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287:. Ally & Gargano creative director Ron Berger said that Vale got the role because of his likeability and believability: "Michael was 100% believable. He looked and talked and walked and breathed like he was a guy who got up at 4 a.m... Lou was good. But when it came to the final decision, Michael was the donut maker. After watching 300 people as Fred, Michael still made us laugh."
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The character was so well-liked by Dunkin' Donuts customers that when the character was retired as a result of moving the advertising account from ad agency Ally & Gargano to Euro RSCG, Dunkin' Donuts surveyed its customers on how to end the character. Euro decided to explicitly acknowledge the
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Vale got the role of Dunkin' Donuts' Fred the Baker via a casting call. He was told that another actor was to be cast in the role of the baker, but was encouraged to come to the audition anyway in case he was needed as an extra. 300 actors participated in the casting call, including well-known
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On his death in 2005, Dunkin' Donuts released a statement, noting that Fred the Baker "became a beloved
American icon that permeated our culture and touched millions with his sense of humor and humble nature."
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owner "Sam
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in 1976. The actor described working with
British leading man
112:(June 28, 1922 – December 24, 2005) was an American character
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Vale appeared in several television series, including
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254:in 1987. On the big screen, he was a cab driver in
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418:"Michael Vale: The inside story of Fred the baker"
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35:Michael Vale in Marathon Man 1976
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213:He was a longtime spokesman for
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514:"Dunkin' Donuts Ad Actor Dies"
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635:Male actors from Brooklyn
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520:. The Associated Press.
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207:Androcles and the Lion
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138:television commercials
217:' Breakstone line of
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342:Pavel Danov
311:Filmography
215:Kraft Foods
190:Rod Steiger
186:Ben Gazzara
182:Tony Curtis
134:catchphrase
599:Categories
462:2020-02-04
400:References
387:Looking Up
359:Cab Driver
297:Larry Bird
285:Lou Jacobi
223:sour cream
82:Occupation
47:1922-06-28
487:adage.com
146:Manhattan
93:1953–1997
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293:Bob Dole
142:diabetes
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422:CNN.com
327:Notes
321:Title
299:, and
231:eureka
196:Career
188:, and
128:chain
124:" for
118:mascot
76:, U.S.
57:, U.S.
324:Role
318:Year
245:Kojak
227:dairy
126:donut
114:actor
85:Actor
567:IMDb
530:2017
499:2017
434:2017
383:1977
366:1976
349:1957
332:1953
221:and
63:Died
41:Born
565:at
270:in
204:'s
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