{"id":116836,"date":"2024-12-27T05:16:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-27T10:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=116836"},"modified":"2025-01-02T08:59:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T13:59:41","slug":"a-commercial-star-is-born-hoffman","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2024\/a-commercial-star-is-born-hoffman\/","title":{"rendered":"A Commercial Star Is Born"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin magazine-block-editorial-leadin is-style-image-to-text has-media has-media-focus-center-middle has-tertiary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"3600\" height=\"2000\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Commercial-Star-LeadIn.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Actor David Hoffman with a stuffed emu\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Commercial-Star-LeadIn.jpg 3600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Commercial-Star-LeadIn-636x353.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Commercial-Star-LeadIn-1024x569.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Commercial-Star-LeadIn-768x427.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Commercial-Star-LeadIn-1536x853.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Commercial-Star-LeadIn-2048x1138.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Commercial-Star-LeadIn-1628x904.jpg 1628w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3600px) 100vw, 3600px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\">Photos by Patrick Strattner<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Theatre<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA Commercial Star Is Born\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">As Liberty Mutual\u2019s Doug, comedic actor David Hoffman cuts up opposite an emu in a now-iconic ad campaign<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar magazine-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">December 27, 2024<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/authors\/steve-holt\/\">Steve Holt<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph magazine-block-editorial-introparagraph is-style-dropcap-default has-dropcap has-dropcap-color-tertiary\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph-content\"><p>David Hoffman was eating lunch by himself on the set of his new ad campaign when it sunk in that his life would never be the same again. Over the past two decades, the comedic actor had been a lead in a short-lived British television series, played a few major roles in television shows and some minor roles in blockbuster films, and appeared in a couple of Super Bowl commercials\u2014but he\u2019d never broken through as a star. Until now. He had just landed a promising role as Doug, a sometimes hapless, always funny insurance salesman with an emu as a sidekick, in a series of commercials for insurance giant Liberty Mutual. As Hoffman ate, a marketing executive for Liberty approached, her smile wide.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cI\u2019ve just got to tell you we are loving everything you\u2019re doing. We\u2019re so happy,\u201d she told Hoffman (\u201999). \u201cYou\u2019re going to be an icon, like Tony the Tiger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">That was December 2018, and the executive wasn\u2019t wrong. Six years later, Hoffman\u2019s Doug is ubiquitous. You almost can\u2019t turn on a game or stream an episode without hearing the commercials\u2019 earworm jingle. Open your mailbox, and there\u2019s probably a Liberty Mutual mailing with Doug and his emu. The insurance guy\u2019s yellow shirt, trademark mustache, and aviator sunglasses are plastered across billboards and web ads\u2014always with pointy-beaked LiMu Emu, of course.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Doug-on-the-street-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-117029\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Doug-on-the-street-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Doug-on-the-street-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Doug-on-the-street-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Doug-on-the-street-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Doug-on-the-street-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Doug-on-the-street-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Doug-on-the-street-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Doug-on-the-street-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Doug-on-the-street.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background has-normal-font-size has-tertiary-background-color\">David Hoffman plays Liberty Mutual&#8217;s mustachioed insurance spokesman Doug. <em>Courtesy of Liberty Mutual<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">The sudden success was a whirlwind for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedavidhoffman.com\/\">Hoffman<\/a>, who Googled \u201cLiMu Emu and Doug\u201d shortly after shooting the first spots and snapped a screenshot of the results. (There were none at the time, but that would change.) The actor who\u2019d once played Launcelot Gobbo in <em>The Merchant of Venice <\/em>at CFA was now the face of a Fortune 100 insurance company, his comedic performances responsible for millions of daily brand impressions. More important for Hoffman, the role brought financial security and creative independence. But like many actors, Hoffman\u2019s path here was dotted with plenty of starts, stops, and rejection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cI never expected to be in the exact position I\u2019m in right now,\u201d Hoffman says. \u201cI had so many different visions of what would happen, and there were so many valleys where what I wanted and expected didn\u2019t happen. And yet, in the end, I\u2019m in a sweet spot as an actor, and I wouldn\u2019t trade it for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Making of an Actor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-005-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-116841\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-005-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-005-424x636.jpg 424w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-005-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-005-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-005-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-005-667x1000.jpg 667w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-005.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Hoffman, who is married and has a young son, says he mapped out his entire career while he was an undergraduate theater major at CFA: \u201cI was going to do four years at BU, was going to kill it at the [School of Theatre] Showcase, get the best agent in the business, be on a show within six months that would go for about five years, transition to movies, win an Oscar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Hoffman was so excited to move to New York City and start that journey that he skipped his graduation ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">\u201cYou\u2019re always in a play, always rehearsing, always training, and it was very intensive and time-consuming, in a good way,\u201d he says of CFA. \u201cI was consumed by it, which is why I think so many actors come out of programs like that obsessed with their career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Then reality hit. After almost a year without a single acting job in the Big Apple, Hoffman followed a friend and cheaper rents out to Los Angeles. He started taking sketch comedy classes with the Groundlings, the improv-based theater troupe where stars like Jon Lovitz, Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, and Melissa McCarthy earned their comedic stripes. Hoffman spent four years in the training program before he made the <a href=\"https:\/\/groundlings.com\/performers\/sunday-company\">Groundlings\u2019 Sunday Company<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s like [<em>Saturday Night Live<\/em>],\u201d he says. \u201cYou write a new show every single week, and we had no weeks off. I did it for two years. It was 104 weeks in a row writing new shows and material, and you really learn to write for yourself.\u201d After two years of grinding it out in the Sunday Company, Hoffman made the Main Company\u2014an achievement he was told just one in 10,000 students enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">In 2008, Hoffman\u2019s fellow Groundling Stephanie Courtney appeared as Flo in a single ad for Progressive Insurance. His interest was piqued. \u201cIt was not a campaign, it was one spot,\u201d Hoffman recalls. \u201cShe was like, \u2018I think they want to do a bunch more of them.\u2019 And then she said they were negotiating an actual deal. And it was so exciting. These were numbers I had never fathomed.\u201d While Hoffman\u2019s prior commercial work had included individual spots for Bud Light, Nicorette, and Phillips\u2019 Milk of Magnesia, he says \u201cSteph\u2019s role as Flo was my first exposure to how big a deal a campaign can be.\u201d (Courtney is in her 16th year playing Flo in the Progressive ads.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Hoffman\u2019s commercial agent started getting the actor campaign auditions. Success was fleeting at first. Campaigns he shot for Taco Bell and Virgin Mobile never aired. By 2012, as he experienced some noncommercial success playing a guest role in the film <em>Bridesmaids <\/em>and recurring roles in the television series <em>2 Broke Girls<\/em>, <em>New Girl<\/em>,&nbsp;and <em>Quick Draw<\/em>, Hoffman says he was burned out on the commercial grind. \u201cI wrote it down: Within two years, I\u2019m not auditioning for commercials anymore,\u201d he says. Sure enough, two years later, in 2014, he was cast as the lead in the UK sitcom <em>I Live with Models<\/em>\u2014which aired on Comedy Central\u2014allowing him to comfortably leave behind his pursuit of commercial success. Or so he thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Embodying Doug<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">It was Thanksgiving week 2018, and Hoffman was moping around. <em>I Live with Models <\/em>ended after two seasons in 2017, so he\u2019d been unemployed for more than a year. With his savings running low and no new gigs lined up leading into the holidays, he knew it would be January or February before he could hope to be working again. At the recommendation of his new girlfriend (and now wife), Jaime, Hoffman reached out to his commercial agent. He asked him to keep an eye out for something that suits him, perhaps a funny Super Bowl commercial or a new campaign. \u201cCall me after Thanksgiving,\u201d the agent told Hoffman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-photoessay magazine-block-editorial-photoessay alignwide wp-block-photoessay js-block-editorial-photoessay\"><div class=\"photo-row-full-f\">\n<div class=\"photo-f\"><div class=\"wp-block-photoessay-media\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Limu-and-doug-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-116842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Limu-and-doug-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Limu-and-doug-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Limu-and-doug-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Limu-and-doug-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Limu-and-doug-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Limu-and-doug-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Limu-and-doug-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Limu-and-doug-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/Limu-and-doug.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><p class=\"wp-block-photoessay-media-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\"><br><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-background has-normal-font-size has-black-color has-tertiary-background-color\">The sudden success of the Liberty Mutual ad campaign featuring Doug and his emu sidekick was a shock for actor David Hoffman, the actor who plays Doug.<em> Courtesy of Liberty Mutual<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">The two men met for lunch the next week, where Hoffman laid out his conditions for an ad campaign: He wanted it to be funny, obviously. To not look like himself. To be able to improvise. To work with a director he respects. \u201cHe just started laughing,\u201d Hoffman recalls, \u201cand he pushed me his phone. \u2018What do you think of this?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">It was a casting agency\u2019s description of Doug, a likable and funny insurance guy who does all of the talking for his partner, a live emu. Doug could feasibly be the face of the brand for years to come, so that face would need to be memorable, and the actor would need to possess comedy chops and a strong presence onscreen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Hoffman loved it. The concept of partnering with an emu, who is really the brains of the operation, fit his comedic style, which he calls \u201cabsurd realism.\u201d The agent landed Hoffman an audition that evening\u2014the last day the director was meeting actors. \u201cI looked at him before I left and said, \u2018I\u2019m getting this. I guarantee it,\u2019\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-photoessay magazine-block-editorial-photoessay alignwide wp-block-photoessay js-block-editorial-photoessay\"><div class=\"photo-row-tall-1-1\">\n<div class=\"photo-1\"><div class=\"wp-block-photoessay-media\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-003-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-116839\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-003-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-003-424x636.jpg 424w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-003-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-003-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-003-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-003-667x1000.jpg 667w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-003.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"photo-1\"><div class=\"wp-block-photoessay-media\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-004-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-116840\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-004-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-004-424x636.jpg 424w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-004-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-004-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-004-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-004-667x1000.jpg 667w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2024\/12\/24-1403-CFAHOFFMAN-004.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:48px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Soon, Hoffman found himself in the Universal Studios lot standing opposite a live emu and shooting the first several spots of what would become Liberty\u2019s longest-running ad campaign in the company\u2019s 112-year history. Liberty executives knew they had a hit on their hands and made a historically large ad buy of those first spots. They started writing and shooting additional commercials for their new flagship campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.libertymutualgroup.com\/about-lm\/news\/articles\/introducing-limu-emu-and-doug-dynamic-duo-insurance-world-starring-new-liberty-mutual-ad-campaign\">LiMu Emu &amp; Doug campaign<\/a> has everything Hoffman was looking for, including the opportunity to stretch his sketch and improv muscles. The actor regularly punches up scripts with his own ideas and humor, and he rarely completes two takes the same way. \u201cIt really is about being able to snap into a new reality as quickly as possible and commit to it 100 percent,\u201d Hoffman says. \u201cI mean, when I would do spots with the emu, I was really improvising. You can\u2019t predict what those things are going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"responsive-video responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Firepole | LiMu Emu &amp; Doug | Liberty Mutual Insurance Commercial\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Y4KuuRzNfpA?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-background has-normal-font-size has-black-color has-tertiary-background-color\">One of many ad spots featuring LiMu Emu and Doug. <em>Liberty Mutual<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Three emus on set play the part of LiMu, but their unpredictability in the 2018 shoot led to the decision to film nearly all the emu\u2019s scenes separate from Hoffman\u2019s using a green screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Despite having achieved Tony the Tiger-esque prominence, the clean-shaven Hoffman is almost never recognized in public as his Liberty character\u2014one of his original conditions, so he can play roles where he\u2019s not seen as Doug (unlike, perhaps, Flo from Progressive). Still, the role has given Hoffman the financial and creative freedom to write for himself. He\u2019s preparing to shoot his first feature-length screenplay\u2014\u201cthe funniest thing I\u2019ve ever written\u201d\u2014and directs an annual charity improv show with other comics each June at The Groundlings Theater in L.A. Performers at the 2024 show, which has raised more than $235,000 for the Hollywood Food Coalition over its three years, included Oscar Nu\u00f1ez (\u201cOscar\u201d from <em>The Office<\/em>), <em>SNL <\/em>alumnus Will Forte, and Flo herself, Stephanie Courtney. He\u2019s also returned to Boston as Doug twice in 2024 for Liberty Mutual employees at their national headquarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-end-of-article\">\u201c[This campaign] has completely changed my life,\u201d Hoffman says. \u201cI have a one-year-old son, and he\u2019s having a much better start to life than I did. I can spend a lot of time with him, which I know a lot of parents don\u2019t get a chance to do\u2014especially actor parents. It\u2019s changed my family life, it\u2019s changed my career, it\u2019s changed everything. I\u2019m in a sweet spot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-card has-three magazine-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-636x358.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-992x558.jpg 992w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-1500x844.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-1628x916.jpg 1628w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-1366x768.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/MichelleHurd_Still001-854x480.jpg 854w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Theatre<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/news\/articles\/2023\/michelle-hurd-star-trek-picard-empowering-opportunities-for-diverse-artists\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Michelle Hurd Talks Star Trek: Picard, Studying at BU, and Empowering Opportunities for Diverse Artists<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">February 15, 2023<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share wp-prepress-component-article-share-sharedby-news\"><span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-label\">Shared from<\/span> <span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-source\"><div class=\"editorial-branding editorial-branding-news bu-prepress-branding-type-text\"><div class=\"editorial-branding-wrap\">News<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2048\" height=\"1366\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/06\/jason-alexander-ba822ace4cd9372f.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Actor, director Jason Alexander\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/06\/jason-alexander-ba822ace4cd9372f.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/06\/jason-alexander-ba822ace4cd9372f-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/06\/jason-alexander-ba822ace4cd9372f-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/06\/jason-alexander-ba822ace4cd9372f-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/06\/jason-alexander-ba822ace4cd9372f-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/06\/jason-alexander-ba822ace4cd9372f-1499x1000.jpg 1499w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/06\/jason-alexander-ba822ace4cd9372f-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/06\/jason-alexander-ba822ace4cd9372f-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/06\/jason-alexander-ba822ace4cd9372f-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>CFA Alumni<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/news\/articles\/2023\/alum-and-seinfeld-star-jason-alexander-makes-broadway-directing-debut-with-new-comedy\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Alum and Seinfeld Star Jason Alexander Makes Broadway Directing Debut with New Comedy<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">June 22, 2023<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share wp-prepress-component-article-share-sharedby-news\"><span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-label\">Shared from<\/span> <span class=\"wp-prepress-component-article-share-source\"><div class=\"editorial-branding editorial-branding-news bu-prepress-branding-type-text\"><div class=\"editorial-branding-wrap\">News<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2560\" height=\"1280\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/01\/Conversation-Watkins-Killebrew-banner-scaled.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/01\/Conversation-Watkins-Killebrew-banner-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/01\/Conversation-Watkins-Killebrew-banner-636x318.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/01\/Conversation-Watkins-Killebrew-banner-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/01\/Conversation-Watkins-Killebrew-banner-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/01\/Conversation-Watkins-Killebrew-banner-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/01\/Conversation-Watkins-Killebrew-banner-2048x1024.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/01\/Conversation-Watkins-Killebrew-banner-1628x814.jpg 1628w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Theatre<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2019\/michaela-watkins-boo-killebrew-queens-of-funny-sad\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Conversation: Michaela Watkins &#038; Boo Killebrew<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">September 6, 2019<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cI\u2019ve just got to tell you we are loving everything you\u2019re doing. We\u2019re so happy,\u201d she told Hoffman (\u201999). \u201cYou\u2019re going to be an icon, like Tony the Tiger.\u201d That was December 2018, and the executive wasn\u2019t wrong. Six years later, Hoffman\u2019s Doug is ubiquitous. You almost can\u2019t turn on a game or stream an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14125,"featured_media":116838,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[],"bu-publication":[191],"magazine-article-category":[372,378],"magazine-topic":[],"news-article-category":[],"news-topic":[],"bu_edition":[443],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/116836"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14125"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116836"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/116836\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117173,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/116836\/revisions\/117173"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116836"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=116836"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article-category?post=116836"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=116836"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=116836"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=116836"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=116836"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=116836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}