Today these actors appear in some of the most successful films and TV shows. However, they once plied their trade in food and drink ads.
Matt LeBlanc: Heinz ketchup (1987)
This ad for Heinz ketchup featured Friends heartthrob and general douche Matt LeBlanc. As a child I always wondered why he’d gone to all that effort to put sauce on his hot dog. And wouldn’t the sauce keep coming out of the bottle? Meh.
John Barrowman: Irn-Bru (1994)
In Doctor Who, John Barrowman plays hunky hero Captain Jack Harkness. However, in the mid 90s things were a little different. In this commercial for the famous Scottish mouthwash Irn-Bru (News Ed: some of us quite like it actually), he plays an effete prince.
Keanu Reeves: Cornflakes (1987)
It’s fair to say that Keanu Reeves has never pushed himself to the outer limits of the dramatic arts. However, in this US ad for Cornflakes he summons all his acting prowess for some method work De Niro would be proud of.
Sarah Michelle Geller: Burger King (1981)
Before Buffy there was Burger King. Everyone’s favourite teenage vampire slayer was sinking her teeth into a juicy beef patty, telling us that a burger from arch-rival McDonald's contained 20% less meat (before cooking) apparently.
Anthony Head: Gold Blend (1987)
Another actor who's used to dealing with vampires originally found fame trying to nibble the neck of Sharon Maughan. The Gold Blend couple were huge in the 80s with their 'will they, won't they' storyline. When they finally did it made front page news (although admittedly it was the Sun's front page).
Nostalgia
As ever with successful ad campaigns from yesterday there’s a twinge of nostalgia brands find hard to resist. Consequently there’s always talk of bringing them back, updating them, and introducing them to a whole new audience. We’ve seen it with the OXO family, and a few years ago a twenty-first century Gold Blend couple appeared on our screens, but were soon removed. And perhaps that’s for the best as, let's face it, instant coffee and stock cubes aren’t really as sexy as they once were.
More telly 'magic'