Popular Commercial Actors

Deidrie Henry, was born in Barbados an is an award-winning actor and musician and much, much more. She came to the U.S. with her family in the late 1970s.. As a student at Atlanta's Avondale High School, the range of her talents was already on display, as she excelled academically as well as in music, drama, athletics, cheer-leading, student government, and more. She had an extraordinary capacity to be competitive AND collaborative, fierce AND friendly. She was like a powerful bomb made out of peppermint-flavored glitter: complex, potent, surprising, utterly delightful. Henry initially set out to apply her talents and dreams as a commercial airline pilot. She earned her degree in aeronautical science and a pilot's license at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in Florida, with plans of a career in the skies. However, she graduated just as her anticipated employer, Eastern Airlines, was in chaos and eventually folded. Henry poured herself into a series of opportunities in theatre, first in Atlanta and then based in New York, Oregon, Paris, and finally Los Angeles. In New York, among other things, she won the Backstage Bistro Award as the city's Outstanding Vocalist and Cabaret Debut for her Cabaret entitled "What a Day For a Daydream". In Oregon, among other things, she made a living performing Shakespeare, August Wilson, Chekhov, to name a few. In Paris, she sang in a cabaret, toured and recorded with an African Band, Yeou Terre Foulbe, among other things, she was in freakin' Paris (how dope is that?!?). Since moving to LA, in 2004, however, Henry has been busy, fulfilled, and thoroughly appreciated at the highest levels of her crafts, starring on stage and screen. From that base she has toured the country with award-winning shows and been cast in some of the most memorable television shows ever. On stage she has played lead roles in "Raisin in the Sun," "Streetcar Named Desire," "Yellowman," "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," "The Ballad of Emmett Till," and many others. She has won multiple awards, including the LA Tony for Best Actress and the NAACP Image Award. She has also been honored with an Ovation Award, Backstage Garland Award and the Los Angeles Drama Critic Circle Award. Perhaps best of all, when she was recently cast as Billie Holiday, everyone just said, "That's gonna be awesome." And it was. If you've ever heard her sing, you'd understand. It takes a legend to be a legend. Deidrie brought Billie back to life. Her screen credits include MacGyver, Game of Silence, Criminal Minds, Justified, CSI, Bones, Ghost Whisperer, The Riches, Brothers and Sisters, E.R., Shark, Without A Trace, and NCIS. Also fun: you may know this brilliant, multi-talented, award-winning singer and actor and civil rights activist as "Annie," the longtime TV spokesperson for Popeye's Chicken. #myBHM

Jake Dylan Wood (born 12 July 1972) is a British actor, best known in his native United Kingdom for playing Max Branning in long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders and in the United States as the voice of the GEICO gecko. He is also well known as Kill Crazy in the eighth series of the sitcom Red Dwarf.

Wood was born in Westminster, London, England and he trained as an actor at the Anna Scher Drama School in Islington, North London.

His first acting role was in the 1984 television series The Gentle Touch.

He has since appeared in several television series including May to December, Minder, Only Fools and Horses, Nightingales, Murder in Mind, Press Gang, London's Burning, Sean's Show, Inspector Morse, One Foot in the Grave, Red Dwarf, A Touch of Frost, The Bill, Le Café des Rêves, Sea of Souls and Doc Martin. He made a cameo appearance as a carol singer on The Thin Blue Line and has appeared in the films Vera Drake (2004), The Aryan Couple (2004), The Illusionist (2006) opposite Edward Norton and "Dad Savage" (1998) with Patrick Stewart.

Wood starred in the 1989 Yellow Pages TV Advert, entitled "Party Party" and, as of the 2010s, has been the voice of the GEICO gecko ads on American television. Wood also featured alongside Cobent CTO and ex-Metal Hammer journalist Tony Dillon as part of a team presenting Click, a computer games magazine on VHS video in the early 1990s.

Wood also played the eldest son, Dougie, in sitcom family The Wilsons.

In June 2006, he joined the BBC soap opera EastEnders playing Max Branning. In March 2008, he took paternity leave and re-appeared on screen on 23 June 2008. For his work in EastEnders, he has won awards at the British Soap Awards and Inside Soap Awards.

In 1989, Wood appeared in Only Fools and Horses as an assistant for Rodney Trotter (Nicholas Lyndhurst), in the episode The Jolly Boys' Outing.

In the 8th series of Red Dwarf he played Kill Crazy, a prison inmate.

Wood took part in the 12th series of Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with Janette Manrara, reaching the semi-final.

In May 2015, Wood announced that he would be taking a year long break from EastEnders. Wood said "I have been at EastEnders for nine years and I feel the time is right to give Max a break. It won't be for too long as I shall be back next year to see Max face another chapter of drama.

Wood is a fan of Arsenal and took part in the 2007 Great North Run.

Stephanie Courtney is main company member of the famed Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles, regularly performing in their sketch and improv shows. She hails from Stony Point, New York. After graduating from the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, she started doing stand up, which brought her to Los Angeles. She's been invited to perform her stand up at the Aspen Comedy Festival twice. She also performed in Aspen in "Those Courtney Girls", a show she co-wrote with her sister, Jennifer, and in the Mr. Show Tour, "Hooray for America".

Eric Violette was born on 12 June 1981 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is an actor, known for Échangistes (2007), XY-24-70: La Planète Fantôme (2018) and Mégantic (2023).

Dennis Haysbert was born on 2 June 1954 in San Mateo, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Far from Heaven (2002), 24 (2001) and The Thirteenth Floor (1999). He was previously married to Lynn Griffith and Elena Simms.

Isaiah Mustafa was born on 11 February 1974 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He is an actor and director, known for It Chapter Two (2019), Boy Kills World (2023) and Cross (2024). He has been married to Lisa Mitchell since 26 May 2018.

Vince Offer is and actor, producer and infomercial star. He is one of the more famous infomercial pitchmen. His products the SHAMWOW, InVINCEable, SlapChop, Schticky and more have sold millions. He has also produced and starred in the films Underground Comedy Movie and The Inappropriate Comedy with Adrian Brody, Dante and Michelle Rodriguez.

Dean Winters is known for his role as Ryan O'Reily on HBO's award-winning series Oz (1997) and as Tina Fey's character's "Beeper King" boyfriend on the Emmy-winning comedy, 30 Rock (2006). His noteworthy comedic performance was recently included in Entertainment Weekly's "Must List" as well as Variety's short-list of Emmy-worthy guest performances. In addition to being featured in the film P.S. I Love You (2007) with Hilary Swank, Winters was a series regular on FX's critically-acclaimed, one-hour drama Rescue Me (2004), in which he played Denis Leary's character's brother, Johnny Gavin, an NYPD police detective.

He recurred as Lena Headey's former love interest on the Fox series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008). He can also be seen as the Allstate spokesmodel character known as Mayhem.

Winters also played Detective Brian Cassidy on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999). Other television credits include guest-starring roles in CSI: Miami (2002), Sex and the City (1998), Third Watch (1999), The Twilight Zone (1985), Millennium (1996), New York Undercover (1994), NYPD Blue (1993) and Homicide: Life on the Street (1993). Some of Winters's film projects include Winter of Frozen Dreams (2009), Bristol Boys (2006), Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002), Bullet in the Brain (2001), Snipes (2001), Undercover Angel (1999), All Shook Up (1999), Conspiracy Theory (1997), starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, Firehouse (1996), Sidney Lumet's television movie Strip Search (2004) and The Devil You Know (2013).

Billy Mays was born on 20 July 1958 in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Pitchman: A Tribute to Billy Mays (2009), Pitchmen (2009) and Grip Wrench Commercial (2002). He was married to Deborah Mays and Dolores DiDesiderio. He died on 28 June 2009 in Tampa, Florida, USA.

Michael "Mike" Gregory Rowe (March 18, 1962) is the host, narrator and executive producer of one of Discovery Channel's most famous series, Dirty Jobs. In the series, Mike travels the world performing what are considered the worst jobs in the world.Mike is the narrator and co-creator/producer of the Discovery Channel series/show Deadliest Catch.

J.K. Simmons is an American actor.

He was born Jonathan Kimble Simmons in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, to Patricia (Kimble), an administrator, and Donald William Simmons, a music teacher. He attended the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; University of Montana, Missoula, MT (BA in Music).

He had originally planned to be a singer and studied at the University of Montana to become a composer.

He starred as Captain Hook and Mr. Darling opposite gymnastics champ Cathy Rigby in the Broadway and touring revivals of Peter Pan.

He played Benny South-street in the 1992 Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls and can be heard on the cast recording.

He did a commercial voice-over work, including the voice of the yellow M&M in the candy's TV ads.

He appeared as police psychiatrist Emil Skoda on Law & Order (1990), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001).

As of 2011, has made five films with director Sam Raimi: For Love of the Game (1999); The Gift (2000); Spider-Man (2002); Spider-Man 2 (2004); and Spider-Man 3 (2007).

He won many awards from 2005 to 2007 in Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2014 won Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. 2015 won a Golden Globe for his Best Performance as an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, BAFTA Film Awards Best Supporting Actor, Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Male.

Mike Whaley is an American born actor best known for his commercial acting success with over 400 TV ads, winning him his first Effie Award for his role in the Walmart series of commercials, where he landed the spokesman role for 4 years. He is also the voice behind many of the Under Armor voice-over commercial series.

Most notably in TV for his role as Malick, in season 2 and 3 on Under the Dome (2013).

Other guest-star appearances in The Oath, The Outsider, Found, and Disneys Safety, Drop Dead Diva, Army Wives, Sleepy Hollow, NCIS Los Angeles, MacGyver, Devious Maids, Nashville and Atlanta.

In the span of just a few short years, Brad James has gone from US Marine to one of the most exciting faces in television and film today. Although widely praised for his comedic role as 'Todd' on the hit series "Tyler Perry's For Better Or Worse," Brad has shown himself to be much more than just a comedic actor. Through dozens of television and film appearances he has showcased a vast range of characters from action hero, to misunderstood boy-toy, to the diabolical villain.

Brad appeared in the Nicholas Sparks adaptation of his popular novel "The Choice," with Teresa Palmer, Alexandra Daddario and Benjamin Walker. His other feature film credits include appearing alongside Billy Crystal and Bette Midler in the family comedy "Parental Guidance," appearing with Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman in Denis Villeneuve's "Prisoners," and starring as 'Spence' in the feature film "Comeback Dad."

2016 witnessed Brad appearing on "NCIS: New Orleans," adding to his long list of television credits that also include ABC's "Devious Maids", The CW's "Hart of Dixie" and recurring on WGN's critically acclaimed series "Underground."

In addition to his acting, Brad has also begun to write, produce and direct projects that he feels have stories that will entertain and enlighten. He's also expanding his reach and utilizing his creative abilities to speak to the youth about the different paths to success in business as well as personal endeavors. He has spoken at several drama academies, schools, panels, camps and more; constantly promoting belief in one's self to accomplish anything that you put your mind and heart to do.