Isaiah Mustafa is the face — and chest — behind “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” Old Spice’s mega-viral video that catapulted him into Internet fame in 2010. Also known as “the guy in the Old Spice commercials,” the former NFL football player raked in more than 140 million YouTube views and an Emmy last year, but 2011 might be Mustafa’s biggest year yet.
Isaiah Mustafa is making history … by turning web-contagious YouTube videos into small- and silver-screen success, and proving that viral content can be a viable corporate strategy. Old Spice’s must-watch commercial, featuring a shirtless and supremely confident character played by Mustafa, hit the 2 million-view mark in February. A whirlwind of media interviews followed, including appearances on Oprah and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Then came the news that Old Spice’s sales were up by 107 percent thanks in large part to the videos, which turned heads in corporate circles and became a go-to selling point for social media strategists.
Mustafa is swiftly and comfortably segueing his way into more traditional platforms. In December, he donned a shirt to host TBS’s Funniest Commercials of the Year: 2010. Fans can also expect to see him in an NBC sitcom in the near future — he signed a talent deal with the network last summer.
WATCH THEGRIO’S 100 ISAIAH MUSTAFA ON THE TODAY SHOW HERE
What’s next for Isaiah?
Mustafa has a role in Jennifer Aniston’s next film Horrible Bosses, opposite Jason Bateman and Jason Sudeikis. Tyler Perry also brought the actor on board for Madea’s Big Happy Family, which is slated for an April release.
In his own words …
“It’s not that [the number of YouTube views I get] doesn’t interest me — I used to check it and had a bet with a buddy that it wouldn’t pass a certain number (I had to pay up) — but I just think other things are more pressing,”” Mustafa told AdAge in September. “”Like I just did a charity [appearance for] women cancer survivors where they can get a makeover that will help them feel beautiful again. That interests me.”
A favorite quote …
“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes ‘Awww!’” – Jack Kerouac
A little-known fact …
The commercial that launched Mustafa’s internet fame was captured in one shot using minimal CGI, which means the actor was able to move off of a boat and onto a horse without falling out of the frame.
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