Comedians who are secret millionaires from ads/corporate

[Twonty Gostelow]

I can only assume that Sammy was spectacularly juiced.

He's even more juiced in the similar one right at the end. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvclD1J33Gk&t=467s

I lost it when he makes that noise at 7:58.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

I feel like I've been hearing Dexter 'Like getting your money's worth?' Fletcher as the voice of McDonalds since the 90s. He surely has a bulging portfolio of properties from that gig.

If I'm thinking of the ads you mean, isn't the UK voice of McDonald's William Vanderpuye?

[Small Man Big Horse]

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

I shall, and thank you again.

Has he still got the glove-puppet?

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

Sadly not, or I'd have spent years trying to convince him to leave it to me in his will.

Does David Mitchell still do a lot of ads? I can't remember the last time I watched tv as I torrent everything, but there did seem a time when he was doing voice overs for a sod load of different products, and even did one with Kevin Bacon that felt really bizarre.

[Gurke and Hare]

I can only think of the one advert that Ed Gamble's done, but if they get paid per play he must be a millionaire from the number of times I've been server the Cazoo advert alone.

[bigfatheart]

Does David Mitchell still do a lot of ads? I can't remember the last time I watched tv as I torrent everything, but there did seem a time when he was doing voice overs for a sod load of different products, and even did one with Kevin Bacon that felt really bizarre.

Slight tangent, but I remember a few years back Simon Bird did an advert that I thought really felt like he was picking it up after David Mitchell had said no. And looking it up, it turns out it was an EE one with Kevin Bacon.

[Thosworth]

If I'm thinking of the ads you mean, isn't the UK voice of McDonald's William Vanderpuye?

These. They've been going for decades and there's hundreds of them, on TV and radio. May not be Dexter Fletcher. I was always sure it was, but don't care enough to find out.

[Otisberg]

Briefly worked with Rowland Rivron who told me that back in the day, he used to just sit in the Groucho club and wait for V/O gigs to come in, then walk out, do a few, make 60k, and then have a couple back at the Groucho, and go home.

He also told me that in the 70s and 80s Michael Jayston and a few others shared a phone number, and would dish out V/O work to one another.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Stewart Lee has dropped several hints Alun Cochrane did a lot of corporate/speaking type events. That was a few years ago when he was on that presents show, think he's gone a bit weird and transphobic now.

[George White]

Briefly worked with Rowland Rivron who told me that back in the day, he used to just sit in the Groucho club and wait for V/O gigs to come in, then walk out, do a few, make 60k, and then have a couple back at the Groucho, and go home.

He also told me that in the 70s and 80s Michael Jayston and a few others shared a phone number, and would dish out V/O work to one another.

Ray Brooks I understand it became very wealthy from voice work, managed to save his career after his post the Knack  stardom never happened.

[superthunderstingcar]

There was definitely a period in the '80s when Ian Holm was the king of the voiceovers, with a good chance of more than one ad in the same break voiced by him.

To the best of my knowledge none of them ended with "You have my sympathies."

[mippy]

These. They've been going for decades and there's hundreds of them, on TV and radio. May not be Dexter Fletcher. I was always sure it was, but don't care enough to find out.

It is Dexter Fletcher.

Gil Scott Heron was the "You know...when you've been Tangoed" guy

[Ambient Sheep]

The famous one of course, was Alan Davies with Abbey National "Because life's complicated enough".

He'd given his agent a standing order of "No adverts", but one day his agent rang him up and said sonething like "Look Alan, I know you said no adverts, but I've just been given an offer that means you'll never have to work again."

Apparently the agent had said no to them a couple of times, but the Abbey were determined and kept upping the offer until the agent cracked and gave Alan the call.

I think it was seven figures in the end.

[Gurke and Hare]

So how come the cunt did ever work again?

[Oosp]

The famous one of course, was Alan Davies with Abbey National "Because life's complicated enough".

He'd given his agent a standing order of "No adverts", but one day his agent rang him up and said sonething like "Look Alan, I know you said no adverts, but I've just been given an offer that means you'll never have to work again."

Apparently the agent had said no to them a couple of times, but the Abbey were determined and kept upping the offer until the agent cracked and gave Alan the call.

I think it was seven figures in the end.

"Seven figures? Now that's... Quite Interesting."

[Sebastian Cobb]

Briefly worked with Rowland Rivron who told me that back in the day, he used to just sit in the Groucho club and wait for V/O gigs to come in, then walk out, do a few, make 60k, and then have a couple back at the Groucho, and go home.

He also told me that in the 70s and 80s Michael Jayston and a few others shared a phone number, and would dish out V/O work to one another.

Know a guy who did a placement at Talk Sport.

They used to do a Breakfast show v Drivetime show on the 5 a side pitch opposite. I saw weird stuff like Ian Wright getting tackled by George Galloway. Alan Brazil finished his show, went to the pub and had 5/6 pints, returned to play and scored then went straight back to the pub.

[Brundle-Fly]

These. They've been going for decades and there's hundreds of them, on TV and radio. May not be Dexter Fletcher. I was always sure it was, but don't care enough to find out.

Is that Rob 'Upstart Crow' Rouse filling his car?

[Ignatius_S]

Something worth remembering is that when big-name/established actors and comedians started doing adverts and voiceovers, it hit 'normal' actors hard.

As mentioned, it used to be the done thing for American celebs doing Japanese adverts (Jeffrey Archer also did one for whiskey there, fact fans). It was considered bad form to do adverts, but doing adverts there were lucrative and very little chance of people back home finding out.

This left the advert field (voiceovers and appearances) to regular actors that actually needed the money. In more than a few cases, the income from this helped people to stay in the profession.

Gradually, the stigma of big names doing adverts diminished and celebs only too happy to cash in. This naturally led to less work for unestablished actors  - that was followed by attempts to reduce the money they got.

What was proposed - and I believe this went through - is that actors would (or rather could) get more money upfront but receive a smaller rate of royalties. Strangely, it's big name performers that can demand a lot of money for ads; those who aren't, can go and whistle (unless that's what the advert actually involves). The reduced rate of royalties isn't so much of an issue if you get plenty of money upfront, but if you don't, it is - particularly, if it turns out to be a long-running campaign. Simon Schatzberger, IIRC, discussed this in newspaper coverage of the proposed changes. He starred in an advert for Yellow Pages (the French polishers one) that revived more than once - at the time of the coverage, he had made more from that advert from the rest of his acting career. Now, it was an advert that was shown an awful lot, but this is someone who had done a fair bit (e.g. Children's ITV and in the title role for the West End musical of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole) - things would have been bleaker with the revised royalties.

The last acting job one of my friends did was a DFS - and to be honest, I don't think any celeb could have better conjured the appearance of 'this is one comfy sofa and you can tell from the look of me, I know a thing or two about lazing on sofas'.

[Ignatius_S]

The famous one of course, was Alan Davies with Abbey National "Because life's complicated enough".

He'd given his agent a standing order of "No adverts", but one day his agent rang him up and said sonething like "Look Alan, I know you said no adverts, but I've just been given an offer that means you'll never have to work again."

Apparently the agent had said no to them a couple of times, but the Abbey were determined and kept upping the offer until the agent cracked and gave Alan the call.

I think it was seven figures in the end.

The thing is, there are so many actors, who come out with this sort of thing - Shane Ritchie is one; his story involves a corporate gig, rather than an advert but the principle remains the same - 'I didn't want to do do this, but I got offered so much many, I did it.'

I assume it's meant to be some sort of humblebrag, but it reality, it's them trying to justify earning money this way and essentially saying 'my greed will always outdo my scruples.'  Cool story!

Actually, it puts me in mind of PG Wodehouse saying that when he worked as a Hollywood scriptwriter, he was paid oodles of money for playing golf. It's a way of trying to make light and justify a decision, which he thought reflected poorly on him,  in a disingenuous manner.

[Twonty Gostelow]

"Seven figures? Now that's... Quite Interesting."

You can't say he hasn't taken that "you'll never have to work again" and run with it on QI.
🍓

[Good Hank]

I read a book by a jobbing actor called Michael Simkins once, and he related the tale of somebody unnamed who was the regular voice of dog food adverts, which paid an absolute fortune, until one day he decided to do a take where he basically called the product a load of shit. The company found out, and that little joke saw him instantly dropped.

[kalowski]

Something worth remembering is that when big-name/established actors and comedians started doing adverts and voiceovers, it hit 'normal' actors hard.

Hasn't something similar happened with cartoons? Nowadays most cartoons are voiced by established stars.

[Brundle-Fly]

I read a book by a jobbing actor called Michael Simkins once, and he related the tale of somebody unnamed who was the regular voice of dog food adverts, which paid an absolute fortune, until one day he decided to do a take where he basically called the product a load of shit. The company found out, and that little joke saw him instantly dropped.

Griff Rhys Jones was dropped from the successful Holsten Pils eighties campaign. He was asked during some interview if he liked the lager but said something along the lines that it 'tasted like piss'. What a berk.

I always found Jack Dee and Peter Kay advertising John Smith's bitter was quite hypocritical of them considering they were both on record saying how much they disapproved of the demon drink. Dee was a recovering alcoholic, and Kay said he never touched a drop because he saw how it destroyed his father.

[Pink Gregory]

Hasn't something similar happened with cartoons? Nowadays most cartoons are voiced by established stars.

Seemed to work out well for comedy people; Maria Bamford is in loads of Adventure Time, Tom Scharpling popped up everywhere and was basically in the main cast of Steven Universe, not to mention every other guest voice in Bob's Burgers/the Great North being various comedians, and also Paul Reubens apparently from time to time. 

Granted not many *new* people show up but it must be an alright gig for people who are knowm but aren't strictly 'stars' or legendary VAs like Billy West or John DiMaggio.

Archer and BoJack Horseman had more stars, but with the latter it was usually intentional.

[superthunderstingcar]

Hasn't something similar happened with cartoons? Nowadays most cartoons are voiced by established stars.

In the olden days most cartoons were voiced by David Jason.

[Brundle-Fly]

In the olden days most cartoons were voiced by David Jason.

Or Ray Brooks.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Griff Rhys Jones was dropped from the successful Holsten Pils eighties campaign. He was asked during some interview if he liked the lager but said something along the lines that it 'tasted like piss'. What a berk.

I always found Jack Dee and Peter Kay advertising John Smith's bitter was quite hypocritical of them considering they were both on record saying how much they disapproved of the demon drink. Dee was a recovering alcoholic, and Kay said he never touched a drop because he saw how it destroyed his father.

Remember the John Smith's ad where Kay orders 2 lamb bhunas at an Indian restaurant? He fucking HATES lamb bhunas in real life. He usually gets omelette and chips from the English section on the back of the menu.

[jobotic]

In the olden days most cartoons were voiced by David Jason.

It's true.

Betty Boop, Choo Choo, Tweetie Pie. All Jason.

[Levi]

The last acting job one of my friends did was a DFS - and to be honest, I don't think any celeb could have better conjured the appearance of 'this is one comfy sofa and you can tell from the look of me, I know a thing or two about lazing on sofas'.

Fun fact  - I bought my sofas from DFS and the voice reading out the credit terms and conditions on the salesman's tablet was Isy Suttie's.
I seem to remember the voice of Julian Barratt on those apologetic adverts Tesco ran after the horse meat scandal. In fact he does loads of V/O now I'm thinking about it.

[Average Comedy Enjoyer]

Vic Reeves did the VO for the flight safety announcements for Virgin Atlantic in the late oughts.

Just pulling back to the fact when Tash Demetriou did a VO for Facebook's home panopticon it was incongruously bad. Sounded like a competition winner.

[Mobius]

I'm sure there was a period some years back where every single advert was voiced by Matt Berry or Stephen Merchant