You May Be Surprised To Learn How Much These TV Commercial Actors Actually Earned

You flip on your TV and see a familiar face, but it doesn’t belong to a star on your favorite show. No, you’ve caught a glimpse of a commercial actor – one who has been promoting the same product or service for years. And that gets you thinking, “I wonder how much money they’ve made for all of those ads?” Well, fear not: we have the answer!

20. T.J. Jagodowski – Sonic

If you saw a Sonic ad between 2004 and 2020, chances are that you’ll recognize T.J. Jagodowski. The improv comedian – along with co-star and fellow funnyman Peter Grosz – long starred in commercials for the drive-in restaurant. The pair would most often be seen sitting in a car eating the burgers, hotdogs, fountain sodas and banana splits on the eatery’s menu.

Sonic’s ads have certainly made audiences chuckle, but you’ll be surprised to learn they didn’t pad Jagodowski’s wallet that much. According to The Richest, he made about $300,000 in total over his 16 years of work with the brand. Though if you divide that up, it’s a mere $18,750 annually.

19. Wendy Kaufman – Snapple

Interestingly, Wendy Kaufman apparently didn’t have any intentions of appearing on TV screens across the country. She simply worked for Snapple and was known for responding to customers’ letters to the beverage company. Her colleagues knew that she had a great personality, and, eventually, the brand’s advertising team caught wind of her reputation for being charming.

So, advertisers came up with an idea: they’d market Snapple with Kaufman’s help. The staffer would respond to fans’ letters – only this time she’d do it while cameras were rolling. The resulting series of commercials skyrocketed the company’s sales, and, for that, the unexpected star was handsomely rewarded. As per the website Bob’s Hide out, Kaufman made $100,000 a year while making the ads.