Tag Archives: State Farm

Aubrey Plaza to Appear in NBC’s Special “Parks and Recreation” Reunion Episode

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Aubrey Plazais going back to Pawnee, to Pawnee…

The 35-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/comedian and her fellow Parks and Recreation cast mates will return to Pawnee, Indiana, for a one-time special amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Aubrey Plaza

The half-hour scripted special to benefit Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fundis set to air on Thursday, April 30 at 8:30 pm ET/PT.

All of the original characters from the series will return in the Universal TV-produced special, played by original cast members Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Plaza as April Ludgate, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O’Heir, and Retta.

Parks and Recreation

 

Several guest stars from the Pawnee universe may pop in as well.

The story comes from the events of the day – Pawnee’s most dedicated civil servant, Leslie Knope (Poehler), is determined to stay connected to her friends in a time of social distancing.

 “Like a lot of other people, we were looking for ways to help and felt that bringing these characters back for a night could raise some money,” said executive producer Michael Schur. “I sent a hopeful email to the cast and they all got back to me within 45 minutes. Our old ‘Parks and Rec’ team has put together one more 30-minute slice of (quarantined) Pawnee life and we hope everyone enjoys it. And donates!”

The special comes five years after viewers said farewell to the iconic comedy series.

“In such uncertain times, we can’t think of anyone better than Leslie Knope to unite our country with her unbridled enthusiasm and compassion,” said Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, Co-Presidents of Scripted Programming, NBC Entertainment. “A huge thank you to Mike Schur and the cast of Parks and Recreationfor putting this wonderful special together and bringing a smile to all our faces while raising money for such a worthwhile cause.”

State Farmand Subaru of Americawill each make matching donations of $150,000 and, combined with NBCUniversaland the writers/producers/cast of Parks and Recreation, a total of $500,000 in matching donations will be made through May 21. 

Parks and Recreationreceived a Peabody Award for excellence in television programming, an AFIhonor as one of the Top 10 Television Shows of the Yearand several Emmynominations including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing and lead actress for Poehler, who won a Golden Globe for her performance in 2014.

Iglesias to Host “Funniest Commercials of the Year” Special on Spike

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Gabriel Iglesias has landed the funniest gig…

The 38-year-old Mexican American comedian/actor is set to host Funniest Commercials of the Year.

Gabriel Iglesias

The annual show, now in its tenth year, will continue to focus on spotlighting the most laugh-inducing ads from the U.S. and around the world.

Iglesias, who currently stars on ABC‘s Cristela, is hosting the show for the first time.

“One of the big changes [for ads] is that now, with the Internet and all kinds of different platforms, commercials have gotten longer,” creator Robert Dalrymple told The Hollywood Reporter. “Companies make commercials just for the Internet now.”

However, Dalrymple, whose job it is to hunt down the most amusing spots, pointed out that the appeal of a memorable ad remains the same as always. “It still comes down to, commercials are great self-contained stories, like mini movies,” he said, explaining their enduring appeal.

Among the commercials that made the cut for this year’s top ten include Doritos‘ consumer-made “Time Machine” that aired during the Super Bowl, and an ad from State Farm‘s Hans and Franz campaign with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

This year is the first time that the special airs on Spike, and Dalrymple credits the network’s execs for suggesting Iglesias to front the show. “He personalizes everything,” Dalrymple said of Iglesias, pointing out that the comic is able to use his gift for voices to uniquely comment on the footage.

Funniest Commercials of the Year airs Thursday, Dec. 18, at 10:00 pm ET on Spike.

Vergara: Television’s Highest-Paid Actress

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She’s one of the hardest working women in Hollywood… And, now Sofia Vergara is reaping the rewards for her red-hot career…

Forbes magazine has just released its list of the highest paid actresses on television in the past year, with the 40-year-old Colombian actress unseating Eva Longoria at the top of the list.

Sofia Vergara

Forbes estimates that Vergara, who reportedly got engaged last week, raked in $19 million from May 2011 to May 2012. That hefty sum is due in large part to the seven-figure advance from her Kmart clothing line (to the tune of $7 million dollars by the end of 2012), English-language endorsement deals with Cover Girl and Diet Pepsi, as well as Spanish-language endorsement deals with Burger King, Comcast and State Farm (which amount to a whopping $12 million). Vergara serves as one half of the management company Latin World Entertainment, which should help secure her status as a rising entertainment mogul.

Vergara narrowly beat out Kim Kardashian, with the reality star earning an estimated $18 million over the same time frame. Kardashian’s earnings include $10 million for her E! wedding special. Kardashian, like Vergara, also has her hand in the fashion industry with a cost-conscious clothing line through Sears, which she designs alongside her sisters.

Meanwhile, last year’s No. 1, Eva Longoria, dropped to third place despite increasing her earnings by $2 million.  The 37-year-old Mexican American actress pulled in a grand total of $15 million during the same time period. Longoria earned an estimated $8 million for her role on the final season of ABC’s Desperate Housewives. In addition, Longoria’s endorsement deals with L’Oreal and Pepsi Next earned her $5 million and sales of her cookbook, two fragrances and a handful of small movie roles rounded out her earnings.

Here’s a look at the Top 10 female earners in TV:

1. Sofia Vergara: $19 million

2. Kim Kardashian: $18 million

3. Eva Longoria: $15 million

4. Bethenny Frankel: $12 million

5. Khloe Kardashian Odom: $11 million

6. Tina Fey: $11 million

7. Mariska Hargitay: $10 million

8. Zooey Deschanel: $9 million

8. Felicity Huffman: $9 million

8. Ellen Pompeo: $9 million

Vergara’s Selling the Farm… State Farm!

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“Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara is having a banner year when it comes to her endorsement deals… And, it just keeps getting better.

The 39-year-old Colombian bombshell has signed on to appear in a commercial to promote State Farm’s auto and life insurance products. Part of the company’s “Mejora tu Estado” campaign, the spot features the Emmy-nominated actress—as her “Modern Family” character, Gloria Delgado—being dramatic while discussing possible insurance discounts with a State Farm agent.

“I’m proud to be associated with State Farm,” professes Vergara, who stole the spotlight at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards. “It’s a company with a solid history of supporting  Hispanic Americans in this country and we know [the company] will always be there when we most need it.”

But this isn’t Vergara’s only endorsement deal this year…

Earlier this year, she was named the new face of CoverGirl—her first ever campaign for the cosmetics company. Her advertisements will debut in January 2012.

In April, Vergara appeared in a Diet Pepsi‘s  “Sweet Tweet” commercial soccer superstar David Beckham.

In September, Vergara launched her own K-mart clothing line, which targets “soccer moms.”

Vergara’s State Farm commercial, which should showcase her comedic chops once again, will premiere in the coming weeks.