playing Gertie in E.T.
I don't like him. The movie was released in 1982 when Barrymore was just 7 years old, but she was appearing in commercials as early as 1979. In one McDonald's commercial,
a 4-year-old Barrymore can be seen gleefully eating a free sundae with her family. They can't even make you smile on a cold rainy day. That's faking, Zing. In a different commercial, she eats warm and gooey Pillsbury cookies after coming in cold and wet from outside.
Hot chocolate chips have a magical way. They can't even make you smile on a cold rainy day. Number five, Burger King, Ben Affleck. Hello? Hi, is this Burger King?
Uh, yeah, this is Burger King. Before he was a world-famous actor, and even before the commercial, Ben Affleck appeared in an educational children's program called The Voyage of Mimi, which was shown to sixth-grade science classes.
Sir, could you please show me the news back? In 1989, when Affleck was 17, he starred in a Burger King commercial that saw him delivering a BK salad to a woman who accidentally called him, believing his number to be Burger King.
You two are going to catch Eric? In 2016, Affleck was shown the commercial on Good Morning America while promoting a film.
Four years after the commercial aired, Affleck appeared as Fred O'Banion in Dazed and Confused, and Affleck credits director Richard Linklater for opening his eyes to the filmmaking process. The very next year, he finished writing a little movie called Good Will Hunting.
when I pull up to the curb when I get to your door. Because I think maybe I'll get up there and I'll knock on the door and you won't be there. Number four, Preparation H, Brian Cranston. You expect the hemorrhoid medicine to really be pain and itch,
but you get an extra therapeutic action with Preparation H. Walter White will forever remain Cranston's role, and his place in television history has been firmly established. I don't burn.
You're goddamn right. Before that, it was Hal on Malcolm in the Middle. Sorry about using the closing. I wouldn't have taught it to you if I didn't want you to use it. Listen, what do I always say? The Nords are fair game.
The Nords are fair game. And then maybe before that, it was Tim Watley on Seinfeld, even though he only appeared in five episodes of the show. Oh, really glad you came. And then before that, he was the guy in the Preparation H commercial.
The exact year is unknown, but Cranston appears as a suited-up corporate bigwig in an early 80s commercial for Preparation H, going on enthusiastically about how oxygen action relieves inflamed hemorrhoids.
No one said commercial work was glamorous. When you choose a hemorrhoid medicine, remember, oxygen action is special with Preparation H. Number three, Listerine and Polaroid, Morgan Freeman.
Throughout much of the early 70s, Freeman starred in the classic children's program, The Electric Company, which ran on PBS. And while the role brought him some mainstream recognition, he wasn't nearly the megastar that he is today.
In the interim, Freeman appeared in various commercials.
One cast him as an electrician talking about the wonders of Listerine. And another has him and his family taking pictures with a Polaroid.
Both aired throughout the 70s. Despite years of work, Freeman didn't earn his breakout role until the late 80s.
Thanks to Oscar-nominated roles in Street Smart and Driving Miss Daisy. Number two, Coca-Cola, Keanu Reeves.
In 1989, Reeves made his major starring debut as Ted Logan in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, which grossed a solid $40 million at the box office.
This has been a most excellent adventure. Reeves wasn't yet the major star he is today, but it certainly got his name out there. But Reeves was acting throughout much of the 80s, both in film and commercials.
In 1983, he appeared as a bicyclist in a Coca-Cola commercial, complete with his signature surfer dude line delivery. Ooh, I'm proud of you. Really proud. I'm so proud of you.
You're great. Who's your coach? My dad. Okay. That certainly wasn't the only commercial that Reeves appeared in, but it is his most famous, owing to being discussed on both David Letterman and James Corden.
So I had that thing with the director where it's like, Okay, you're thirsty, you're dying, you're on an island, you're on a desert island. You haven't had anything to drink. And then he said, okay, a coke. He's like, no, that's not it.
Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's audio, Songs from Iran. He imagining Persian melodies as modern rock, metal, and pop songs. Check out the full track and album below.
Number one, Brown's Chicken, Steve Carell.
Big news from Brown's Chicken. While we've always cooked our chicken in cholesterol-free cottonseed oil, some actors don't get really, really famous until they're a little bit older. Steve Carell is one of those actors.
Of course, he gained recognition on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, But it wasn't until both The Office and The 40-Year-Old Virgin in 2005 that he became a national celebrity.
By then, Carell was 43 years old. In 1989, over 15 years before his big break, Carell appeared in a commercial for Brown's Chicken. He played the manager advertising the chain's new cholesterol-free chicken.
Despite being just 27 at the time, he looks pretty much the same as he did later at 43. Is chicken fat a preservative? It tastes better and it's better for you.
Have you ever started an Asper's Potential before their big break? Or do you remember any of these commercials from back in the day? Let us know in the comments.