40 Celebrities We Totally Forgot Were In These Iconic Commercials

The late, great Heath Ledger earned huge acclaim — and a posthumous Oscar — for his final role as Batman’s arch enemy the Joker in The Dark Knight. But the Australian likely didn’t elicit similar praise for his performance in a corny commercial for Chicken Treat. In the 1996 ad shot in his homeland, Ledger played a fast-food worker corrected by his boss when he claims the chicken on a spit is ready to serve. It’s cheesier than an Edam factory, but still an interesting start for an acting legend.

Long before he’d become Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire was a young kid making his first steps in the acting world. Well, that’s likely his explanation for this shocker of a commercial. Airing in 1991, the ad is for Tropicana’s Twister juice line of supposedly strange flavors. Maguire has one line and delivers it with gusto, remarking: “Why don’t you put some broccoli in there?” Erm, whatever you say, Tobey.

A mere five years before she became a pop sensation with “Baby One More Time,” a young Britney Spears was in a commercial for Maull’s Barbeque sauce. It’s a very brief appearance from the The Mickey Mouse Club alum, but the then-11-year-old Spears sure looks happy tucking into a burger that’s been covered in Maull’s signature sauce. And who can blame her!

The Grease and Pulp Fiction star had to start somewhere, and that somewhere was this mournful ad for Mutual of New York, made back in the 1970s. Travolta portrays a young man named Brian, who tells the story of how his father opened a savings account for his son’s college education on his 10th birthday. But Brian then reveals that his pa later passed away, and the narrator suggests that he should’ve got life insurance cover. Sob.

Hollywood funnyman Jack Black is probably best known for his humorous turns in the movies High Fidelity and School of Rock, as well as his comedy rock band Tenacious D. Black started out by appearing in commercials, though, including this one from 1982 for the Atari game Pitfall. A young, safari hat-wearing Black excitedly bigs up the jungle-based platform game, which the ad claims was “the year’s most incredible video game adventure.” Let’s just say video games have made quantum leaps since the early 1980s.

Charlie Day rose from obscurity to stardom via It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Yet, five years before he appeared on that acclaimed show, he made a cheesy commercial for Cascade detergent. The 2000 ad sees Day’s character being congratulated by his parents on graduation. But when they ask him what he’ll do with his life, he spooks them by saying he plans to retire, casually listing a bunch of things oldies do that he’d like to take up. But thankfully for his parents, only Cascade can skip steps — namely scrubbing and rinsing. Cringe!

Oh, dear. We reckon Hollywood superstar Jennifer Lawrence would rather you didn’t see — or remember — this cringey promo she did for MTV’s trash-TV favorite My Super Sweet 16. In the ad, a 14-year-old Lawrence plays a pampered teen, who’s brought in on a lavish pink litter to the sound of Altered Images’ “Happy Birthday” and a whooping crowd of teens. But the four burly guys carrying her in accidentally — or perhaps not — tip her off it, and Lisa crashes to the floor. Ouch!

This early 1980s Burger King commercial is infamous. The ad — which has a five-year-old Sarah Michelle Gellar accusing McDonald’s of having 20 percent less meat in its burgers than B.K. — led to a bitter legal battle between the two fast-food giants. Reportedly, Gellar herself was named in the legal action and banned from the Golden Arches. She told U.K. newspaper the Sunday Express in 2004, “It was tough because, when you’re a little kid, McDonald’s is where all your friends have their birthday parties, so I missed out on a lot of apple pies.” Aww.

Back in 1988 Leonardo DiCaprio was just a young boy with high hopes of movie stardom. Not surprisingly, then, 14-year-old Leo appeared in commercials, most famously for Bubble Yum. The future Oscar winner informs the audience that the bubblegum’s “pop-ability” is akin to a boombox and that it “keeps its poppin’.” Whatever you say, Leo.

In her short life thus far, Selena Gomez has conquered the worlds of TV, music, film, and business. And the former Disney child star has also appeared in a commercial or two. One such example, which you may not remember, is a 2004 ad for Joe’s Crab Shack. In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance, our Sel is seen tucking into some fried shrimp and looking very happy about it indeed. Yum!

A couple of years prior to starring in the original U.K. version of The Office, Martin Freeman appeared in this amusing ad for Super Noodles. Freeman’s character, Gav, is seen eating them while trying to entertain his baby son, ignoring his partner chatting away in the background. But then the future Fargo star suddenly hears her ask if her white shirt’s around and, having just wiped his mouth on it thinking it was a napkin, he quickly makes it look like baby Thomas was responsible. Terrible behavior, Martin!

Drew Barrymore was one of America’s most beloved child stars in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was during that period that she taped a memorable commercial for Rice Krispies. In the ad, Barrymore chats with the Kellogg’s brand’s three cartoon mascots — Snap, Crackle, and Pop — who assure the nervous child that she’ll be “terrific.” But at what? The answer: walking down the aisle as a bridesmaid at a wedding.

Matt LeBlanc hit the big time with Friends, of course. But before he was Joey Tribbiani, he was a jobbing actor who did several commercials just to make ends meet. One ad that LeBlanc made back then was a 1987 classic for Heinz Ketchup. After placing an open bottle of the red stuff over a ledge above a hotdog seller, he saunters down to street level to order one. Then, the ketchup drips right to him, so he can cover his sausage before he gives a knowing wink to a lady. Saucy!

Zendaya’s one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood right now. With her star currently so bright, it’s easy to forget the Spider-Man: Homecoming actress’ cute commercial for Nickelodeon’s iCarly toys in 2009. Alongside fellow child star Stefanie Scott, she excitedly dances and sings into a microphone in the ad. Ironically, both girls would end up on the Disney channel soon after, yet here they are promoting its direct rival!

Before Good Will Hunting launched him into the Hollywood major league, Ben Affleck was a young actor getting by on teen dramas and commercials. This 1989 Burger King ad’s probably the most famous of them. In it, Affleck plays a lusty teen who inadvertently receives a call from a seductively voiced lady on his car phone. She wants to order a chef’s salad from B.K., so Ben eagerly turns into a delivery boy. But just as he’s thinking that things are looking good, his dad phones him to come home. Darn it!

Another Friends alum who struggled to get by before hitting pay dirt was David Schwimmer. So it’s no surprise that he also appeared in commercials. One particular ad he shot for AT&T in the early 1990s has him in full Ross Geller mode, awkwardly asking to marry a call center operative named Carly who offers him a great deal of 25 percent off his phone bill. He always did love asking people to marry him, that Mr. Schwimmer!

“I’ll give you trouble!” exclaims a young Kirsten Dunst at the beginning of this early 1990s throwback ad. Dunst and her onscreen family are seen enjoying playing the popular Milton Bradley board game Trouble. But pressing the popper with the dice inside makes them all jump — and literally takes the roof off of their house. Be warned before watching it, too, that the commercial’s jingle is a real earworm and will probably get stuck in your head!

Apparently, 1989 was the year for future male Hollywood stars to make cringe-tastic commercials. So, following on from Ben Affleck’s Burger King blunder, here’s Mark Ruffalo running around feeling worried about zits. Well, until he gets his hands on some Clearasil pads, that is. Then, Ruffalo kills those pesky spots dead and hits the nightclubs with his pals. To think that this guy would later play the Hulk!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. The award for the cheesiest — or should we say Greasiest — TV ad of all time, goes to… drum roll please… Commercial Federal Bank. Yes, the CFB’s ill-advised parody of “Summer Nights” — which actually includes the line “summer banking… had me some fun” — is painful to watch even for those of us who weren’t involved. So, imagine how Enchanted and Man of Steel star Amy Adams must feel watching it back. Brutally, Jimmy Fallon made her do just that back in 2013!

Elijah Wood is primarily known by audiences worldwide as Frodo from Lord of the Rings. Or perhaps as an unlikely soccer hooligan. In any case, he isn’t widely remembered for his part in this stunning 1990s commercial for the National Dairy Board. In it, a young Elijah’s enjoying his broccoli covered in cheese, before some dodgy special effects swiftly remove the cheddar from his plate, leaving him with plain veggies. “No way!” he cries, and then the aforementioned rubbish CGI splashes the unhealthy cheese back over his dinner. “Hooray” indeed.

Wow. Just wow. That was our initial reaction upon seeing this vintage McDonald’s commercial from the early 1980s, starring a young-ish Jason Alexander of Seinfeld fame. Alexander was promoting the short-lived McDLT hamburger, and it’s fair to say that he went all in, with a singing and dancing performance for the ages. And look at that luscious brown hair he’s sporting! We’re won over and would be eating a McDLT now if they still existed.

Before he made it big in Anchorman and The Office during the Noughties, Steve Carell starred in a cringey commercial for Brown’s Chicken. The 1989 ad saw Carell extolling the virtues of the company’s cholesterol-free chicken, before the letters on the road sign he’s standing by — aside from the word “free” — fly off in the strong wind. This leads to a stampede of hungry people turning up believing the tasty poultry is theirs for nothing. Oh dear, Steve!

This Tina Fey commercial from the mid-1990s is so gratingly unfunny it left us feeling kind of low. Not the talented 30 Rock comedienne’s finest 30 seconds, it has to be said. Yet, at the same time, you remember it, which is probably what Mutual Savings Bank was hoping for. Anyway, Fey pulls off an impressive trick of looking about 20 years older back then than she does now. Must be that unflattering haircut and flowery vest combo.

Here’s a rather wholesome ad from the mid-1980s, which stars a young Wesley Snipes. The future White Men Can’t Jump and Demolition Man star shows off some neat dancing moves in this commercial for Levi’s 501s. But then he loses his black trilby hat while sauntering down the street in his tight blue jeans. Oops. Catchy jingle, though!

A few years prior to her breakout role as the shallow and selfish Jackie on That ’70s Show, Mila Kunis was a Lisa Frank girl. Yes, Kunis promoted the popular brand’s colorful school supplies in a cute commercial from the early 1990s. “I’ll never forget the day I got stuck on Lisa Frank!” she says at the beginning, before becoming excited to find more of their stuff in a shop. And we’ll never forget this adorable ad, Mila.

Now this Coca-Cola ad from the early 1980s is a lesson in cringe. Starring a young Keanu Reeves as a cyclist taking part in a race, it features a cheesy motivational jingle and an even cheesier chat with his dad when he finishes. “A Coke!” cries Keanu when handed one by his pa, before taking a big gulp. “Great race, who’s your coach?” a fellow rider asks him. “My dad!” he says triumphantly. We’re so glad Reeves made it to Hollywood after this commercial.

This chirpy 1990s commercial features two actors who’ve had their fair share of legal problems, namely Lindsay Lohan and Bill Cosby. The upbeat ad, which is styled like an MTV music video, has a young Lohan enjoying the new Jell-O Grape flavor while dancing and singing the chorus “Kid’s go ape with new Jell-O Ape!.” It’s pretty naff and of its time, but given what’s happened in her life since, this is comfortably not the worst thing Lohan’s done. So there’s that.

Here’s a young Paul Rudd channeling his inner gamer while promoting the Super Nintendo console back in 1991. The future Clueless star looks very into it in the commercial, playing F-Zero and a couple of other legendary SNES titles. It’s also quite funny hearing about the frightening power of the Super Nintendo, given how antiquated and unimpressive its graphics and capabilities are now. But this is the early Nineties, after all.

What on Earth’s happening here? Amid screeching electric guitars, a bunch of cars with words painted on them are crashing into one another in some kind of destruction derby and flipping over. This is all going on while a pouting Angelina Jolie walks calmly through the middle of them. Oh, she has a copy of YM magazine in hand, so maybe that’s magically helped her navigate the chaos. Welcome to the world of weird 1990s commercials.

What is it with Friends stars and memorable — or sometimes even iconic — commercials? Here’s another good one starring Matthew Perry back in 1987. The soon-to-be Chandler Bing is advertising for Pacific Bell. And it’s because he’s on the phone idly chatting that his father — who’s just had a car accident — can’t get through to his wife. If only his dad had Pacific Bell’s call waiting service, hey. Either that or Perry would get off the darn phone.

This commercial starring The Crown’s Olivia Colman went out in the U.K. It was for a company called The AA, which deals with car loans, insurance, breakdown cover, and the like. It features Colman winding down her window in a traffic jam to see a man who appears to have been an ex, with his new girlfriend. She has a dig about once having a car like theirs and, erm, that’s pretty much it. Apparently, the Oscar-winner hates the annoying ad and blamed it for her missing out on some acting roles around that time!

Let’s take a time-machine back to 1991, reader, when Joseph Gordon-Levitt was just a young boy. Back in that year, the future 500 Days of Summer star was in an adorable ad for Pop-Tarts. The amusing commercial reverses the usual family roles, with Gordon-Levitt’s boy the one telling his dad that he mustn’t skip the most essential feast of the day. “Hold on, Mr. Rushing-Out-the-Door. You haven’t had your breakfast yet!” he says, before ordering pa to eat a delicious Pop-Tart. You tell him, Joseph!

Channing Tatum’s one of Hollywood’s most bankable actors these days. But the Magic Mike star hasn’t always had it so good, notoriously working as a stripper to get by. He also did numerous commercials, including this one for Pepsi in the Noughties. He plays a DJ in a packed club who controls the crowd with his record scratching. Tatum told People in 2015 that he got the gig by “completely faking my way through a deejay audition.” Well, it worked!

In this awesome early 1990s commercial, Aaron Paul plays an unruly kid who doesn’t listen to his parents. Sound eerily familiar? Luckily, though, Breaking Bad star Paul doesn’t turn to cooking and selling crystal meth here. No, he just wants to have and enjoy his corn pops before school without his folks lecturing him. So, there.

Christian Bale’s renowned as one of the most intense actors out there — just ask that poor Terminator Salvation crew member. So it’s perhaps a bit of surprise to see him in a wholesome ad for Pac-Man cereal back during the mid-1980s. The boy Bale sports a slick black hairdo and is clearly mesmerized by the sugary General Mills cereal when he looks in the box. There are some pretty neat dance moves in there, too. Go, Christian!

You’ve most likely seen George Clooney in one of his Nespresso commercials in recent years. But you may not recall the Toyota ad he did. That’s because it aired in Japan, and a long, long time ago. When Clooney had voluminous, black hair. Our George doesn’t really do a great deal in the ad, to be honest, merely staring lovingly at a woman, standing by a car, and giving a sly wink. Money for old rope!

Scottish actor David Tennant has appeared in a wide range of TV shows, plays, and films, including portraying the tenth Doctor on the BBC series Doctor Who. But before that, he was in a delightfully dumb commercial for Home Choice in the U.K. In the ad, Tennant rolls into a British town atop what looks like a Soviet tank. But he’s in fact touting a revolution in digital TV rather than leading a Stalinist takeover. OK, David.

Before he was Walter White or his feared alter ego Heisenberg, Bryan Cranston was… erm… selling Preparation H in a commercial. This classic ad aired back in the early 1980s, and boy can you tell. “Now you can relieve inflamed hemorrhoidal tissue with the oxygen action of Preparation H,” says a bespectacled and well-dressed Cranston. Beats selling the Blue Sky stuff, we guess!

How can you not like this Seagram’s ad? Firstly, it features a young Bruce Willis crooning deeply into a bottle and harmonizing with a few pals armed with guitars and harmonicas on a porch. Secondly, there’s an adorable dog there that seems to be enjoying it all, too. It certainly made us want to get a bottle and join in the fun, anyway.

“Do you change your life for one week because of that time of the month? Still using pads? Then let me tell it to you straight: Tampax can change the way you feel about that time.” So says Courteney Cox, in this awesome ad from the mid-1980s — 1985 to be exact. We’re loving the big purple panties and knee-high socks look, too, Courteney. We’re sure glad she found fame with Friends in the end. Some actors are made for TV ads, though, and end up making an absolute fortune. These 20 commercial stars will look very familiar. Check how much they're earning, too!

If you saw a Sonic ad between 2004 and 2020, chances are that you’ll recognize T.J. Jagodowski. The improv comedian – along with co-star and fellow funnyman Peter Grosz – long starred in commercials for the drive-in restaurant. The pair would most often be seen sitting in a car eating the burgers, hotdogs, fountain sodas and banana splits on the eatery’s menu.

Sonic’s ads have certainly made audiences chuckle, but you’ll be surprised to learn they didn’t pad Jagodowski’s wallet that much. According to The Richest, he made about $300,000 in total over his 16 years of work with the brand. Though if you divide that up, it’s a mere $18,750 annually.

Interestingly, Wendy Kaufman apparently didn’t have any intentions of appearing on TV screens across the country. She simply worked for Snapple and was known for responding to customers’ letters to the beverage company. Her colleagues knew that she had a great personality, and, eventually, the brand’s advertising team caught wind of her reputation for being charming.

So, advertisers came up with an idea: they’d market Snapple with Kaufman’s help. The staffer would respond to fans’ letters – only this time she’d do it while cameras were rolling. The resulting series of commercials skyrocketed the company’s sales, and, for that, the unexpected star was handsomely rewarded. As per the website Bob’s Hide out, Kaufman made $100,000 a year while making the ads.

Farris Patton had no intention of becoming a TV or film star. Instead, the personality told Backstage in 2011 that she’d always dreamt of starring in ads. Patton said, “When I was a kid, my mom would watch soap operas, and I’d be watching the commercials and mimicking every single thing. Everything I did was a commercial – from brushing my teeth to taking a drink of soda.”

So, becoming the Orbit Gum Girl – the one who made dirty mouths clean – was a dream come true for Patton. She held the spokesperson role from 2010 until 2014, during which time the TV personality reportedly made a half-million dollars, according to Daily Choices. Divide it up and that’s $125,000 per year – not a bad salary at all!

You might not know Brandon Moynihan by name but, if you’ve ever seen a Hotels.com commercial, you’ll certainly remember his character’s moniker: Captain Obvious. The guy wears a full-on captain’s uniform and reads off very well-known facts as if they were life-changing pieces of new information.

The character of Captain Obvious wouldn’t work without Moynihan’s masterful deadpan delivery of his most, well, obvious lines. As such, Hotels.com rewards him for his memorable work. The website Net Worth Post estimates that he earns $180,000 per year playing the decorated seaman, which is a pretty good deal considering the commercials are his only major acting credit thus far.

You’d think that Diane Amos must have had ties to the Pine-Sol brand long before filming her first ad, right? Nope: it turns out that she had a strong background in improv comedy! But this apparently helped her embody the role of the Pine-Sol Lady – even without a lengthy history with the brand.

Amos’ first Pine-Sol ad aired in 1993, and her work made the brand more recognizable to consumers. As such, she was handsomely rewarded with a $250,000-per-year salary while she held the spokesperson job, according to Forbes. And sometimes the company brings her back for more commercial work, as it did for a 2013 Facebook post.

Reality TV fans will recognize Justin Guarini for more than just his work in Diet Dr. Pepper’s strange musical commercials. The star shot to fame in 2002 when he placed second to Kelly Clarkson on the first series of American Idol. Guarini went on to record a pair of studio albums, star on Broadway and in 2015 he became the face of the soda brand.

In the Diet Dr. Pepper ads, Guarini puts his musical chops to good use – introducing the beverage in a falsetto singing voice. For his comedic and melodic stylings, the one-time American Idol star earns the big bucks. The website Pinetworth notes that he brings home $250,000 per year in exchange for playing the tiny singer named Lil’ Sweet.

Americans might not recognize Jake Wood on the street but, if he started talking, they’d be able to place him right away. The actor was once the voice behind Geico’s famous Gecko – one entry in a long resume that includes parts on several popular British TV shows. He quit working with the insurance company in 2015 – but not before amassing a small fortune.

During his ten-year tenure as the Geico Gecko, Celebrity Net Worth notes that Wood brought home $3 million. But the TV personality claimed on Twitter that he severed ties with the car insurance company in 2015 because it wanted him to take a huge pay cut. Someone else now voices the character, which has been one of the faces of the brand for two decades now.

Football player. Fantasy TV series actor. It movie star. Isaiah Mustafa has worn many hats throughout his career. But you might recognize him first as the Old Spice Guy – the deep-voiced mythical being he played in ads for the brand throughout the 2010s.

Procter & Gamble – which owns the Old Spice brand – has seriously deep pockets. According to Statista, the company spent $4.4 billion on advertising in 2019. So, it’s no surprise that Mustafa’s stint as the Old Spice Guy earned him big bucks. Microsoft Bing notes that he made $500,000 per year over the decade in which he starred in the commercials.

When you think of Progressive commercials, Jim Cashman’s character probably isn’t the one that comes to mind. Still, his role as Flo’s sidekick Jamie has been a pretty good deal for the improv comedian. In exchange for his funny on-screen exchanges with the insurance spokeswoman, the company has certainly padded his pockets.

Cashman couldn’t have known, but his surname seems to have foretold his future as a very well paid commercial spokesperson. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the actor makes $500,000 each year as one of the faces of Progressive. Now, that’s not bad for playing a supporting role in a TV advertisement!

When you read the word “Trivago,” where does your mind go? We imagine most people would conjure up a mental image of the travel company’s spokesman. He’s known simply as The Trivago Guy, but his real name is Tim Williams. And viewers love the man – mainly because they find him to be very attractive.

Trivago knows that audiences love Williams, so it often plays up his sex appeal in its ads. Clearly, he’s made an impression on viewers — and perhaps pushed them to use the company’s services, too. That’s likely why he makes up to $700,000 per year as the star of its commercials, according to The Delite.

Milana Vayntrub embarked on an acting career as a child, but she didn’t rise to stardom until a part in an AT&T commercial landed on her lap in 2013. It wasn’t a one-time job, mind you. She played a phone company staffer named Lily for four years, took a brief hiatus and then returned to the job in 2020.

Ahead of her 2020 return to AT&T commercials, Celebrity Net Worth estimates that Vayntrub had $2 million to her name. So, she presumably made more than $700,000 per year during her original stint as Lily. And, since then, the actress has been on TV as a recurring character on This Is Us. Not only that: she has also entered the Marvel Universe as the voice of Squirrel Girl in Marvel Rising.

If you see this picture of Morgan Smith-Goodwin and instantly want a hamburger, well, then she’s done her job! The actress served as Wendy’s spokeswoman named Red for four years from 2012. She even agreed to change her appearance for the part – dyeing her hair the same color as the character’s moniker.

You’d probably let someone dye your hair for the payday that Smith-Goodwin took home during her Wendy’s tenure. Celebrity Net Worth reports that she earned up to $750,000 annually while playing the part of Red on its commercials. Now, you could buy a serious amount of cheeseburger meals with that kind of money!

Actress Stephanie Courtney landed a small part on the advertising-centric TV show Mad Men in 2007. And it would be a bit of foreshadowing for her future career. The next year, she debuted as Progressive’s spokeswoman who you know as Flo – a part she has played ever since.

Courtney has played Flo in countless TV ads and radio spots for more than a decade. In some commercials, she even performs as every single member of Flo’s family for extra comedic effect. And all of that hard work has earned her a massive annual salary. Yes, Forbes reports that she makes $800,000 per year from Progressive.

Jonathan Goldsmith had a lengthy resume that included work on both stage and screen before landing a contract with Dos Equis. But it was his part as the character of The Most Interesting Man in the World that made him a star – and a very rich one, at that.

Goldsmith earned his huge paycheck, of course. His portrayal of the debonair Most Interesting Man made Dos Equis commercials popular on the internet. The character even became a meme, which provided tons of free advertising for the brand. So, over his ten years as the brand’s spokesman, The Hollywood Reporter notes that he earned around $1 million annually.

Most car ads have a similar feel to them, as a voiceover describes the feature of a parked vehicle. But Toyota decided to give its commercials a more personal touch with improv comedian Laurel Coppock playing the part of a dealership employee named Jan. It would be her who introduced viewers to the carmaker’s newest models and deals.

Jan first appeared in a Toyota ad in 2012, and her presence must have elevated the profile of the already well-known car manufacturer. We assume so, anyway – considering how much Coppock has made for her acting work in the TV spots. The website Nicki Swift reports that Jan rakes in $1 million per year for playing the part.

In 2010 T-Mobile commercials started to feature a cute brunette in a pink dress. Her name was Carly Foulkes, and she remained the so-called T-Mobile Girl for the next three years. During that time, the TV personality’s look changed from rosy sundresses to pink-and-black leather jumpsuits, but her role as spokesperson never wavered.

During that time, Forbes notes that Foulkes brought in a whopping $1 million per year. Nowadays, the company reportedly keeps the one-time T-Mobile Girl on retainer so that she can’t do ads for any other cell phone companies. And, sometimes, it’ll have her back for a commercial or two.

Paul Marcarelli started his commercial acting career in Verizon ads. He’d famously ask people on the other end of the phone, “Can you hear me now?” – a nod to the company’s strong cell coverage. But in 2016 a competitor hired him and, at the time of writing, Marcarelli appears in Sprint ads instead.

With two major commercial contracts, Marcarelli has made some serious coin. The Hollywood Reporter claims that he earned $6,000 per commercial with Verizon. Sure, this doesn’t sound like a lot, but you need to consider how much the star filmed! Ultimately, he ended up making about $1 million a year when working with them. His Sprint salary is unknown, but we can only assume it’s at least as much as he made at his first gig…

Perhaps you know Dean Winters from the critically acclaimed HBO series Oz, on which he starred from 1997 to 2003? Or, you could have seen him on Law & Order: SVU, Sex and the City or 30 Rock. Then again, you might just recognize him as Mayhem – the problem-causing character that inspires viewers to get AllState insurance before he arrives to wreak havoc.

You’re not the only one who loves Mayhem, though. Winters himself told the Sioux City Journal that it’s “the best job I’ve ever had.” It might be down to the lucrative salary, which is estimated to be about $1 million per year. Winters makes $5,000 every time one of his spots airs in primetime, according to the website Suggest.

There are infomercials, and then there were those hosted by Billy Mays. In the 2000s he rose to the top as the man who could sell us anything via infomercials. But the late presenter was best known for marketing OxiClean. Here, May demonstrated how effective the oxygen-based cleaner was in his over-the-top on-air spots, which often aired late at night.

We don’t give Mays enough credit for the work he did with OxiClean and other niche brands. Turns out, he owned a production studio, so Mays would put together and star in ads for his clients. Doing so earned him a $1 million annual salary, as per Celebrity Net Worth, so he was clearly pretty good at his job.

Dennis Haysbert had an impressive acting resume before he became a spokesman for Allstate. The performer starred in movies such as Major League and TV series including 24. But we’re here to talk about his impressive work with the insurance company – a partnership that kicked off in 2003.

Haysbert has an air-tight contract with Allstate that says he can only appear in its ads. As such, the actor gets a very healthy paycheck in return. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he makes between $3 and $4 million per year as the company’s spokesperson. It’s not just Allstate’s customers who are “in good hands” – the firm treats its ad stars amazingly, too.