# Help Identifying an actor **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 16, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-an-actor/496639 "2009-05-16T14:07:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThePylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ThePylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePylon)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-an-actor/496639/1 "2009-05-16T14:07:28Z")
Got a bug in my brain trying to id an actor I’ve seen in a couple of commercials One is for some gum hat lasts too long (Stride?) - he’s one of he scientists. Another was an older one where he’s stuffing a bale of fibre into a tablet (I suppose to demonstrate how much is contained in it). The thing is, I’ve got the brain bug telling me he was is some John Hughes-type film(s) in the 80’s… anyone? He’s tall, kinda goofy-lookin’, and wears glasses. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-an-actor/496639/2 "2009-05-16T14:12:29Z")
ThePylon, you should have mentioned where you live so we know where these ads were broadcast. Your profile says that you live in Ottawa. I presume that’s the one in Canada. So you’re talking about ads shown on Canadian TV. ---
**Author:** ![ThePylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ThePylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePylon)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-an-actor/496639/3 "2009-05-16T14:15:22Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > ThePylon, you should have mentioned where you live so we know where these ads were broadcast. Your profile says that you live in Ottawa. I presume that’s the one in Canada. So you’re talking about ads shown on Canadian TV. True… sorta. we get a LOT of American TV here… ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-an-actor/496639/4 "2009-05-16T14:53:04Z")
[Brian Posehn](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0692634/)? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-an-actor/496639/5 "2009-05-16T14:56:42Z")
> [@ThePylon](#): > > Got a bug in my brain trying to id an actor I’ve seen in a couple of commercials > > One is for some gum hat lasts too long (Stride?) - he’s one of he scientists. Another was an older one where he’s stuffing a bale of fibre into a tablet (I suppose to demonstrate how much is contained in it). > > The thing is, I’ve got the brain bug telling me he was is some John Hughes-type film(s) in the 80’s… anyone? He’s tall, kinda goofy-lookin’, and wears glasses. Jim Parsons (Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory”) is tall, goofy-looking, and appears in Stride commercials (see here for example [splendAd - Credits for: Jim Parsons](http://www.splendad.com/people/show/835-Jim-Parsons)) - however he’s far too young to have been in John Hughes teen movies. ---
**Author:** ![ThePylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ThePylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePylon)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-an-actor/496639/6 "2009-05-16T23:45:08Z")
Found the ad - I believe he’s the one who picks up the gum… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NdTZwQwI6lo/hqdefault.jpg "Stride Gum - Office Park") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdTZwQwI6lo) ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-an-actor/496639/7 "2009-05-17T01:29:36Z")
> [@ThePylon](#): > > Found the ad - I believe he’s the one who picks up the gum… > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdTZwQwI6lo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdTZwQwI6lo) I know the guy you’re referring too. He often plays classic nerds (usually in suits). He used to remind me of a flabby Egon from Ghostbusters, but it’s not the same actor. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-an-actor/496639/8 "2009-05-17T02:55:57Z")
[This guy?](http://www.filmdope.com/Gallery/ActorsW/18633-1296.gif) Steve Witting. ---
**Author:** ![ThePylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ThePylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePylon)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-an-actor/496639/9 "2009-05-18T17:46:19Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > [This guy?](http://www.filmdope.com/Gallery/ActorsW/18633-1296.gif) Steve Witting. That’s the one! Thanks - no John Hughes movies, but cheesy sitcoms…