Dick Wilson age 91, This won't mean a thing to our international readers, but American baby boomers are in mourning over the death of a man whose name they did even know. Actor Dick Wilson died at age 91 - but for a generation of TV viewers, he was the star of the Charmin TV commercials in which he played fussy store clerk Mr. Whipple who constantly warned customers "Please don't squeeze the Charmin".The reference was the to the ultra soft toilet tissues that was so intoxicating to the public that they pinched the rolls like they were Sophia Loren.
The British-born Wilson appeared as Mr. Whipple in the popular TV ads that ran an astonishing 21 years - not counting a limited return to the role in 1999. Wilson's resume also included guest shots on countless hit TV shows ranging from Bewitched to Hogan's Heroes and a recurring part on Perfect Strangers.
In lamenting his death, a Proctor & Gamble executive rightly called Wilson "one of the most recognizable faces in the history of American advertising" and attributed much of the success of the Charmin brand directly to the actor. One could say that toilet paper gave Dick Wilson the "roll" of a lifetime.
0 comments:
Post a Comment