3. Kelsey Grammer
It is a staggering 10 years since the final episode of Frasier, in a series that saw Cheers character, Dr Frasier Crane move from Boston to Seattle to start a new life and job as a radio psychiatrist.
Kelsey Grammer plays the stuffy psychiatrist who on the surface is the epitome of aristocracy but is ultimately a loveable guy. The huge success of the show is no shock but appearing in a Dr Pepper advert as the doc himself is genius.
Thankfully it’s a pleasant surprise as the meagre 30 second advert is pure Crane gold.
Grammer is a great actor, even if he hasn’t quite enjoyed the same success on the big screen. But a role in Transformers: Age of Extinction as the bad guy could see a change in his fortunes
This is an actor with serious bad guy credentials through his role as comedian turned criminal Side Show Bob.
Well worth a watch and is a gentle reminder of how good Frasier is.
2. Danny Glover
As we now usher in a new age of “EE” adverts, Kevin Bacon is making use of the British vernacular and dropping as many cultural references as possible. Remember the old days of the Orange Funding Board cinema adverts, and Darth Vader’s idea of a film about the Sith lords and their dominance of the universe?
The new Orange advert was once a thing to look forward to just as much as the film you were about to watch. Amidst the plethora of genuinely funny and great adverts is perhaps the best of them all from an actor you would not expect –Mr Danny Glover.
After being ‘synopsised’ with the revised plot of his new film, now entitled “Dial Hard”, Glover comically adds to the various cliché’s by stating he’s “too old for this”. These adverts attracted the unlikeliest of actors and did so for a reason.
1. James Gandolfini
The late great James Ganolfini, infamous for his role as Tony Soprano, said he underwent a physiological transformation to play the mob boss that has made him one of the most respected and appreciated actors in the industry.
No surprise that he enjoyed endless plaudits and numerous awards for a career defining role. We did see a degree of versatility in his work from In The Loop to one of his last films, Enough Said. While avoiding being inevitably type-cast in film to a degree, one of Gandolfini’s credits is a surprising appearance in an American Airlines advert.
But more surprising is that he plays a caricature of himself as Tony Soprano as well as your stereotypical New Yorker. A wholly unexpected appearance but even in an advert Gandolfini is still great.
