Real Name: Jack Somack
Salary Deal : $10,000
Born in 1918 in Chicago, Jack Somack is not only known for the few classic movies he’s appeared in, but also for this famous ad, which has him appear as the Italian man who exclaims in a bright manner: “Mamma mia, that’s a spicy meatball!” for ten grand.
It was a slogan for Alka-Seltzer – after a spicy meatball, you might have heartburn. Somack’s movies include The Frisco Kid, Sanford and Son, Carlton Your Doorman, Desperate Characters, Portnoy’s Complaint, and more. He passed away in 1983, but we will always remember him for his work, and for telling us just how spicy that meatball is. RIP.
Hot Construction Worker Drinking Diet Coke
Real Name: John Vanous
Salary Deal: $1 million
With just one shirtless scene, John Vanous turned the commercial world upside down in 1994, appearing as a hot construction worker who takes a break to crack open a Diet Coke, catching the eye of the ladies in the office building nearby – a spoof on the often-mocked and very much overdone “hot girl” ad campaigns.
Vanous has since shot several commercials for Coke. He served in the US army before starting as a model in New York. He's appeared in a number of non-commercial projects, including 18 Wheels of Justice as Chance Bowman and Pacific Palisades as Matt Dunning. Vanous got a million dollars for cracking a Coke and looking good.
The Dell Computer Dude
Real Name: Ben Curtis
Salary Deal : $50,000
Known only as the Dell Dude, Benjamin Curtis was born in Tennessee and starred in a series of well-received, though now quite outdated, commercials for Dell. He managed to get the role despite being three years over the age range Dell wanted. He popularized the saying “Dude, you're getting a Dell,” which tells you what era of recent history this ad series ran. His contract ended in 2003, but he received a $50,000 salary.
Actor fact: Before he even started as an actor, Curtis was an incredibly talented magician. Since ending with Dell, Curtis has had plenty of roles, though all of them fairly brief.
The Target Lady
Real Name: Maria Bamford
Salary Deal : $300,000
Maria Bamford wears plenty of hats in the entertainment industry, including as a stand-up artist, a voice actress, and a film actor. Her first comedy album was 'The Burning Bridges Tour', and four years later 'How to WIN!' followed. Her first movie role was Lucky Numbers, in 2000, before she switched to voice-acting.
Her Target deal brought in $300,000, but you might be more familiar with the variety of animated voices she has provided, including American Dad!, Bojack Horseman, CatDog, and Adventure Time. In 2015 she was in the movie Hell & Back.
The Noxema Girl with Joe Namath
Real Name: Farrah Fawcett
Salary Deal : $10,000
With world-famous feathered hair and piercing blue eyes, Farrah Fawcett has been drawing love-struck looks since the seventies. She famously appeared in a commercial for Noxzema, a shaving cream, alongside famous NFL quarterback Joe Namath (who bore the nickname “Broadway Joe”). The tagline was “Let Noxzema cream your face” and yes, they did know.
Fawcett was in the famous Charlie's Angels television show, as well as movies such as Cannonball Run, Extremities, Burning Bed, and Small Sacrifices. But this campaign may have been her most lucrative deal, earning her $10,000 per commercial. She stuck to feature films and TV after the commercials, though, perhaps embarrassed.