# Who's the blond guy in the Verizon ad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 13, 2006, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572 "2006-04-13T20:50:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/21 "2006-04-14T22:33:08Z")
[QUOTE=pizzabrat] Oh. [upon review, noticing that WordMan never used the term “PC”, or anything like it. Tip toes away from thread.] [/QUOTE] Nope, that was me. Though it was meant in a sarcastic, stop the chatter and make with the hotties name sort of fun way. Seriously, the info was good to have, thanks for the insight **WordMan** More seriously, make with the hotties name!! ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/22 "2006-04-14T22:39:02Z")
[QUOTE=pizzabrat] Are you serious? It’s typical reverse-PC tunnel vision. TV commercials have plenty examples of ethnic criminals. A soon as there’s a blonde white one, it’s suddenly “PC”. [/QUOTE] I rarely see an ethnic criminal on a TV commercial. In fact, I can’t remember the last commercial I saw with an ethnic criminal. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/23 "2006-04-14T22:47:35Z")
[QUOTE=RikWriter] I rarely see an ethnic criminal on a TV commercial. In fact, I can’t remember the last commercial I saw with an ethnic criminal. [/QUOTE] First, how many commericals have you seen with criminals in them period? Anyway, the most recent one I could remember was, actually, a part of the exact same ad campaign this thread is about. Clicking that [AdCritic](http://hot.adcritic.com/television/search/?q=verizon) link confirmed it for me - I recognized it by its title, “Whacked”. You can guess who the subject is in that one. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/24 "2006-04-15T02:46:10Z")
I jut want to add my voice to the “It’s my favorite commercial”, “I can’t wait for it to come on again”, and “Who is that hottie?” groups. I love the change in his voice when he says, " I do a lot of business out here, and I gotta tell you, it’s a crapshoot". I’m sure I’ve seen him playing a similar role in some BBC production, or some movie. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/25 "2006-04-15T03:45:36Z")
I sent an e-mail to Verizon asking about this. Very unlikely I’ll get an answer. I’ve googled everything I can think of. If Dopers don’t know, then nobody does. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/26 "2006-04-15T03:53:55Z")
Okay, found the ad agency via Google and e-mailed them too. Thank heaven for the internets. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/27 "2006-04-15T07:34:46Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam] Okay, found the ad agency via Google and e-mailed them too. Thank heaven for the internets. [/QUOTE] Be sure to let us know if you get an answer! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/28 "2006-04-15T09:43:41Z")
It’s interesting to see such unanimity about this guy’s ‘hotness.’ As a straight male, with a (very) few exceptions, I never see guys as either attractive or unattractive – they’re just guys. I’ll have to pay special attention the next time I see this ad; maybe there’s something about this bloke I can copy. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/29 "2006-04-15T14:30:06Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam] The one who looks like a gangster. He tells the nerdy guy “I told you to come alone”. He’s cute as hell, and looks familiar. Anyone know who he is? [/QUOTE] I’m so glad that I’m not the only person who thinks this guy is hot. Everytime the commercial comes on, I call him my television commercial boyfriend. I have to add the ‘commercial’ part because my television boyfriend position has already been filled by Craig Ferguson. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/30 "2006-04-15T15:00:32Z")
Verizon responded – over the weekend even! They said thanks for the positive feedback but they (whoever saw the e-mail) don’t know who the actor is. Still waiting on the ad agency. I’m really tickled not to be the only one who’s noticed this guy, and the ad. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/31 "2006-04-15T17:29:56Z")
[QUOTE=Lil’ Mahoney] I’m so glad that I’m not the only person who thinks this guy is hot. Everytime the commercial comes on, I call him my television commercial boyfriend. I have to add the ‘commercial’ part because my television boyfriend position has already been filled by Craig Ferguson. [/QUOTE] LOL! I was just thinking last night, I could be “married to the mob” if it meant I was married to that cutie-pie. 😉 **AuntiePam** , that’s pretty cool that Verizon responded so quickly. Hopefully the ad agency gets back to you as well. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/32 "2006-04-15T18:15:56Z")
[QUOTE=RikWriter] I rarely see an ethnic criminal on a TV commercial. In fact, I can’t remember the last commercial I saw with an ethnic criminal. [/QUOTE] Maybe is was [this guy](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001590/bio) in that Vanilla Coke commercial. If you squint your eyes Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri does look a little bit ethnic. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/33 "2006-04-15T18:51:14Z")
[QUOTE=Bill Door] Maybe is was [this guy](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001590/bio) in that Vanilla Coke commercial. If you squint your eyes Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri does look a little bit ethnic. [/QUOTE] Never seen that commercial. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/34 "2006-04-15T21:58:33Z")
[QUOTE=Bill Door] Maybe is was [this guy](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001590/bio) in that Vanilla Coke commercial. If you squint your eyes Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri does look a little bit ethnic. [/QUOTE] Squint hard enough? Come on, if it’s the ad I think it is, the one where the guy is peeking through the hole in the fence, then that guy was definitely supposed to be an Italian-American mobster (or mobster-like, since the irony at the end was that he rewarded the guy rather than killing him). ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/35 "2006-04-17T01:45:31Z")
[QUOTE=RikWriter] I rarely see an ethnic criminal on a TV commercial. [/QUOTE] All people have an ethnic background. Not just black and latino people. ---
**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/36 "2006-04-17T04:49:52Z")
[QUOTE=VarlosZ] It’s interesting to see such unanimity about this guy’s ‘hotness.’ As a straight male, with a (very) few exceptions, I never see guys as either attractive or unattractive – they’re just guys. I’ll have to pay special attention the next time I see this ad; maybe there’s something about this bloke I can copy. [/QUOTE] I saw this commercial before, but never noticed the guy at all. After reading this thread, I thought maybe I’d missed something, but no–he has absolutely no appeal to this gay guy at all. Really just your average looking guy. I really don’t know what the others in this thread find so attractive about him–is it his strong, “bad boy” vibe and thug-like macho posturing? Or would you really find him attractive in just a headshot photo? Unfortunately, \*\*VarlosZ \*\*, I don’t think there is anything about him that you could copy, or that women in the real world would actually like about copying his behaviors. ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/37 "2006-04-17T11:45:12Z")
I saw him as a spokesman in an AIG Assurance ad that’s currently running. ---
**Author:** ![archmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@archmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/archmichael)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/38 "2006-04-17T14:51:53Z")
Being Korean, I focused in on the (possibly) Korean henchman. Odd Job and Random Task would be proud. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/39 "2006-04-17T16:57:56Z")
[QUOTE=MaceMan] I really don’t know what the others in this thread find so attractive about him–is it his strong, “bad boy” vibe and thug-like macho posturing? [/QUOTE] For me it’s the change in his demeanor – if he’d stayed menacing throughout the ad, he wouldn’t be so captivating. In just a few seconds, the ad writers gave him some depth, a personality. Maybe it’s the “bad boy being nice” thing, like Marlon Brando in The Wild One. Johnny showed vulnerability, which is what makes him memorable. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572/40 "2006-04-17T17:07:46Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam] For me it’s the change in his demeanor – if he’d stayed menacing throughout the ad, he wouldn’t be so captivating. In just a few seconds, the ad writers gave him some depth, a personality. Maybe it’s the “bad boy being nice” thing, like Marlon Brando in The Wild One. Johnny showed vulnerability, which is what makes him memorable. [/QUOTE] That’s it exactly for me. He all tough and menacing one second and the next he got this almost boyish curiousity/excitement about phone service. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-blond-guy-in-the-verizon-ad/352572.md?page=3)