These Are The Salaries Of Familiar Faces From Major TV Commercials

Real Name: Brandon Moynihan
Salary Deal: $180,000 per year*

Brandon Moynihan goes by the name Captain Obvious in his working life. Recurring characters often help brands to really establish a solid presence in the advertising world, so it’s not surprising that so many different companies choose to go down this route. Hotels.com landed on a winner when they hired Monynihan. 

Hotels.com's Captain Obvious Brandon Moynihan @DDOArtists / Youtube.com

Captain Obvious delivers really obvious statements with a lot of fanfare, but somehow the simple concept works well. Moynihan first started working for the company back in 2014, but he’s still got the role today. So, just how much money does the commercial star make? 

It’s thought he makes around $180,000 per year just by working for Hotels.com alone. Add on top any other work he might pick up over that 12-month span and we’ve got our very own obvious fact for you – Moyinhan is doing pretty well. 

Real Name: Maria Bamford
Salary Deal: $300,000*

Comedian Maria Bamford is a stand-up artist as well as a voice actress and film star. Her first comedy album was The Burning Bridges Tour, and How to WIN! followed this tour four years later. She had her first movie role in Lucky Numbers in 2000 before she took to voice-over acting.

The Target Lady (Maria Bamford) @ mariabamford / Facebook.com

She has a very famous voice in addition to her Target commercials. She has done voice work for American Dad!, Bojack Horseman, CatDog, Adventure Time and more. Her most recent non-commercial work is Hell & Back, a movie  that was released in 2015.  

The Netflix original series called Lady Dynamite, which was released in 2016, is about Bamford’s life and rise to stardom. The documentary featured Bamford in the lead role, and she received critical acclaim for her performance and range. The topics touched on Bamford’s struggle with mental health, about which she has been quite open.

Real Name: Demetri Goritsas
Salary Deal: $100,000*

Born in the US but raised in British Columbia, Demetri Gorsitas has appeared in blockbuster movies, TV series theatre – but he’ll probably always be remembered as the Slim Jim guy. He attended the Royal School of Speech & Drama and Prince George Secondary School. In addition to his acting work, he has also narrated documentaries.

Demetri Goritsas @Consumer Time Capsule / YouTube.com

He has been in TV shows like Episodes and movies like Saving Private Ryan, X-Men First Class, Darkest Hour, and The Bourne Identity. His upcoming projects include an appearance on The Alienist, on TNT, and a role in the movie Radioactive.

Goritsas has quickly become most famous, non-advertising-wise, for his role on Modus, a psychological thriller series on which he plays the role of Max Cain. Modus airs in Sweden, and it is based on a Swedish book. Goritsas has definitely found his niche in dramas, horrors, and thrillers, both action and psychological.

Real Name: Jonathan Goldsmith
Salary Deal: $1 million*

Known as “The Most Interesting Man in the World” (according to beer company Dos Equis), Jonathan Goldsmith has been an actor since 1963. He was born in New York City, and he got his first role on a Perry Mason series. He gained traction appearing in Western movies, with twenty-five Western roles under his belt.

‘The Most Interesting Man in the World’ (Jonathan Goldsmith) @ LAmag / Twitter.com

He also was on television shows such as Dallas, Gunsmoke, CHiPs, Bonanza, Charlie’s Angels, T.J. Hooker, Hardcastle & McCormick, Knots Landing, Magnum P.I., and other shows and TV movies. His commercials for Dos Equis were so popular that they increased sales by 15.4%.

He was so successful at advertising that he was able to quit Hollywood in the eighties and focus on marketing. He advertised products like Dri Wash & Guard and SPRINT. In 2017, Goldsmith returned to TV, but not for Dos Equis. He now does ads for Astral Tequila, a rival brand.

Real Name: Edith Fore 
Salary Deal: $200,000*

Edith Fore is the woman behind the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” commercials, which became one of the best-known catchphrases of the 1980s and 90s. Fore, who portrays Ms. Fletcher in the commercials, falls down and hits her head. She is able to activate her LifeCall Medical Alarm bracelet to get medical attention.

“I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up” Lady - Edith Fore @SarahBurris / Twitter.com

Fore was inspired to appear in the commercials after she had a fall in real life. She fell and sustained a hip injury. She also hit her head when she fell. Her medical alert bracelet saved her in real life, so she turned the harrowing experience into a commercial.

This is a unique instance, as most of the commercial actors on this list have no real-life connections to the products they are selling. In fact, most of the time the actors couldn’t be more different than their larger-than-life on-screen personas.

Real Name: Isaiah Mustafa
Salary Deal: $5 million*

Isaiah Mustafa is, according to Old Spice, the “Man Your Man Could Smell Like”. What people might not know about him is that he was a former wide receiver. He originally played football for the Oilers in the 1990s (and was also on the practice squads for the Browns and the Raiders). He left football for acting.

The Old Spice Guy (Isaiah Mustafa) @ Z965WAZY / Twitter.com

He first appeared in the soap opera days of our lives before signing a deal with NBC and appearing in Horrible Bosses. He now has more current roles in It Chapter Two. Mustafa expressed interest in the role of Marvel character Luke Cage before losing the role to Idris Elba.   

Mustafa also has experience in the restaurant industry. He owned his own restaurant, called Jo Jo’s Barbecue, in Los Angeles in 2000. It has since closed. Another fun fact about the commercial actor is that he once dated professional wrestler Lana (non-ring name: Catherine Perry). They ended up breaking up, sadly.

Real Name: Charles Stone III
Salary Deal: $8 million

Charles Stone III is an actor and director. Before he became famous for his projects with Nick Cannon, Bernie Mac, or a host of other famous faces he worked with, Stone was in a commercial for Budweiser, speaking the famous “Whassup.” He reprised the role later on for a presidential ad campaign. 

“Whassup?” Guy - Charles Stone III@MySOdotCom / Twitter.com

This commercial was so influential that “Whassup” became a catchphrase that is still around today, years later. Even kids who were too young (or not even alive) when the commercial came out are still familiar with the reference, repeating it without knowing the history behind it.

Stone III has also directed Drumline, Mr. 3000, Paid in Full, and more. He has expanded into music videos, directing The Roots’ What They Do music video, which features the group going through some rap video clichés. Stone III was born in Philly.

Real Name: Dennis Haysbert
Salary Deal: $3-4 million*

Dennis Haysbert had a successful career in the entertainment industry before he signed up as Allstate Insurance’s spokesperson. It was part of the reason the brand picked him, as having a recognizable face onboard can help boost sales. 

The Allstate Insurance Commercials Guy Dennis Haysbert @Allstate / Youtube.com

This is a unique case, as often commercial actors exist on both extremes, either being extremely famous to begin with such as with several Capital One commercials with major stars, or veritable nobodies, picked from obscurity to be a kooky commercial character.

Luckily for Haysbert, Allstate wasn’t cheap and didn’t try to shortchange him in contract negotiations. Dennis has been with the company for quite some time now, the actor reportedly bags somewhere in the region of $4 million a year. That’s a very reasonable salary considering he doesn’t have to put up with long shoots.

Real Name: Angela Sarafyan
Salary Deal: $75,000*

Armenian actress Angela Sarafyan initially became known to audiences as the umbrella girl in Cingular Wireless commercials. Today, however, even though Cingular Wireless is no longer (it was acquired and rebranded as AT&T), Sarafyan has exploded into one of cinema’s most promising talents with roles in WestWorld, Repo Chick, Never and The Immigrant.

Angela Sarafyan @Brandon LeBlanc / YouTube.com

She’s also appeared on shows like Judging Amy, The Division, 24, Criminal Minds, Nikita, The Mentalist, and many more. Her most recurring role before WestWorld was on USA Network’s series In Plain Sight. She comes from a family of artists. Her father is an actor as well, and her mother is a painter. She moved to America when she was four.

You might also recognize Sarafyan from her role in the Netflix movie, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. She had a small role as Joanna in the thriller about the life of serial killer Ted Bundy (played by Zac Efron). Sarafyan then ventured into video games, playing Max in Telling Lies.

Real Name: Hallie Eisenberg
Salary Deal: $1 million*

Pepsi is known for its incredible ads – and the ones that go down in history for all the wrong reasons, like the infamous Kendall Jenner commercial. Huge names have worked with the brand over the years, from Cindy Crawford to Britney Spears. But, perhaps one of the most memorable from the ‘90s is Hallie Eisenberg, the adorable curly-haired youngster. 

Pepsi Girl Hallie Eisenberg @Tyler Angel / Youtube.com

Eisenberg stuck with the company for a series of commercials across the late ‘90s and into the millennium. Hallie was just 6 at the time, but despite her age, she was still able to command a decent salary. It’s thought that Eisenburg took home around $1 million in total for the Pepsi commercials. 

Bonus fact: Hallie is the younger sister of actor Jesse Eisenburg, so she comes from good stock. Jesse starred in The Social Network, Batman v. Superman, Now You See Me, and more. As for Hallie, she’s now in her 20s and hasn’t appeared in a movie since 2010.

Real Name: Dick Beals 
Salary Deal: $20,000

Voiced by Dick Beals, the Speedy Alka-Seltzer kid is definitely a throwback. The tiny animated character, which has a human head and an Alka-Seltzer body, paired with human arms and legs, was created by Wade Agency in Chicago by Bob Watkins back in 1951. At the time, the kid was called “Sparky.”

Speedy Alka Seltzer - Dick Beals Dann Pryce‎ @ Dann Pryce‎ / Facebook.com

He became Speedy in 1963. His first appearance wasn’t on television; it was actually in print. He appeared in women’s magazines, offering antacid relief with his “effervescent” wand. He also advertised, in addition to stomach upset relief, headache relief. Speedy’s tagline was “plop, plop, fizz, fizz.”

Alka-Seltzer was first introduced in 1931, and has been a mainstay for pain relief since. The product is unique in that it’s both a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, containing aspirin, and an antacid, due to the sodium bicarbonate.

Real Name: Billy Mays
Salary Deal: $1 million*

Billy Mays may have passed away in 2009 at only 50, but his legacy lives on. Mays managed to establish a career as one of America’s most prominent direct-response salespeople since he came onto the scene in 1983. One of his most memorable projects was for OxiClean. 

The OxiClean Guy Billy Mays @oxycleaninyamfs / Facebook.com

He was well known for his gruff yell as he peddled the cleaning product. Mays was practically a meme before memes came into existence, with his out-there demeanor and earnest delivery, he certainly paved the way for commercial actors to come.

His work with the company helped May to become known as “The Oxiclean Guy.” While we don’t know what May was paid down to the last dime, we do know that he probably netted a small fortune. Mays was with OxiClean from the early days, helping the brand establish a solid foothold in the industry.

Real Name: John Gilchrist, Jr. 
Salary Deal: $10 million 

Little Mikey is the petulant kid from the Life cereal commercials whose brothers convince him to try Life Cereal and are amazed that “He likes it!” Mikey was played by John Gilchrist, and the brothers in the commercial are actually his real life brothers, Michael and Tommy (the family has seven kids total).

Little Mikey from Life Cereal @Karen Devard / Pinterest.com

The ad was so popular it went on to win a Clio Award in 1974. It is often referenced in specials on classic TV ads. In 1999, TV Guide ranked it in the top ten commercials of all time. 70% of adults in a survey could easily recognize it from description alone.

The former child actor is all grown up now and in his fifties. Gilchrist is the sales director for MSG Network. He said in an adult interview that he didn’t remember filming the original “Little Mikey” commercials, as he was too young to form “clear memories” of the filming process.

Real Name: T.J. Jagodowski
Salary Deal: $300,000*

T.J. Jagodowski is a Chicago actor who is an alum of Syracuse University. Jagadowski is an improv comedian, and his improv style was what caught the eye of Sonic when they were casting around for a new commercial actor. He and fellow actor Pete Grosz appear in the commercials, almost always improvising their lines.

The Guy from Sonic Commercials (T.J. Jagodowski) @ EaglesMattFoley / Twitter.com

The Chicago Improv Festival deemed Jagodowski Chicago’s “best improviser.” It’s certainly paid off, as he has had roles in movies like Get Hard, The Ice Harvest, Stranger than Fiction and more. He also had a bit role on the drama/thriller Prison Break, which aired on Fox.   

Jagodowski and Karpvosky were featured in the documentary Trust Us, This Is All Made Up, which chronicled their performance and unique chemistry. The documentary aired at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2009. The improv between the two has been the subject of much study among new and old comedians alike.