Comedians who are secret millionaires from ads/corporate

[Icehaven]

Rik Mayall famously named his house Nintendo Towers after the ads he did paid for it.

[Brundle-Fly]

What did Bob get for doing the Churchill 'o yus' ads in the style of Deryck Guyler?

But Vic Reeves Jim Moir considerably dented his pension, (if you'll excuse the pun), back in 2005. And Simon Greenall makes his second appearance in the thread.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/apr/07/advertising

It's amusing how Jim was always beaming from ear to ear whenever the paps took pictures of him doing his community service. He genuinely looked like he was having the time of his life.

https://www.alamy.com/vic-reeves-does-his-community-service-for-drink-driving-at-st-hillarys-hall-maidstone-kent-090605-image342129997.html

[Terry Torpid]

Mitchell and Webb were in a series of Apple adverts, basically a British remake of the "Apple is cool, Windows is a dork" American ads. No prizes for guessing which one is which.

Webb justified it on the basis that one ad paid more than an entire series of Peep Show.

It backfired for me, because I'd rather own a computer with the characteristics of Mark Corrigan than Jez. To quote Charlie Brooker:

The ads are adapted from a near-identical American campaign - the only difference is the use of Mitchell and Webb. They are a logical choice in one sense (everyone likes them), but a curious choice in another, since they are best known for the television series Peep Show [...] in which Mitchell plays a repressed, neurotic underdog, and Webb plays a selfish, self-regarding poseur. So when you see the ads, you think, "PCs are a bit rubbish yet ultimately lovable, whereas Macs are just smug, preening tossers." In other words, it is a devastatingly accurate campaign.

[Oosp]

Nick Kroll doesn't need to do ads

[superthunderstingcar]

"You can't get better than a Kwik-Fit fitter!"


Oh, Nick Kroll, sorry.

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

Simon Greenall [...] the voice of that Meerkat

Hat fucked.

[Twonty Gostelow]

I'm sure that A list actors like De Niro and Harv used to do adverts for stuff like credit cards on the strict understanding that they wouldn't be be shown outside of Japan. Something like that.

These commercials for Suntory Japanese whisky were probably unseen elsewhere at the time - the four Sammy Davis Jr ads, three at the start and one at the end, are amazingly odd.

[non capisco]

The commercial radio station my dad has on in the background seems to be 10% music and 90% Ed Gamble saying "Cazoo YEAH you can!"

[Gurke and Hare]

My Uncle did this advert decades ago for Qualcaste Concorde (a posh lawn mower rather than anything exciting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBCg_9nuRw4), and they flew the whole cast and crew over to Europe as they couldn't find "the right kind of grass" in the UK.

He's the bloke mowing the lawn, not the bloke doing the voice-over right? That's cool, he's one of my favourite actors who pops up in virtually every 70s sitcom.

[mippy]

A lot of comedians do VO work for ads. Tim Key and Issy Suttie turn up a lot. A lot of directors do ads as well (Shane Meadows and Edgar Wright off the top of my head but I don't keep a record of who directs what) which I assume is a good way to fund your projects.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

It's amusing how Jim was always beaming from ear to ear whenever the paps took pictures of him doing his community service. He genuinely looked like he was having the time of his life.

https://www.alamy.com/vic-reeves-does-his-community-service-for-drink-driving-at-st-hillarys-hall-maidstone-kent-090605-image342129997.html

Drink driving is no laughing matter, obviously, but that picture made me LOL.

[Small Man Big Horse]

He's the bloke mowing the lawn, not the bloke doing the voice-over right? That's cool, he's one of my favourite actors who pops up in virtually every 70s sitcom.

That's right, all he had to do was push the lawn mower around and not even say a word, and he still got a very decent pay day. Iirc I think they did a series of the adverts (as they feature his Keep It In The Family wife Pauline Yates) and he might speak in one of them, but if he does I don't know if it still exists.

And thank you for your kind words about him, I still see him regularly and have told him how some people still remember him fondly and he's always surprised but also grateful.

[Gurke and Hare]

Drink driving is no laughing matter, obviously, but that picture made me LOL.

It's probably impossible for a picture of Vic pushing a wheelbarrow not to be funny.

And thank you for your kind words about him, I still see him regularly and have told him how some people still remember him fondly and he's always surprised but also grateful.

You can tell him that Mr Dent from Reggie Perrin is my favourite, followed by the man who upset Margo Leadbetter.

[oggyraiding]

Ralph Ineson, not a comedian strictly, but I think one of his big early roles was a comedic one, as Finchy in The Office. He's done a lot of adverts, he does have a lovely voice to be fair. Also voiced major NPCs in Diablo IV and Final Fantasy XVI, both of which came out the same month.

[Brundle-Fly]

A lot of directors do ads as well (Shane Meadows and Edgar Wright off the top of my head but I don't keep a record of who directs what) which I assume is a good way to fund your projects.

Armando Iannucci directed that 1998 Nationwide Building Society campaign with Mark Benton as the annoying bank manager.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Obviously not a secret, but I'm surprised that Rob Brydon and Stephen Fry are still doing ad voiceovers - Fry, especially. He's working for Sainsbury's again.
Diane Morgan is the most ubiquitous of recent comedians voicing adverts, I think.

Lauren Laverne does loads including the AA and Sky. She's pretty highly paid by the BBC too.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Armando Iannucci directed that 1998 Nationwide Building Society campaign with Mark Benton as the annoying bank manager.

Ken Loach did some MCd's ads in the early 90's but he was apparently on the bones of his arse because he'd made several tv movies that the broadcasters had pulled due to union pressure and was essentially blacklisted.

[Twonty Gostelow]

That's right, all he had to do was push the lawn mower around and not even say a word, and he still got a very decent pay day. Iirc I think they did a series of the adverts (as they feature his Keep It In The Family wife Pauline Yates) and he might speak in one of them, but if he does I don't know if it still exists.

And thank you for your kind words about him, I still see him regularly and have told him how some people still remember him fondly and he's always surprised but also grateful.

Has he still got the glove-puppet?

Actually he probably gets asked that a lot so never mind.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Whoooooo remembers when Olivia Coleman and that guy from Operation Good Guys did that Bev and Kev ad?

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Was it Scheweppes whose adverts John Cleese parodied?  That will have made an extra chunk for his ex-wives' income.

[ollyboro]

These commercials for Suntory Japanese whisky were probably unseen elsewhere at the time - the four Sammy Davis Jr ads, three at the start and one at the end, are amazingly odd.

I can only assume that Sammy was spectacularly juiced.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

With regards to corporate, Jimmy Carr does a lot of it I think. He'll turn up to your annual PVC drainpipe conference or whatever in Blackpool, tell a few jokes, pocket the monies then drive home. Leigh Francis as well, although he'll stay in character as Keith Lemon during the entire thing, including when he's having a few drinks at the bar afterwards, which makes me question his sanity.

[mippy]

I assume being a celebrity of any kind is effectively staying in character when you're out in public anyway.

[Brundle-Fly]

Whoooooo remembers when Olivia Coleman and that guy from Operation Good Guys did that Bev and Kev ad?

The actor is Mark Burdis. He's a boxing ring announcer nowadays. That ad evokes "We want to be together" Prudential advert with Mark Williams and Jo Unwin.

[Icehaven]

Whoooooo remembers when Olivia Coleman and that guy from Operation Good Guys did that Bev and Kev ad?

I remember that! I also remember when I first watched Peep Show thinking "That's the woman from the Bev and Kev advert." Can't even remember what it was for though, a car?

[mippy]

AA insurance.

[Sebastian Cobb]

The actor is Mark Burdis. He's a boxing ring announcer nowadays. That ad evokes "We want to be together" Prudential advert with Mark Williams and Jo Unwin.

Ha I had no idea. It's strange how some of that mob have turned out. I guess Perry is the most successful now but Ray Burdis and Dominic Anciado did look like they'd go places with their films and whatnot. Is Ray his brother or is that a coincidence?

[kalowski]

These commercials for Suntory Japanese whisky were probably unseen elsewhere at the time - the four Sammy Davis Jr ads, three at the start and one at the end, are amazingly odd.

Oh that first one is joyous.

[George White]

They are brothers. Both ex child actors.

[Sarge]

Enn Reitel had a helicopter pad on the top of his house so I heard way back in the day