Topic: Julia Roberts & Nationwide Insurance

[KJIM]

Academy Award winner Julia Roberts is now doing voiceovers for Nationwide Insurance.

I do not get this.

I'm aware that lots of celebrities do ads in other countries, etc. But Julia Roberts? Endorsing insurance?

Is she trying to get back into the game? Did they just throw big bucks at her? Did she think her voice wouldn't be recognize? Did she hope it would? Does Nationwide Insurance really think people will buy their insurance if she hawks their product? Did she lose a bet? Crash her car?


And I don't 't buy something like "oh, she missed the/just wanted to work" or something -- how long can it take to record a few spots?

I've heard spots from lots of familiar voices: Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland, Tom Selleck ... but an Oscar winner?

I can accept Lisa Kudrow and the Yoplait - at least that's a throwaway product. But insurance? Really?

There is no explanation as to why this surprised me, but for some reason it did.

[Starman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpj0t2ozPWY

[novelist_wannabe]

I think I get why Nationwide would go this direction. More and more women are assuming decision-making roles, both in households and businesses, and I suppose JR appeals to them.

For her, I guess it's really easy money. Not like she needs it. Or she's heard Clooney talk about his ads in Europe and she thinks, "Anything he can do I can do better."

[PCLoadLetter]

Not unusual in the slightest.  George Clooney, Gene Hackman, Jeff Bridges, Robert DeNiro, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, Gary Sinise... there are a hell of a lot of top actors who do commercial voiceovers.

It's not the first one she's done, either.

[PCLoadLetter]

I think I get why Nationwide would go this direction. More and more women are assuming decision-making roles, both in households and businesses, and I suppose JR appeals to them.

For her, I guess it's really easy money. Not like she needs it. Or she's heard Clooney talk about his ads in Europe and she thinks, "Anything he can do I can do better."

It's not just Europe.  Clooney voices Budweiser ads.

[Rhody31]

Jon Hamm does voiceovers for what seems like every commercial.

[Azrael]

The old rules no longer apply.

The second most recognizable commercial voice for the Olympics was Matt Damon. And what about Jackson and Scorsese and Malkovich, et al., and the iPhone?

[Elliotte Friedman]

There was an article about Clooney in Esquire where he talked about how the money he gets from two commercials a year in Southeast Asia funds all of his charity work. Don't know if that's the same principle here, but it explains his philosophy.

[SockPuppet]

That homeless DJ who got the voice over job for mac and cheese is PISSED at this development.

[Brian]

See? Norm MacDonald really isn't a C-lister! [cross-thread]

[YankeeFan]

Plus, a voice over is not the same as a personal endorsement.

While you might recognize the voice, they don't identify themselves.

[Small Town Guy]

Not unusual in the slightest.  George Clooney, Gene Hackman, Jeff Bridges, Robert DeNiro, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, Gary Sinise... there are a hell of a lot of top actors who do commercial voiceovers.

It's not the first one she's done, either.

Of those you mentioned, the only one whose voice I would recognize is Morgan Freeman. (Possibly Clooney.) Freeman has one of "those" voices, though, and even in the films he's in he tends to be the narrator. And, he's up there in years and doesn't "carry" movies.

The other would be more like, "Gee, that guy's voice sounds familiar ..." and then it would leave my brain.

Right now, I'm trying to pull up an audio in my head of Hackman, DeNiro or Spacey and and coming up blank.

Bridges (which one is Jeff?) and Sinise I couldn't pick out of a lineup, though I have seen then in enough films. Not a chance I'd recognize them in voiceovers.

I think Hackman is one of the most recognizable. United Airlines, Lowes.

[Versatile]

Not unusual in the slightest.  George Clooney, Gene Hackman, Jeff Bridges, Robert DeNiro, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, Gary Sinise... there are a hell of a lot of top actors who do commercial voiceovers.

It's not the first one she's done, either.

Of those you mentioned, the only one whose voice I would recognize is Morgan Freeman. (Possibly Clooney.) Freeman has one of "those" voices, though, and even in the films he's in he tends to be the narrator. And, he's up there in years and doesn't "carry" movies.

The other would be more like, "Gee, that guy's voice sounds familiar ..." and then it would leave my brain.

Right now, I'm trying to pull up an audio in my head of Hackman, DeNiro or Spacey and and coming up blank.

Bridges (which one is Jeff?) and Sinise I couldn't pick out of a lineup, though I have seen then in enough films. Not a chance I'd recognize them in voiceovers.

I think Hackman is one of the most recognizable. United Airlines, Lowes.

"LET'S GO! LET'S GO! LET ME HEAR IT! LET'S GO!"

I'd have to think these voiceovers are about the easiest money a celebrity can get, and they definitely don't come cheap.

[Lugnuts]

Matt Damon's doing something right now that makes me cringe.  Heard it a lot during the Olympics.

My only satisfaction is that I can't remember what the product is.  FACE!

[93Devil]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFAiqxm1FDA

Clint...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk4fOutJlik

James Bond...

[novelist_wannabe]

There was an article about Clooney in Esquire where he talked about how the money he gets from two commercials a year in Southeast Asia funds all of his charity work. Don't know if that's the same principle here, but it explains his philosophy.

I didn't remember it being SE Asia. I thought it was Europe and it was ads for coffee. Not only did it fund his charity work, it allowed him the freedom to take on movie projects that might not otherwise get done. I can see Julia Roberts being interest in that sort of stuff, especially considering the career shelf life for women in Hollywood. She's had better staying power than most, but if this is what she has to do to maintain her freedom of choice over her movie projects, who can blame her? As already stated, it's easy money.

[Buck]

Because she's known for taking on difficult roles and risky movies?
I've got no problem with her or Clooney or anybody else wanting to make money, but is it really necessary to drape it in some kind of nobility.

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

I never really saw the attraction for Julia Roberts. Seriously. There are dozens and dozens of women in Hollywood better looking with better personalities.

I also find it amusing when I recognized Paul Giamatti doing voice overs for some commercial. Even just talking he sounds out of breath.

[Mizzougrad96]

I think I read somewhere that Banderas gets $5 mil a year to voice the Nasonex bee. Hell, Gilbert Gottfried was pushing a million a year to be the Aflack (sp?) duck before he was fired.

She probably got close to eight figures to do a few hours of voice over work. You can't fault anyone for agreeing to that.

[da man]

It amazes me that companies would pay money like that for unattributed voiceovers. Do people really recognize voices like that in ads, when they might not be expecting George Clooney or whoever? I have no idea whose voice in on a commercial. I want to say James Earl Jones might have done one, but I'm not sure and I couldn't begin to tell you what it was for. Now that someone mentioned it, it strikes me that Morgan Freeman is the voice on those Go World ads (those are for Visa, right?). But all those names mentioned earlier? Didn't have a clue.

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

Harpo Marx never did a voice over. He had integrity

[Brian]

Ah, to have been born with Mason Adams' voice. That man never had to work a day in his life if he didn't want to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw_gEyg7Nt8

My current favorite voiceover guy  is Ken Hudson Campbell.

[Flip Wilson]

Harpo Marx never did a voice over. He had integrity

A clip of Harpo Marx talking about playing piano in a brothel.

http://harpomarx.net/harpotalking1.mp3

[JR]

I never really saw the attraction for Julia Roberts. Seriously. There are dozens and dozens of women in Hollywood better looking with better personalities.
 

What do her looks and personality have to do with her acting abilities?

She may not be Meryl Streep but she's done some fine work.

[Versatile]

I never really saw the attraction for Julia Roberts. Seriously. There are dozens and dozens of women in Hollywood better looking with better personalities.

What do her looks and personality have to do with her acting abilities?

She may not be Meryl Streep but she's done some fine work.

I think, in her prime, Roberts was more popular with women than men. But she did have this going for her:



They're called boobs, Ed.