Flo, the Progressive Girl

Is there a career after a high profile national commercial? Do you think the actress that plays Flo will ever find work after so much exposure? And why do actors who do tv series go on to other work, but high profile commercial actors never seem to have much success?

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Updated On: 7/9/13 at 06:16 PM

Jared from Subway is worth at least $15 million. The "Can You Hear Me Now" guy is pretty well compensated too since he really can't do any more advertising work afterwards.

Flo will probably never need to work again. A regular national commercial can earn you up to $150,000 running for a year. Someone like Flo, who is the national spokesperson for a product, doing several commercials a year, the salary can be over a million per year. If she invests wisely, she'll be set for life.

To answer your question, my guess is that we just don't take known commercial actors seriously as actors. Their commercial roles are usually so silly and repetitively drummed into our consciousness (squeezing charmin, etc.) that we can't help making that association when we see them in something else.

I don't think it's much different from actors that get associated with a TV role and can't escape it because they're so tied to it that you can't see them as anything else. Think about it. Even if TV actors that are well known for a role go on to other things, it's usually just a slight variation of what they've done before. Think Bea Arthur, Heather Locklear, etc. Everything they've been on is just a repeat of what they became known and loved for.

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Updated On: 7/9/13 at 06:37 PM

I agree, it seems like a Faustian bargain. I don't know if its easier for, say, a sitcom actor than a product spokesman, but they both have problems moving beyond the "character" that makes them famous.

Flo has made several remarks I find quite offensive. Among them:

I don't like Jews
Neither should you
They're ethically and spiritually poor
That's a fact

I don't like black people
It's just not acceptable
There should be some kind of law
That is that

And I get the sh+ts
With Inuits
They get on my tits
The little bastards

And the f*ckin' Italians
I just cannot stand them
They really inspire my rancor
Cheating ****ing Italian wankers

And lesbians and the bi-curious
Make me furious
It's not their fault I know
But still...
Grr...


She needs to be punished.

sorry those quotes were taken out of context.Here's the whole thing

I don't like Jews
Who make and distribute kiddy porn
Neither should you
Their ethically and spiritually poor
That's a fact

I don't like black people
Who risk billions of other peoples money gambling on future derivatives
It's just not acceptable
There should be some kind of law
That is that

And I get the sh+ts
With Inuits
Who find out what job I do
And regale me with a racist joke or two
They get on my tits
The little bastards

And the f*ckin' Italians
I just cannot stand them
When they take a dive in the penalty box
Denying Australia its world cup spot
They really inspire my rancor
Cheating f*cking Italian wankers

And lesbians and the bi-curious
Make me furious
When their pride parade blocked the traffic flow
when my baby had asthma and had to go to the hospital
It's not their fault I know
But still...
Grr...

Wow Joe did you study lyric writing at the Jim Coyler school of music? ASCAP!

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The only ones I'm aware of who've successfully made the transition to other areas have been multilingual actors. They tend to do their product pitching and adverts in one language before tackling Hollywood in English.

While folks are still laughing at Sofia Vergara's slightly-exaggerated accent, she's laughing all the way to the bank. I remember her pitching Tampax products during the airing of a Colombian soap opera probably 15 yrs ago. There's footage of her in va ery popular Pepsi advert as a (non-speaking) 17 yr old at the link. I'm certain Pepsi pays her a helluva lot more these days.
17-yr old Sofia Vergara in 1st Pepsi Commercial

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That is a lyric from a wonderful song by Tim Minchin.

Part of Ben "the Dell dude" Curtiss's problem was that he was famously dumped by Dell after getting busted for weed possession.

He was charming, I thought, in "Joy" Off-Broadway.

It's not so much about Flo personally, but where do high profile commercial actors go after their shelf life in their commerical is over.

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I believe she thought that it was going to be a one time gig but Flo caught on big time and she eats less than the Gekko.

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"Wow Joe did you study lyric writing at the Jim Coyler school of music? ASCAP!"


That is the FIRST thing that came to my mind!

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