# Do actors in commercials have the right to refuse to act out a script? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [July 7, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552 "2020-07-07T00:08:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/21 "2020-07-10T05:15:43Z")
National television commercials are about the most lucrative work an actor can get. There is no way any actor in their right mind would screw up that gig by being difficult. Haysbert probably has the clout to ask for script changes, although I doubt that he would. But an ordinary actor who isn’t an A-list movie star would be completely insane to rock the boat during a commercial shoot. As digs noted, word gets around. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/22 "2020-07-10T05:30:29Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > What about James Earl Jones in _The Man_ ? Huh, never heard of that one. Any good? > [@erysichthon](#): > > Haysbert probably has the clout to ask for script changes, although I doubt that he would. But an ordinary actor who isn’t an A-list movie star would be completely insane to rock the boat during a commercial shoot. I feel like he’s on kind of a borderline where he could be a big deal if he played it right. But acting as though he’s only a commercial-gimmick star like Flo from Progressive, ISTM, is not the way to burnish his image if he wants to get the big movie roles (and given that he’s 66, he’s got a ticking clock for how long he can be that commanding presence). I would think he’d want to be seen as “I’m a star separate from this, here to lend my star power to endorse this product”. It’s almost like the people writing these new commercials are purposely undermining his starpower mojo in that respect. ETA: If he were, like, Brad Pitt or someone like that, it could be a very obvious and knowing wink to the audience, like “ha ha, funny idea that these commercials would be what he’s famous for”. But it’s been long enough since 24, without any really major roles since, that it doesn’t have that obvious tongue-in-cheek element to it and thus becomes a little sad. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/23 "2020-07-10T06:25:12Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I feel like he’s on kind of a borderline where he could be a big deal if he played it right. But acting as though he’s only a commercial-gimmick star like Flo from Progressive, ISTM, is not the way to burnish his image if he wants to get the big movie roles (and given that he’s 66, he’s got a ticking clock for how long he can be that commanding presence). I would think he’d want to be seen as “I’m a star separate from this, here to lend my star power to endorse this product”. It’s almost like the people writing these new commercials are purposely undermining his starpower mojo in that respect. I don’t know how Haysbert feels about doing those commercials, but if he felt demeaned, he could stop doing them. I suspect he’s okay with it. He’s been working continuously since the 1980s and has a solid career that most actors would envy. Sure, in past decades A-list stars were much more averse to commercials because they feared damaging their brand. That stigma is mostly gone now. Nobody blinks at seeing Matthew McConaughey or Samuel L. Jackson in a commercial. As long as it’s not excessive to the point of overexposure, it’s fine. If Bryan Cranston can do a [Mountain Dew commercial](https://youtu.be/tHoYKy1GMgM), then I don’t think Haysbert has too much to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/24 "2020-07-10T06:59:55Z")
Heh, that Bryan Cranston commercial is pretty funny. Of course, his position on the TV Mt. Rushmore is already so solid, he doesn’t really have to worry about his image. (It’s wild to think he was kind of a big star already from _Malcolm in the Middle_, but who remembers him as that goofy dad now?) As for Matthew McConaughey, if anyone’s got script approval (or even final cut approval!), it must be him. [Every single one of those commercials](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP0ua3K684Q) is all about making him look like the coolest motherfucker alive. He should pay _them_ for the PR! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/25 "2020-07-10T18:13:19Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I feel like he’s on kind of a borderline where he could be a big deal if he played it right. But acting as though he’s only a commercial-gimmick star like Flo from Progressive, ISTM, is not the way to burnish his image if he wants to get the big movie roles (and given that he’s 66, he’s got a ticking clock for how long he can be that commanding presence). I would think he’d want to be seen as “I’m a star separate from this, here to lend my star power to endorse this product”. It’s almost like the people writing these new commercials are purposely undermining his starpower mojo in that respect. IMO, he’s a well-known face (and voice) in TV and films, but he’s not quite at the level of, say, Morgan Freeman, and at this point in his career, it’s unlikely that he ever will be at that “A-list” level. And, Haysbert may well be absoutely all right with that. When you look at [his IMDB entry](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371660/), you can see that he’s regularly had lead roles in TV series, of which his role in _24_ was undoubtedly the biggest, and he works fairly steadily in films, as well. Add into that what is undoubtedly a very lucrative and relatively easy gig as Allstate’s spokesperson, and he’s doing better than 99.9% of the working actors in Hollywood, even if he’s not on the A-list. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/26 "2020-07-10T19:19:47Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > In the movie Tootsie there is a scene where Dustin Hoffman’s character has a hard time getting acting work because he refused to do a scene in a commercial. He was playing a tomato in the commercial. If I remember correctly, he wasn’t upset he was playing a tomato. Rather, he was upset that the director wanted him to sit down when he was dressed up as a tomato. He argued that wouldn’t make any sense since tomatoes can’t sit down since they don’t have knees. Now there’s an actor with principles! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/27 "2020-07-10T20:16:03Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > > [@Loach](#): > > > > What about James Earl Jones in _The Man_ ? > > Huh, never heard of that one. Any good? The book was by Irving Wallace and screenplay by Rod Serling. It’s been a long time since I have seen it. I have a feeling it may not have aged well. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/28 "2020-07-10T21:10:54Z")
Do they write the script before or after they sign up the actors? Is it, “You’re hired to do a commercial. We’ll have a script ready in a couple of weeks.” Or is it, “Here’s the script for the commercial. Would you like the job?” ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/29 "2020-07-10T22:12:23Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > (Have we had a movie or show with a woman president in the same way, tangential to the main plot?) Later seasons of 24 had a woman president like that. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/30 "2020-07-10T22:55:28Z")
more than a few big name actors do TV ads that are not shown in the US. I think their contract even says don’t show the ad in the US. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/31 "2020-07-10T23:13:09Z")
Right, stereotypically to be aired in Japan, as in the movie _Lost in Translation_. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/32 "2020-07-10T23:16:02Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Do they write the script before or after they sign up the actors? > > Is it, “You’re hired to do a commercial. We’ll have a script ready in a couple of weeks.” > > Or is it, “Here’s the script for the commercial. Would you like the job?” The script nearly always exists before actors are hired, if it’s a “one-off” ad. (If it’s an ongoing campaign with the same actor(s), once those actors are initially cast, it becomes the reverse, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/33 "2020-07-10T23:18:03Z")
Yeah, that’s where my curiosity set in. I don’t think Haysbert would be keen to sign up for a one-off that diminishes his level of celebrity (although it would be impossible to do a one-off exactly like this for obvious reasons). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/34 "2020-07-11T04:54:39Z")
Carl Sagan’s “Contact” would have, if the movie had followed the book. Instead, they shoehorned Bill Clinton into the story, since he was president when the movie came out. The president’s husband was referred to as the First Gentleman. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/35 "2020-07-11T04:59:05Z")
Oh, I had forgotten that. I did read the book, but it was when I was a kid, like almost 35 years ago? (Jesus, I’m getting old.) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/36 "2020-07-11T21:25:24Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Do they write the script before or after they sign up the actors? Before, since they also have to get the soundstage and build the set, and the agency needs to get approval from the company. When my daughter auditioned for commercials she didn’t see the script until she went to the casting director. It’s not like there are a lot of lines to learn. And often there isn’t a script, since a lot of principals in commercials don’t have lines. The reason that actors love commercials is that they work only a day or two and get tons of residuals when the ad runs over and over and over again. Much better than a series which only runs a few times unless it is a hit in syndication. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/37 "2020-07-12T18:17:47Z")
There’s also something of an attitude among professional actors that any acting job is better than any non-acting job. Sure, everyone wants to be a star, but better to be a tomato in a commercial than to be waiting tables. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/38 "2020-07-12T18:22:13Z")
You want demeaning? The former star of _Eureka_ now plays a washing machine in commercials. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2020, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/39 "2020-07-12T18:39:46Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Before, since they also have to get the soundstage and build the set, and the agency needs to get approval from the company. Though, in many cases, commercials are shot on location: outdoors, or in private or public buildings (or sometimes on pre-existing soundstages/sets). But, you’re correct, the ad agency will always need to get approval on the script from the clients before the shoot. ---
**Author:** ![Beesnest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@Beesnest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beesnest)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552/40 "2020-08-15T18:27:57Z")
I would bet that he likes the commercial. Most people don’t know his name, just his voice. It might make them look up his name and then maybe look up his roles and watch something. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-in-commercials-have-the-right-to-refuse-to-act-out-a-script/914552.md?page=3)