The Actor From the Liberty Mutual Commercials Loves His Role
Carlos Kirby
· 3 min read
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Since March 2019, Liberty Mutual has had success with its viral LiMu Emu and Doug commercials. The commercials show the adventures of an emu who wants to help customers save money on car insurance and his partner, a human named Doug. LiMu Emu and Doug wear matching uniforms, complete with sunglasses.
While the LiMu Emu has naturally been the focal point of the commercials, Doug deserves credit for what he brings to them as well.
According to the
New York Post
, the actor behind Doug has gained significant fame for his role in the ads and is even responsible for giving the character his most recognizable feature.Are you overpaying for your car insurance?
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The man behind Doug
Doug, in the
Liberty Mutual
commercials, is played by actor and comedian David Hoffman. Before signing with Liberty Mutual, Hoffman made frequent appearances in TV and film, usually in comedic roles. British audiences may recognize Hoffman from his starring role in the Comedy Central UK sitcom, I Live with Models. After his run with this series, Hoffman received a call from his agent. Hoffman had done commercial work previously, but he wanted to make sure that this role would be funny. It turned out that he was the perfect man for the role, and David has been Doug ever since.
David Hoffman says that he has never been recognized as Doug in real life. The sunglasses-wearing character looks quite different than how Hoffman usually looks.
Hoffman's humor fits LiMu Emu and Doug
MORE: Liberty Mutual Emu: The History Behind the Beloved Bird
Hoffman describes his type of humor as "Absurd Realism," and he gets to show just that in the Liberty Mutual commercials. The idea of a man and an emu driving around trying to save people money on car insurance is an absurd one. However, the characters in the commercials, especially Doug, treat it as though it’s perfectly normal.
David Hoffman knew exactly how he wanted the Doug character to look even before he got the part. Doug sports a large mustache, which helps create the throwback image the character is known for. This mustache was Hoffman's idea and not in the original script.
Hoffman rarely films with a real emu which adds to the surreal humor of the commercials. Most of the time, he acts on his own and has to simply pretend that the emu is with him. There are real emus in the commercials, though, with three birds sharing the role of LiMu.
Car insurance mascots help companies stand out
MORE: Flo From Progressive Gets Paid Much More Than You Would Expect
Liberty Mutual's LiMu Emu and Doug commercials live up to Hoffman's variety of comedy and help the car insurance company stand out against its competitors. Other companies have their own iconic mascots and memorable commercials.
Some of the most famous mascots right now include the GEICO Gecko, which has represented GEICO as a mascot for more than two decades. State Farm is known for their Jake from State Farm character who became famous from a single commercial appearance. Flo has been Progressive's mascot since 2008.
With all these mascots and companies, it can be hard to tell which insurance provider can truly give you the best deal. Thankfully,
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