Every person destined to be a future celebrity has to start somewhere. In the ‘80s, it just so happens that many future acting stars got their big breaks in Burger King Commercials. As you’ll notice, Burger King was really going for a young, cute, girl-next-door vibe for a good portion of these ads. I guess they were really trying to target guys or something?
Today we’re going to take a look back at these future stars and their BK commercials. So let’s get started with the Queen of Burger King…
Elisabeth Shue starred in at least seven different Burger King commercials that we were able to find, which is by far the most out of anyone. Shue was in a ton of commercials in general in the ‘80s — don’t worry, we’ll dedicate a future post to her epic ‘80s commercial glory. Make sure to check out the commercial that starts around 1:59 in the compilation video above to see another future star make an appearance — Andrew McCarthy!
A few years before starring in her breakout role in Back to the Future, Lea Thompson appeared in some Burger King commercials. The one above must have been specifically meant to air during a baseball game. It’s unspecific to any particular game or team, though, so it probably aired during multiple games across the country.
Burger King got a bit scandalous when they hired the precocious young Sarah Michelle Gellar (who was around 5 years old when she made these commercials). Burger King decided to call out McDonald’s in these ads, claiming that McD’s burger patties had less meat than their own at Burger King. McDonald’s did not take this lying down and ended up filing a lawsuit against them.
The Trifecta - Elisabeth, Lea, & Sarah!
That’s right, all three of the ladies above were recruited for a special holiday greeting commercial, with a couple unknowns in the background as well. Sarah Michelle Gellar is the star of this commercial, though, as she’s the only one to get a close-up shot. Burger King must’ve really loved her digs at McDonald’s, as they feature another one even in this Christmas commercial!
Another leading lady of mid to late ’80s movies made an appearance in this 1982 ad for Burger King — none other than romcom queen Meg Ryan. You’ll notice that Lea and Meg in particular are pretty ridiculously corny in their commercials, but I guess that was what Burger King was going for back then.
Want more Meg Ryan? Check out our article: Meg Ryan’s Romantic Comedies – Ranked
Yes, it’s a rare appearance from a male future star here with Ben Affleck. As you can see, by the late ’80s Burger King had changed up their advertising strategy and was going a little more adult-ish with this commercial. Though Ben did have some roles prior to this commercial, his true breakout role was a few years after this with School Ties.
Do you remember any of these Burger King commercials? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
- McDonald’s was so enraged by the Burger King commercials that called them out featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar, that they actually sued Burger King, and named SMG in the lawsuit. Though some have claimed she was banned from going to McDonald’s because of the lawsuit, that’s an exaggeration — she just felt embarrassed and would rarely go.
- Elisabeth Shue’s father was the President of the International Food and Beverage Corporation, so you gotta wonder if he pulled some strings to get her a commercial or two in the very beginning. Lucky for us, she’s awesome, so we can’t really complain.
- Lea Thompson and Elisabeth Shue would go on to star in Back to the Future Parts II and III together following these commercials.
- Lea Thompson’s daughter Zoey Deutch has continued the acting legacy — she even co-starred with Sarah Michelle Gellar in The CW show Ringer. Damn, these ladies have connections all over the place.
- Though we feature Ben Affleck here, he starred in other productions as a child and teen before this commercial, most memorably the PBS children’s series The Voyage of the Mimi in 1984 and its sequel in 1988.
- McDonald’s was so enraged by the Burger King commercials that called them out featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar, that they actually sued Burger King, and named SMG in the lawsuit. Though some have claimed she was banned from going to McDonald’s because of the lawsuit, that’s an exaggeration — she just felt embarrassed and would rarely go.
- Elisabeth Shue’s father was the President of the International Food and Beverage Corporation, so you gotta wonder if he pulled some strings to get her a commercial or two in the very beginning. Lucky for us, she’s awesome, so we can’t really complain.
- Lea Thompson and Elisabeth Shue would go on to star in Back to the Future Parts II and III together following these commercials.
- Lea Thompson’s daughter Zoey Deutch has continued the acting legacy — she even co-starred with Sarah Michelle Gellar in The CW show Ringer. Damn, these ladies have connections all over the place.
- Though we feature Ben Affleck here, he starred in other productions as a child and teen before this commercial, most memorably the PBS children’s series The Voyage of the Mimi in 1984 and its sequel in 1988.
