TV Commercial Actors You May Not Know Passed Away

We all know their faces, the actors who become television staples by appearing only in short segments in between your favorite programs. Since the advent of magazines and radio, and especially with the arrival of TV, advertisements have flooded the commercial space, with many company mascots or commercial actors becoming part of our collective pop culture consciousness. People like Stephanie Courtney, who plays Flo from Progressive, or Milana Vayntrub, best known as Lily — aka the current AT&T spokesperson — are instantly recognizable nowadays, and there's a clear reason why.

In some instances, these ad icons outlast even some of the most beloved programs on television, with many of these characters (or actors) becoming household names. But despite their longevity, not even these legends can live on forever.  Have you ever wondered what became of the actors you remember from the commercials on TV? The ones who were never a part of a major program, but happened to make you laugh or smile in 30 seconds or less? Well, we've put together a list of some of the most notable TV commercial stars who have sadly passed away, in hopes that we might better remember them in the future.

Hoping to generate more male buyers, the cigarette company Marlboro began an advertisement campaign in 1955 that has long supported the brand. Capitalizing on the popularity and masculinity of the Western cowboy, Marlboro developed its own hero, the Marlboro Man, who was brought to life by a number of actors, though perhaps most notably by Robert "Bob" Norris. Cast because of his friendship with Western icon John Wayne, Norris played the smoking cowboy for over a decade before calling it quits, ending his tenure for an honorable reason. 

Turns out, Norris never smoked, and he didn't want his kids to either. So when his son asked why he starred in Marlboro commercials if he didn't want his children to smoke, Norris quit the very next day. "There's no gray area between right and wrong," Norris' son Bobby told an NBC News affiliate, having learned from his father's example. "You do the right thing even if it costs you." Having never smoked a day in his life, Norris continued cowboying until his death on November 3, 2019, at age 90. The former Marlboro Man lived a very full life beyond the cigarette campaign, supporting the arts, philanthropic endeavors, and animal causes. Turns out, this cowboy was something of a hero after all.

Born William Darrell Mays, Jr., this "Infomercial King," as he was often called, was best known as Billy Mays of OxiClean fame. Known for his boisterous personality and convincing sales tactics, Mays started at the Home Shopping Network before landing the OxiClean campaign at the turn of the century. Called "a full-volume pitchman, amped up like a candidate for a tranquilizer-gun takedown" by Frank Ahrens of The Washington Post, there's no doubt that Mays made a significant impact on his field, and was often imitated, parodied, and praised.

But wait, there's more! Mays also starred alongside Anthony Sullivan on the Discovery Channel docuseries "PushMen," which followed the TV salesmen as they pushed different products in each episode. Unfortunately, the show didn't last long, as Mays died on June 28, 2009, at age 50. Though initial reports claimed that drug abuse was involved, a later autopsy denied those allegations, citing heart disease as the leading factor. In honor of Mays, many of his unaired commercials were shown following the news of his death, and "PitchMen" even aired a special Billy Mays tribute in July 2009.

Speaking of actors known for much more than their work on television commercials, Paul Winchell was one of the most accomplished ventriloquists, comedians, and actors of the 20th century. The voice of "Winnie the Pooh" character Tigger, Hanna-Barbera's Dick Dastardly, and Gargamel from "The Smurfs," Winchell's vocal talents were exceptional (and that's not even acknowledging his live-action work). But for our purposes, Winchell is known for having also voiced the trademark, cap-wearing Mr. Owl in the original "How Many Licks?" Tootsie Roll Pop commercial.

That's right, that owl you've remembered since childhood was voiced by the same guy behind some of the biggest children's cartoons out there. Though there's still some real debate on how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop, we'll always remember the animated bird that first gave it a shot. Winchell died of natural causes on June 24, 2005, at the age of 82, survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren. "My father was a very troubled and unhappy man," wrote his estranged daughter April Winchell the following day. "If there is another place after this one, it is my hope that he now has the peace that eluded him on Earth."

Having been everything from an actor and stuntman and a ranch hand and a U.S. Marine, Wilford Brimley is probably best known for his commercial work for Liberty Medical and his consistent advocacy for diabetes-related education. That's right, Brimley is the "diabeetus" guy who always warmed our hearts whenever on screen, the same one John Goodman parodied on Saturday Night Live. He was also the usual face of the Quaker Oats Company, which felt on brand considering his stance against "diabeetus," and appeared in films such as "The Thing," "Cocoon," and "The Firm."

Brimley may have begun his on-screen career in Hollywood, but it was his advocacy later in life after his own diabetes diagnosis that made him a household name. Or at least the guy you remember who says the word "diabetes" funny. In 2008, the American Diabetes Association honored him with a lifetime achievement to thank him for his commitment to destigmatizing diabetes. On August 1, 2020, Brimley died at the ripe age of 85 due to complications from a kidney condition. "Wilford Brimley was a man you could trust," Brimley's agent Lynda Bensky told Entertainment Tonight following his death. "He said what he meant and he meant what he said. He had a gruff exterior and a tender heart." No doubt, Brimley is a man we certainly have missed.

There seems to be a theme concerning well-known television commercial stars who started off in Hollywood. Among them is Herschel Bernardi, whose career included roles in "Peter Gunn," "Arnie," and Broadway performances of "Zorba" and "Fiddler on the Roof," which each earned him a Tony nomination. But Bernardi may be best known to general audiences as the original voice of the Jolly Green Giant. Promoting a brand of frozen veggies is no easy task, but Bernardi did it with ease, voicing the Green Giant before Elmer Dresslar Jr. took over with his trademark "ho-ho-ho." 

But that isn't the only television commercial you've heard Bernardi in. Though Paul Winchell voiced Mr. Owl in the infamous "How Many Licks?" Tootsie Roll Pop commercial, it was Bernardi who narrated the ad, reminding us that the world may never know how many licks it really takes. Besides pushing frozen veggies and Tootsie Roll Pops, he also lent his vocal talents to TV and radio ads as Charlie Tuna, promoting Starkist tuna for decades. Sadly, on May 9, 1986, Bernardi died of a heart attack in his own home. The actor was 62 years old and was survived by his wife and four children.

We bet you didn't know that Mr. Clean has appeared in live-action, and we're not just talking about those recent ones where he's been animated in "Roger Rabbit"-style. Back in 1958, House Peters, Jr., an actor who appeared in a number of film and television Westerns throughout the 1950s, was cast as the live-action Mr. Clean and showed up in a number of television ads as the character. Nowadays, Mr. Clean only appears as animated inserts, though the character remains the mascot for Procter and Gamble's most notable cleaning product. 

The son of House Peters, a Hollywood leading man who gained notoriety during the silent era of film, Peters always lived in his father's shadow, doomed to never surpass it. In his book "Another Side of Hollywood," Peters described his father as a "big name in Hollywood: a handsome leading man." Sadly, Mr. Clean was as close as Peters himself ever got to being the star of his own show. After a decades-long career, Peters died of pneumonia on October 1, 2008, at the age of 92.

Generally known as a child star in the 1930s and '40s, Jane Withers eventually graduated to playing Josephine the Plumber, a cousin of sorts to Mr. Clean who pushed the Comet cleanser on television. For about a decade in the 1960s and '70s, Withers was instantly recognizable as Josephine, a role she landed the same year she earned her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. When she wasn't selling Comet to unsuspecting viewers, Withers had quite the career. 

Having gone from a child star opposite Shirley Temple to landing a role in "Giant," she continued working into the 21st century, with animated roles at Disney. Surrounded by loved ones, Withers died on August 7, 2021 at her home in Burbank at the age of 95. "She lit up a room with her laughter, but she especially radiated joy and thankfulness when talking about the career she so loved and how lucky she was," Withers' daughter Kendall Errair expressed afterward (via Deadline). Talk about a really special lady.