Real Name: John Morris
Salary Deal : $56,000
How much is this Garfield knock-off worth? $56,000 a year, if you can believe it. Of course, the cat isn’t really getting that money. The character is a combination of a real cat named Morris, and a sarcastic, deadpan voice-actor John Morris. The best part about this is the matching names is one hundred percent a coincidence.
Morris the cat was famously picky, but not, of course, for 9Lives, the cat food that started advertising in 1968. Before he rose to fame, Morris (the cat) lived at Hinsdale Humane Society, and they currently have a page on their website dedicated to him. They call him “the quintessential American success story.”
The “Got Milk?” Trivia Guy
Real Name: Sean Whalen
Salary Deal : $50,000
Yet another ultra-famous commercial tagline, “Got Milk?” got its start in a campaign with Sean Whalen playing Aaron Burr, a trivia buff and history enthusiast. While the ad was mocked, it brought fame to Whalen. The commercial was directed by Michael Bay of all people, and it wasn't even Whalen's first.
He's been in ads for DiGiorno Pizza's deep-dish pizza, Bud Light, and has even appeared in movies such as Twister, Charlie's Angels, Employee of the Month, and The People Under the Stairs, among others. Whalen received a salary of $50,000 for the ad. While the details of the ad have been forgotten, the question truly remains: Got Milk?
The “I'm Not a Doctor, but...” Guy
Real Name: Peter Bergman
Salary Deal: $1 million
For a million dollars a year, Peter Bergman let everyone know he wasn't really a doctor, but he played one on TV. He did, too, as an actor on the General Hospital soap opera. His tagline for the line of Vicks products he promoted became one of the most famous taglines of the next few decades. There are probably still ads being made that parody it.
Robinson made his last appearance at General Hospital in 2002 – his character, Dr. Webber, lost his life due to a candlestick, though thankfully Robinson himself is still alive and well.
The Trivago Guy
Real Name: Tim Williams
Salary Deal : $20,000
Despite a Texas birthplace, Tim Williams grew up in Germany and speaks fluent German. He's starred in plenty of German films and television, while also appearing in English-speaking films such as Valkyrie (which is set in Germany), Labyrinth of Lies, and Ninja Assassin.
Hotel site Trivago has featured Tim Williams in their successful ad campaigns since 2012, with a salary deal worth $20,000. He's studied at Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. He's appeared on shows like The Sopranos, and recorded his first musical album, Magnolia City, in 2018. He's currently focused on his music as his main project.
DriveTime Girl 1
Real Name: Nicole Randall Johnson
Salary Deal : $100,000
Comedienne Nicole Randall Johnson has appeared in television shows, movies, and ads – in 2013 the auto loan company DriveTime hired her for $100,000, as well as fellow funny-gal Katie Crown, to appear in their campaign “DriveTime Girls” The two played a pair of eccentric drivers who rescued those who had been rejected for auto loans, with the help of some interesting tech.
Johnson has had plenty of work in the entertainment business, having appeared in comedy sketches and shows for some time. She's known for her appearances on Mad Men, as well as comedies like Reno 911!, Key & Peele, and Andy Barker, P.I.