Everybody is looking for a big insurance payout. But what if we told you that the biggest payout of all is starring as a recurring quirky character in an insurance company’s commercials? Don’t believe us? Here are eight actors who’ve made a bulk of their wealth from selling insurance, alcohol, aftershave, and cellphone plans on TV.
1. Paul Marcarelli (estimated net worth: $10 million)
Marcarelli played Test Man in a series of Verizon ads from 2002 to 2011. If that character name doesn’t mean anything to you, his signature catchphrase, “Can you hear me now?,” probably does. During his time as the iconic character, Marcarelli was reportedly making up to $6,000 a commercial and shot between 20 and 40 commercials a year. That lands his estimated salary somewhere between $120,000 and $240,000 a year (not bad for the early 2000s!)—and that’s not counting residuals. While Marcarelli hasn’t regularly played the character in over a decade (he later joined an ad campaign for rival wireless company Sprint), the commercial actor returned to the role for a 2025 Super Bowl ad alongside astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
2. Jonathan Goldsmith (estimated net worth: $8 million)
Though the octogenarian actor’s career spans decades, his most recognizable role for many people is the Most Interesting Man in the World, a role he played in a series of Dos Equis ads between 2007 and 2016. In 2016, Celebrity Net Worth reported that Goldsmith was making $1 million a year for the beer commercials, which ultimately only took five days to film.
3. Stephanie Courtney (estimated net worth: $7 million)
If Courtney’s name doesn’t ring a bell, her face certainly does: She’s been gracing television screens as Flo from Progressive for years. Though her first ad for the insurance company in 2008 was meant to be a one-time gig, Progressive was so impressed by Courtney’s comedic chops that she’s still at it nearly 20 years later, making an estimated $1 million to $2 million a year from the ads.
4. Dean Winters (estimated net worth: $6 million)
Winters has had a handful of memorable television roles throughout the years, starring on HBO’s “Oz” from 1997–2003 and later appearing as Liz Lemon’s “beeper king” boyfriend, Dennis Duffy, on “30 Rock.” However, Winters’ longest and perhaps his most recognizable role is Mayhem, a character he’s played in a series of Allstate commercials since 2010. While it’s difficult to track down an exact salary from Winters’ work on the insurance ads, his net worth implies that it’s more than comfortable.
5. Isaiah Mustafa (estimated net worth: $6 million)
Mustafa played the Man Your Man Could Smell Like in a series of goofy and surrealist ads for Old Spice starting in 2010, with a revival of the campaign in 2020. Celebrity Net Worth estimates that Mustafa was likely making six figures a year for the ads, which went absurdly viral (the original ad currently has 62 million views on YouTube). Though Mustafa certainly has Old Spice to thank for some of his net worth, his acting career took off after the popularity of the ads, with the actor appearing in films like “Boy Kills World” and “It Chapter Two.”
6. Milana Vayntrub (estimated net worth: $4 million)
Though Vayntrub has appeared in a variety of projects ranging from TV dramas like “This Is Us” to a slew of sketches with CollegeHumor, her career in commercials has been life-long. She first appeared in a Barbie ad when she was only 5 years old. But as far as commercials go, Vayntrub is best known for her role as Lily Adams, a chipper AT&T employee. The actor initially played Lily from 2013–2017 and then returned to the role in 2020 (an idea that she pitched to the company herself, and then directed the slots). While Vayntrub’s exact salary for her work with AT&T is unclear, her net worth implies that it must be sizable—and it can be assumed that her work directing some of the ads contributed to that sum.
7. Kevin Miles (estimated net worth: unknown)
Since 2020, Miles has appeared on television screens everywhere as Jake from State Farm. (Well, as the second Jake from State Farm. The original Jake wasn’t an actor but rather a real State Farm employee named Jake Stone.) While Miles’ exact salary for playing the khaki-wearing insurance man is hard to pin down, it’s likely between $200,000 and $500,000 a year.
8. David Hoffman (estimated net worth: unknown)
Hoffman has appeared on various TV shows like “Modern Family” and the British sitcom “I Live With Models”—but slap a pair of aviators on him and he’s most recognizable as Doug, Limu Emu’s sidekick in a series of Liberty Mutual ads. While Hoffman has never disclosed how much he makes from the insurance ads in a year, whatever it is, it seems to be more than livable. In an interview with his alma mater, Boston University, Hoffman mentioned that he now has the financial freedom to pursue his own passion projects and give his young son a better upbringing than he had himself. “It’s changed my family life, it’s changed my career, it’s changed everything,” he said. “I’m in a sweet spot.” There’s still no word on how much Limu Emu makes.
If you’re ready to secure your own decades-long commercial gig, refresh your skills by checking out our how-to guide here, or jump right in with our commercial callboard.
