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By Amy & Nancy Harrington, GetBack.com | Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 9:10 PM
Who is "The Most Interesting Man in the World"? According to Dos Equis, which introduced the hugely popular character in 2007, "his reputation is expanding faster than the universe." So how could we not be intrigued? Personally, we need to know more.
But Dos Equis isn't giving up the ghost. Jonathan Goldsmith, who plays the suave older gentleman has been unavailable for comment, no doubt at the behest of the company that hoped to preserve the mystique of their pitchman by casting an unknown actor.
[Video: See the Most Interesting Man in action.]
We were hoping we could seek Goldsmith out during the Dos Equis-sponsored 14-city multi-cultural circus road show called "The Most Interesting Show in the World." But according to a company spokesperson, "Unfortunately, he has been detained, counseling tribal mystics in Swaziland, and cannot attend the tour." Clearly, this will not be our opportunity to find out more about the sophisticated man.
Inspired by the king of carpe diem himself, we chose to push forward on our own to get the facts. We weren't surprised to find out that Goldsmith is an actor, but we were giddy to uncover the treasure trove of bit parts he played in the cheesiest TV shows from the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Goldsmith made guest appearances on over 45 series throughout the last 30 years, including "Hawaii Five-O," "Eight Is Enough," "The Rockford Files," "Barnaby Jones," "Charlie's Angels," "CHiPs," "The Fall Guy," "Dynasty," "T.J. Hooker," "Knots Landing," "Hardcastle and McCormick," "Knight Rider," "Magnum, P.I.," "MacGyver," and "Murder, She Wrote." No wonder "even lucha libres remove their masks in his presence." Yet his longest run on prime time was a 13-episode stint on "Dallas" in 1989. Want to see what he looked like as a sniveling thug and much less interesting character actor back in '85? Check him out in this classic "A-Team" episode.
See the A-Team episode starring Goldsmith here:
And yet, that's all we could find. No date of birth. No tales of a childhood in some exotic land. No accounts of a swinging singles apartment building in the '70s or a string of bad marriages and paternity suits. So we've decided to let it ride, just as he would want us to, and enjoy the fact that "his beard alone has experienced more than a lesser man's entire body." If you're still yearning to find out what makes T.M.I.M. tick, you can ask him yourself… if you dare. Naturally, he has his own Facebook page because, of course, he's interesting.
The Most Interesting Man is just the latest fictional character we've grown to love over the years. Wonder what happened to your favorite pitchmen, -women, and -children from the '60s, '70s, and '80s? Read on to find out who made the list and where they are today.
Mr. Whipple for Charmin
The actor behind this American TV-commercial icon actually had quite an international background. Dick Wilson was born Riccardo DiGuglielmo in England to an Italian father (also a vaudeville performer) and an English mother (a singer). When Riccardo was still a baby, his family moved to Canada, where he landed his first radio role at the age of 15 and changed his name to avoid typecasting. He took time out from his comic dancing career (you heard us) to fight for the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Battle of Britain in World War II (yes, we're still talking about the toilet-paper guy). When the war ended he moved to the U.S., where he worked in TV on shows like "Maude" and "Fantasy Island" and in the films "The World's Greatest Athlete" and "The Incredible Shrinking Woman." But Wilson's true success came as Charmin pitchman Mr. Whipple. From his first commercial in 1965 (filmed, appropriately enough, in Flushing, N.Y.) to his 504th spot some 30 years later, Wilson begged curious customers, "Please don't squeeze the Charmin." He worked just 12 days a year and raked in $300,000 annually. Not a bad gig.
Mikey for Life Cereal
Between 1972 and 1985, real-life brothers Mikey and… whatever those other two kids’ names were… sold us Life cereal with this simple catchphrase: "He likes it! Hey, Mikey!" But despite all the urban legends you've heard, rest assured that John "Mikey" Gilchrist and his still-nameless brothers are alive and kicking. No, Mikey did not have a bad liver. No, Mikey did not die from mixing Pop Rocks with Coca-Cola (we're not saying he never mixed them, we're just saying it didn't kill him if he did). Regardless, these days Mikey works as an advertising account manager in New York and, we can only imagine, is still enjoying life.
Ol' Lonely for Maytag
Vaudeville performer, Broadway actor, and TV and film star Jesse White had already enjoyed a very full career when at the age of 50 he was cast as the Maytag Repairman, also known as Ol' Lonely. In real life White wasn't lonely at all. He was married to wife Celia for 55 years (until his death in '97) and had two daughters, Carole Ita and Janet. You might remember Carole Ita; she played red headed hussy Big Rosie Greenbaum on "Laverne & Shirley." But White wasn't the only Maytag fix-it man. He was replaced by "WKRP in Cincinnati's" Gordon Jump in 1989.
Madge the Manicurist for Palmolive
As Madge the Manicurist, Jan Miner told women they were "soaking in it" ("it" being Palmolive Dishwashing Detergent) for 27 years. But out of her smock, she had a pretty full career. Miner started as a radio star, voicing Della Reese on "Perry Mason" and Mary Wesley on "Boston Blackie." As a theater actress she worked on Broadway and with the American Shakespeare Festival in Connecticut. Her film roles included the part of Lenny Bruce's mother in the movie "Lenny." Still, she'll always be remembered as Madge. Not just in America, either. The manicurist didn't just soak stateside hands -- she recorded the commercials in French, German, Danish, and Italian. Can you say, "Si sta mettendo a bagno in esso"?
Mason Reese for Dunkin Munchkins
Reese was the pint-sized king of product pitchmen in the '70s, making commercials for Underwood Deviled Ham and Dunkin Munchkins, among others. The precocious redhead parlayed his popularity into appearances on "The Mike Douglas Show" and "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell" but couldn't draw an audience to his own short-lived series, "Mason," in 1977. Despite regular appearances on the "Howard Stern Show" in the '90s, like so many child stars, he faded away. Reese recently resurfaced to announce the opening of his third New York hot spot, Destination Bar and Grille (he also ran a lounge called Nowbar and co-owns the restaurant Paladar). He's hoping to pour drinks and find love in his new hangout, but don't look for him on TV anytime soon. About eight years ago he pitched a sitcom with Gary Coleman about eight years ago about two child stars turned P.I.'s, but, shockingly, no one was buying what Reese was selling this time around.
Rosie for Bounty Paper Towels
Nancy Walker had as great a career as any 4'10" tall character actress could dream of having. She was a Tony-nominated Broadway star who appeared in productions like "Phoenix '56," "Do Re Mi," and "On the Town." She worked in TV for 50 years on everything from "Family Affair" to "McMillan & Wife" to "Rhoda" to her own short-lived series, "The Nancy Walker Show." She even got behind the camera and directed TV ("Rhoda," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and "Alice") and one feature film, the 1980 disco dud "Can't Stop the Music." But for 20 years she was known as Rosie, the diner waitress with a love for Bounty paper towels, "the quicker picker-upper."
Avery Schreiber for Doritos
Schreiber was more than a Doritos pitchman. The improvisational actor got his start in Chicago at the Goodman Theater and then as part of the legendary Second City troupe. There he teamed with Jack Burns, his partner on comedy records and co-host for the 1973 summer replacement series, "The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour." He made frequent appearances on such shows as "Chico and the Man" and "Match Game" but will be remembered for a moustache that would make Gabe Kaplan's wilt with shame. The man is gone, but his name lives on at a small theater dedicated to him in North Hollywood, California.
Fred the Baker for Dunkin' Donuts
Training alongside future legends like Tony Curtis and Rod Steiger at New York’s Dramatic Workshop, Michael Vale probably didn’t expect to make his name in commercials (more than 1,300 of them). Well, he did. Not once but twice. In the 1970s Vale sold dairy products for Kraft Foods' Breakstone cottage cheese and sour cream. Then in 1982 he woke up to find it was "time to make the doughnuts" as Dunkin’ Donuts' "Fred the Baker" -- a role he would play for 15 years. But the best experience of Michael's career? According to the actor, it was working with Sir Laurence Olivier as a jewelry salesman in the 1976 film "Marathon Man."
Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes for Bartles & Jaymes
In 1984 the E. & J. Gallo Winery was looking for two men to sell their new brand of wine coolers, Bartles & Jaymes. But rather than turn to Hollywood casting agencies and pick from the usual talent pool, they went with two unknowns. David Joseph Rufkahr (an ad exec) would play Frank Bartles, and Dick Maugg (a general contractor) would play Ed Jaymes. Not that a lot of experience was needed. In the spots Bartles would address the camera directly while Jaymes sat silently by his side. The ads ran from 1984 to 1991, then the men faded back into obscurity. But, needless to say, they thank you for your consideration.
Clara Peller for Wendy's
In 1985 retired character actress and manicurist Clara Peller made a huge mistake: she found the beef. Worse yet, she found it in a jar of Prego Plus pasta sauce. Her bosses at Wendy's were not pleased. They had given the 81-year-old her big break just one year earlier. It was a short run, but it had a big impact. Clara's “Where’s the beef?” catchphrase even found its way into Walter Mondale’s lexicon during the 1984 Presidential campaign. Clara made a few appearances in films like "Moving Violations" and on specials like "Wrestlemania 2," before passing away in 1987.
Wendy Kaufman for Snapple
When Kaufman was a kid she wrote one fan letter to Greg Brady and he never answered. It was a scarring moment for any prepubescent girl with a crush. But Wendy took that pain and used it for good. As an employee at a little company called Snapple Beverage Corporation (co-founded by her best friend’s dad), Wendy took it upon herself to answer customer fan mail. When the company’s ad execs heard about her, they decided she should be the face -- or head, as it was -- of the iced-tea drink, putting her in commercials as the tiny head poking out from behind a big desk, answering letters from devoted drinkers. And so she was for a good run in the '90s. Since then Wendy's made a few appearances in TV and film (like playing herself in "Vegas Vacation") and competing on "Celebrity Fit Club 1 & 2." But Wendy was never an actress, just an employee with a heart. So these days she can be found working on fitness clothes for plus-sized women and every once in a while in the classrooms of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she had once been accepted pending completion of a probability and statistics class. Her intense fear of mathematics kept her from enrolling full time.
http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/the-most-interesting-pitchmen-in-the-world--379
Who is "The Most Interesting Man in the World"? According to Dos Equis, which introduced the hugely popular character in 2007, "his reputation is expanding faster than the universe." So how could we not be intrigued? Personally, we need to know more.
But Dos Equis isn't giving up the ghost. Jonathan Goldsmith, who plays the suave older gentleman has been unavailable for comment, no doubt at the behest of the company that hoped to preserve the mystique of their pitchman by casting an unknown actor.
[Video: See the Most Interesting Man in action.]
We were hoping we could seek Goldsmith out during the Dos Equis-sponsored 14-city multi-cultural circus road show called "The Most Interesting Show in the World." But according to a company spokesperson, "Unfortunately, he has been detained, counseling tribal mystics in Swaziland, and cannot attend the tour." Clearly, this will not be our opportunity to find out more about the sophisticated man.
Inspired by the king of carpe diem himself, we chose to push forward on our own to get the facts. We weren't surprised to find out that Goldsmith is an actor, but we were giddy to uncover the treasure trove of bit parts he played in the cheesiest TV shows from the '70s, '80s, and '90s. Goldsmith made guest appearances on over 45 series throughout the last 30 years, including "Hawaii Five-O," "Eight Is Enough," "The Rockford Files," "Barnaby Jones," "Charlie's Angels," "CHiPs," "The Fall Guy," "Dynasty," "T.J. Hooker," "Knots Landing," "Hardcastle and McCormick," "Knight Rider," "Magnum, P.I.," "MacGyver," and "Murder, She Wrote." No wonder "even lucha libres remove their masks in his presence." Yet his longest run on prime time was a 13-episode stint on "Dallas" in 1989. Want to see what he looked like as a sniveling thug and much less interesting character actor back in '85? Check him out in this classic "A-Team" episode.
See the A-Team episode starring Goldsmith here:
And yet, that's all we could find. No date of birth. No tales of a childhood in some exotic land. No accounts of a swinging singles apartment building in the '70s or a string of bad marriages and paternity suits. So we've decided to let it ride, just as he would want us to, and enjoy the fact that "his beard alone has experienced more than a lesser man's entire body." If you're still yearning to find out what makes T.M.I.M. tick, you can ask him yourself… if you dare. Naturally, he has his own Facebook page because, of course, he's interesting.
The Most Interesting Man is just the latest fictional character we've grown to love over the years. Wonder what happened to your favorite pitchmen, -women, and -children from the '60s, '70s, and '80s? Read on to find out who made the list and where they are today.
Mr. Whipple for Charmin
The actor behind this American TV-commercial icon actually had quite an international background. Dick Wilson was born Riccardo DiGuglielmo in England to an Italian father (also a vaudeville performer) and an English mother (a singer). When Riccardo was still a baby, his family moved to Canada, where he landed his first radio role at the age of 15 and changed his name to avoid typecasting. He took time out from his comic dancing career (you heard us) to fight for the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Battle of Britain in World War II (yes, we're still talking about the toilet-paper guy). When the war ended he moved to the U.S., where he worked in TV on shows like "Maude" and "Fantasy Island" and in the films "The World's Greatest Athlete" and "The Incredible Shrinking Woman." But Wilson's true success came as Charmin pitchman Mr. Whipple. From his first commercial in 1965 (filmed, appropriately enough, in Flushing, N.Y.) to his 504th spot some 30 years later, Wilson begged curious customers, "Please don't squeeze the Charmin." He worked just 12 days a year and raked in $300,000 annually. Not a bad gig.
Mikey for Life Cereal
Between 1972 and 1985, real-life brothers Mikey and… whatever those other two kids’ names were… sold us Life cereal with this simple catchphrase: "He likes it! Hey, Mikey!" But despite all the urban legends you've heard, rest assured that John "Mikey" Gilchrist and his still-nameless brothers are alive and kicking. No, Mikey did not have a bad liver. No, Mikey did not die from mixing Pop Rocks with Coca-Cola (we're not saying he never mixed them, we're just saying it didn't kill him if he did). Regardless, these days Mikey works as an advertising account manager in New York and, we can only imagine, is still enjoying life.
Ol' Lonely for Maytag
Vaudeville performer, Broadway actor, and TV and film star Jesse White had already enjoyed a very full career when at the age of 50 he was cast as the Maytag Repairman, also known as Ol' Lonely. In real life White wasn't lonely at all. He was married to wife Celia for 55 years (until his death in '97) and had two daughters, Carole Ita and Janet. You might remember Carole Ita; she played red headed hussy Big Rosie Greenbaum on "Laverne & Shirley." But White wasn't the only Maytag fix-it man. He was replaced by "WKRP in Cincinnati's" Gordon Jump in 1989.
Madge the Manicurist for Palmolive
As Madge the Manicurist, Jan Miner told women they were "soaking in it" ("it" being Palmolive Dishwashing Detergent) for 27 years. But out of her smock, she had a pretty full career. Miner started as a radio star, voicing Della Reese on "Perry Mason" and Mary Wesley on "Boston Blackie." As a theater actress she worked on Broadway and with the American Shakespeare Festival in Connecticut. Her film roles included the part of Lenny Bruce's mother in the movie "Lenny." Still, she'll always be remembered as Madge. Not just in America, either. The manicurist didn't just soak stateside hands -- she recorded the commercials in French, German, Danish, and Italian. Can you say, "Si sta mettendo a bagno in esso"?
Mason Reese for Dunkin Munchkins
Reese was the pint-sized king of product pitchmen in the '70s, making commercials for Underwood Deviled Ham and Dunkin Munchkins, among others. The precocious redhead parlayed his popularity into appearances on "The Mike Douglas Show" and "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell" but couldn't draw an audience to his own short-lived series, "Mason," in 1977. Despite regular appearances on the "Howard Stern Show" in the '90s, like so many child stars, he faded away. Reese recently resurfaced to announce the opening of his third New York hot spot, Destination Bar and Grille (he also ran a lounge called Nowbar and co-owns the restaurant Paladar). He's hoping to pour drinks and find love in his new hangout, but don't look for him on TV anytime soon. About eight years ago he pitched a sitcom with Gary Coleman about eight years ago about two child stars turned P.I.'s, but, shockingly, no one was buying what Reese was selling this time around.
Rosie for Bounty Paper Towels
Nancy Walker had as great a career as any 4'10" tall character actress could dream of having. She was a Tony-nominated Broadway star who appeared in productions like "Phoenix '56," "Do Re Mi," and "On the Town." She worked in TV for 50 years on everything from "Family Affair" to "McMillan & Wife" to "Rhoda" to her own short-lived series, "The Nancy Walker Show." She even got behind the camera and directed TV ("Rhoda," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and "Alice") and one feature film, the 1980 disco dud "Can't Stop the Music." But for 20 years she was known as Rosie, the diner waitress with a love for Bounty paper towels, "the quicker picker-upper."
Avery Schreiber for Doritos
Schreiber was more than a Doritos pitchman. The improvisational actor got his start in Chicago at the Goodman Theater and then as part of the legendary Second City troupe. There he teamed with Jack Burns, his partner on comedy records and co-host for the 1973 summer replacement series, "The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour." He made frequent appearances on such shows as "Chico and the Man" and "Match Game" but will be remembered for a moustache that would make Gabe Kaplan's wilt with shame. The man is gone, but his name lives on at a small theater dedicated to him in North Hollywood, California.
Fred the Baker for Dunkin' Donuts
Training alongside future legends like Tony Curtis and Rod Steiger at New York’s Dramatic Workshop, Michael Vale probably didn’t expect to make his name in commercials (more than 1,300 of them). Well, he did. Not once but twice. In the 1970s Vale sold dairy products for Kraft Foods' Breakstone cottage cheese and sour cream. Then in 1982 he woke up to find it was "time to make the doughnuts" as Dunkin’ Donuts' "Fred the Baker" -- a role he would play for 15 years. But the best experience of Michael's career? According to the actor, it was working with Sir Laurence Olivier as a jewelry salesman in the 1976 film "Marathon Man."
Frank Bartles and Ed Jaymes for Bartles & Jaymes
In 1984 the E. & J. Gallo Winery was looking for two men to sell their new brand of wine coolers, Bartles & Jaymes. But rather than turn to Hollywood casting agencies and pick from the usual talent pool, they went with two unknowns. David Joseph Rufkahr (an ad exec) would play Frank Bartles, and Dick Maugg (a general contractor) would play Ed Jaymes. Not that a lot of experience was needed. In the spots Bartles would address the camera directly while Jaymes sat silently by his side. The ads ran from 1984 to 1991, then the men faded back into obscurity. But, needless to say, they thank you for your consideration.
Clara Peller for Wendy's
In 1985 retired character actress and manicurist Clara Peller made a huge mistake: she found the beef. Worse yet, she found it in a jar of Prego Plus pasta sauce. Her bosses at Wendy's were not pleased. They had given the 81-year-old her big break just one year earlier. It was a short run, but it had a big impact. Clara's “Where’s the beef?” catchphrase even found its way into Walter Mondale’s lexicon during the 1984 Presidential campaign. Clara made a few appearances in films like "Moving Violations" and on specials like "Wrestlemania 2," before passing away in 1987.
Wendy Kaufman for Snapple
When Kaufman was a kid she wrote one fan letter to Greg Brady and he never answered. It was a scarring moment for any prepubescent girl with a crush. But Wendy took that pain and used it for good. As an employee at a little company called Snapple Beverage Corporation (co-founded by her best friend’s dad), Wendy took it upon herself to answer customer fan mail. When the company’s ad execs heard about her, they decided she should be the face -- or head, as it was -- of the iced-tea drink, putting her in commercials as the tiny head poking out from behind a big desk, answering letters from devoted drinkers. And so she was for a good run in the '90s. Since then Wendy's made a few appearances in TV and film (like playing herself in "Vegas Vacation") and competing on "Celebrity Fit Club 1 & 2." But Wendy was never an actress, just an employee with a heart. So these days she can be found working on fitness clothes for plus-sized women and every once in a while in the classrooms of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she had once been accepted pending completion of a probability and statistics class. Her intense fear of mathematics kept her from enrolling full time.
http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/the-most-interesting-pitchmen-in-the-world--379
