LIFE LESSONS
Meet the man behind ‘Parentalife Coach’ Dr. Rick
IT’S almost a given that you will, inevitably, say something that sounds just like one (or both) of your parents. Dr. Rick is here to help. He’s the world-renowned “Parenta-life Coach” with the mustache and sweater-vest who stars in those clever Progressive Insurance ads, dispensing tough-love wisdom to his clients who can’t stop themselves from imitating their mothers and fathers — whether it’s clapping at the end of a film (“No one who made the movie is here”), telling everyone about their morning (“You woke up early — no one cares”) or putting too many pillows on the couch (“If you have nowhere to sit, you have too many”).
“I call it a sort of generational triple-dip,” said Bill Glass, 51, the amiable Chicago-area native who’s played Dr. Rick since the commercials began airing two years ago. “It’s kids looking at their parents and thinking, ‘Oh boy,’ and a parent looking at their parents and going ‘Oh boy.’
“There are some people you see or hear who say, ‘You’re making fun’ but there’s no malice intended here,” he said. “This is something we’re all going to do matter what — and whether or not you want to admit it, everybody is going to take a phrase or a habit from their parents.”
The ad campaign has even spawned a book, “Dr. Rick Will See You Now: A Guide to Un-Becoming Your Parents,” that features Glass (as the good doctor) on its cover.
Glass has been acting in commercials for 25 years and has a strong background in improvisation (Chicago’s Second City and ImprovOlympic troupes), as do the actors who appear with him in the Progressive spots. “I’ve done some other stuff but nothing has gotten quite the response that this has, so it’s kind of neat and lots of fun,” he said. “It’s fun and challenging to make people laugh in a 30-second window.”
The ensemble cast is directed by Martin Granger and is based in LA, where they shoot the commercials on-location (including a movie theater in Simi Valley and a residential home in Pasadena). “The writers come up with a lot of vignettes and they want to have a lot of options, so we’re shooting the setup and moving … it’s a fun way to work but it’s a long workday,” he said. As much fun as it is, we’re working — don’t kid yourself.” The actors playing Dr. Rick’s clients have remained virtually the same since the campaign kicked off, with some new faces mixed in every now and then.
“The writers at the ad agency [Arnold Worldwide] and the director are really great,” he said. “They hire a lot of improv actors; I wish you could see the whole cast here because it’s a great comedy ensemble.
“I think [the ads] are like the appetizer tray of comedy — and right now we’ve got the shrimp wrapped in bacon.”
Glass has mixed his commercial work with acting in movies and on TV shows, including a small role as a lawyer on“Rutherford Falls” (Season 2 premieres June 16 on Peacock with stars Ed Helms and Janna Schmieding ). “The [‘Rutherford Falls’] casting director Allison Jones, enjoys the [Progressive] campaign so she called me in,” he said.
Starring in a successful ad campaign does have its limits for , jobbing actors like Glass. “I’m a lunch pail actor, and to have a nice bit in the midst of the grind … hopefully I will keep this gig for a while and maybe I’ll be a 30-year ‘overnight success,’” he said. “I’ve come to a place in my career where ... [the ads] show that I can do comedy. Hopefully other sitcom casting directors will say, ‘Hey, this guy’s pretty good, we can use him for something.’
“That’s just part of the journey.”