Top international celebrities in Italian commercials

George Clooney, Megan Gale, John Travolta, Julia Roberts,
Ben Affleck, Dustin Hoffman, Lindsay Lohan,
Woody Allen, Leonardo Dicaprio. Italian commercials

Whether it's international celebrities searching for the advertising buck away from critics in their home countries or Italian companies seeking out the most popular international stars to endorse their brands one thing is certain: it's always a little odd when an international celeb pops up in a commercial speaking or acting Italian. Here are some of my favourites:

George Clooney

George Clooney, who spends some of the year in his villa on Lake Como, Italy, has got to be Italy's favourite international star. He prominently features on Italian TV advertising internet provider Fastweb, coffee Nespresso and Martini. The Italians have even associated him with one of Italy's most prized brands - the Fiat.  Despite looking ever so Latino, George was born in Kentucky, USA, with Irish, English and German roots.

Megan Gale

Aussie supermodel Megan Gale hit stardom in Italy six years after winning a modeling competition in Perth, Australia at the age of 18. For seven years, between 1999 and 2006 Megan Gale was the face of Italy Vodafone on Italian TV - an amazingly long advertising run for a model and product. Over the years her advertisements saw her scaling the Space Needle in Seattle, leaping over moving vehicles and even surfing with dolphins. Another star who could pass as an Italian, Megan was instead born in Perth, Western Australia and has a Polynesian and French background.

John Travolta

In 2010 John Travolta starred alongside one of Italy's most successful female TV presenters, Michelle Hunziker (ex-wife of Eros Ramazzotti) in a Telecom Italia ad. He also had success advertising Sky in Italy. As his appearance, surname and his role as an Italian American, Tony Manero, in Saturday Night Fever, suggest, John Travolta is a third generation Italian American.








 Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts is probably one of the newest international stars to join the italian circuit. Posing as Botticelli’s Venus, she advertises Lavazza Coffee by simply smiling - she doesn't utter an italian word. 

Ben Affleck

In 2008 Ben Affleck tried his hand at advertising women's jewellry line Morellatto. I like this one as I can't help but feel that while he doesn't say a word, behind his smile he's thinking "what the freak am I doing here?" Born in California, there's no italian in Ben's ethnicity as his background is presumably a mix of Irish, Scottish, English and German.

Dustin Hoffman

Hats off to Dustin Hoffman for his series of commercials for Caffe Vergnano. Not only is this a funny commercial but he masters the italian language convincingly. 

Lindsay Lohan

The worst italian add with an international celebrity must be the bizarre fashion outlet Fornarina commercial with Lindsay Lohan. Lindsay poses, pouts and says random English onomatopoeic words like "click" and "bang". Seems like they missed a trick, as despite being born and bred in New York, USA, Lindsay's background is part Irish and part Italian so random italian words may have come naturale to Lindsay.  









Woody Allen 
And the award for the best italian speaking international star in an italian commercial must go to Woody Allen in this commercial for Telecom Italia. As Woody Allen usually writes, directs and then acts in his films it's no wonder he's gone the whole hog and possibly broken the record for the most Italian words spoken by a foreign star in an Italian commercial. 










Leonardo Decaprio 
And last but by no means least is Leonardo Decaprio also in a Telecom Italia ad. The serene commercial sees Leonardo lie around in a picturesque field and play with a few bugs. Despite his first and last name suggesting he'd be a great contender for an italian line or two, Leonardo opts for one quintessential American English word "Whatever!" It's such a transporting ad you almost forgive him for not digging into his father's German Italian roots. Whatever!