Real Name: Dennis Haysbert
Salary Deal: $3-$4 million per year
Allstate has a number of well-known campaigns to get people to remember the name, but Dennis Haysbert appears in all of them. At least, his voice does. He’s the guy with the voice richer than chocolate pudding who asks you if you’re in good hands.
His booming voice can also be heard in movies such as “Major League” and TV shows like “24,” just to dip our toe into this actor’s long history. He’s been a spokesperson for Allstate for some time, and they want him to stay around – they’re paying him seven figures to keep him from leaving.
The 1990s “Noxzema Girl”
Real Name: Rebecca Gayheart
Salary Deal: Unknown For the first time on this list, we have two faces from the same brand. Rebecca Gayheart started her modeling and acting career with Noxzema in the 1980s, through the 1990s. Her career really took off thanks to a short student film by director Brett Ratner, a name you may recognize as the director of films such as Rush Hour, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and more, as well as a producer for many more.
Gayheart isn't in the Noxzema ads anymore, but she was in the recent Tarantino blockbuster Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, as well as the TV series Dead Like Me. She is also married to Euphoria actor, Eric Dane.
The GEICO Caveman
Real Name: John Lehr
Salary Deal: Unknown
It's unknown how much this famous ad campaign actor brought down for all those prosthetics and makeup, but he's one of the most recognizable characters, even in an industry (insurance) that is full of long-running characters. There were other cavemen, but Lehr was the main actor.
He's been in other ads (sans caveman getup) as well as appearing as an actor in the comedy series “JailBait” and as the lead role in the series “Quick Draw.” He's also one of the few – maybe even the only – ad characters to get his own television show, though it was short-lived.
Lil' Sweet From Dr. Pepper Ads
Real Name: Justin Guarini
Salary Deal: $250,000 per year
If you've caught one of the recent Dr. Pepper ads, you might have watched singer Lil' Sweet belt out a tune for this soft drink. He's played by professional singer Justin Guarini, but you'd already know that if you had been watching American Idol since the very beginning. Guarini was number two in the show's first season, losing to Kelly Clarkson in the final elimination.
His falsetto is earning him a quarter of a million dollars thanks to Dr. Pepper, but he's also putting out plenty of his own music, and a CEO of the company Profit Under Pressure LLC, which serves leaders and influencers for the brand management. He's also a constant face on and off-Broadway in numerous theater roles.
The “Where's the Beef?” Woman for Wendy's
Real Name: Clara Peller
Salary Deal: $500,000 per year
Grandma taking home the bacon! This senior ad actor, Clara Peller, was the woman who famously asked “Where's the beef?” in response to other fast food burgers. The catchphrase was an instant hit, and you might even still hear it today if you listen in the right places.
Peller earned half a million dollars for doing so, and Wendy's locked her up for good. She started acting in the spots in 1984 but sadly passed away only three years later at the age of eighty-six. Before striking it big on TV, Peller was a manicurist for thirty-five years.