One's been running for some time. It's a cell phone spot where dad signs everyone up for a family plan, but then has to deal with his daughter's wanting to use it to stay in touch with her creepy boyfriend. The guy they picked is good -- after explaining the "No Derek clause" in the contract, he ad-libs, "Sorry, dude." Which doesn't sound that original or funny here, but works really well in the spot.
Of course, he looks like he could be a Dad. As the manicurist/receptionist where I get my hair cut said, in reference to my holiday commercial, I don't look like someone who'd have a wife and kids. Which I took to mean I look too young and hip, not too gay.
The second one runs on cable, mostly later at night. It's for a line of KY products. A couple is on the bed explaining how this one makes him feel great and this one does amazing things for her and then we see them afterwards all rumpled and satisfied. That would have been funny to get. And a little embarrassing.
And the third one was one I really, really wanted. A nice national spot for a well-known insurance company that features a beloved lizard as its spokesmascot. The role was CEO, explaining to the little guy that he needed an image upgrade and presenting him with this tiny suit of clothes on a hanger. I ad-libbed stuff like, "Go ahead, touch it -- it's an Armani" and "You can be my mini-me."
So a reliable source who also saw it asked, "Were you going for CEO of a fashion line or an art studio instead of an insurance company?" Point taken. I've had some success in other auditions ad-libbing, but I have to keep in mind to make sure the things I ad-lib are compatible with the character.
On the other hand, the guy they chose is balding, in his '60s, etc. Much different than me. So that's probably what they were going for in the first place. And I guess simply being myself, or close to myself, is likely still the better strategy.
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