Hey mom I made it, I’m the Background Actor in a Local Colorado Commercial

You don’t always need a lead role to feel like you’ve made it. Sometimes all it takes is a green screen, a burrito, and your butt stealing the scene in a credit union commercial your parents actually watched.

Here's the story of this Colorado Commercial.

Eyes on the road, bro.

In 2019, I shot a local commercial for Bellco Credit Union and played three characters in one day. It was silly, well-produced, and a great reminder that butt's are funny.

Bellco (2019)

1. A Real Green Screen Setup Makes a Huge Difference

This was my first time seeing a proper car-on-soundstage setup. They rolled a full vehicle onto a massive green cyclorama — no weird lighting, no janky fixes in post. It was the kind of setup that makes you realize, “Ohhh… this is how the big boys do it.” After years of duct tape and DIY indie shoots, I was standing on a professional stage, the snacks were also amazing.

2.  Local Doesn’t Mean Low Budget

They crawled so I could run

I think “local commercial” and assume it’ll be quick and rough around the edges. This was anything but. The crew was tight, the pace was efficient, and the direction was clear. We shot three separate concepts in one day, and everyone was dialed in. That commercial still looked great when I saw it air months later — and I’ve done national gigs that didn’t move this smooth. I had grown up in Colorado and the local commercials were always endearing to me. Dealing Doug, American Furniture Warehouse, Rocky's Autos.

3. Sometimes, Your Role Is Just “Guy Who Destroys the Back Seat”

I wasn’t playing a heartthrob or a hero. I was a mud-soaked lunatic, a human trash compactor shoving fast food into my face, and at one point… just an ass in jeans. Literally. My whole character was me jamming my denim-clad butt into the neck of the Uber driver. That was the joke. One of the crew looked at the monitor and just said, “Bold choice.” And yeah — it was. Nothing in acting school teaches you about butt acting. It's intuitive. Some people have it, other's don't.

"I ain't ever seen a butt like that"

4. This Was the Easiest Acting Gig I’ve Ever Had (again)

No lines. No wardrobe fitting. No 4 a.m. call times. I just showed up, followed directions, got filthy, and had a blast. I say it's the easiest gig everytime because I've had some gigs that were absolutely rough. Sometimes people think acting is all tortured monologues and emotional truth — and sure, that's where you get the respect. But sometimes it’s just eating a burrito like a savage while the camera rolls. That's where you get the money. Once you have the money and the respect, then they let you host the Oscars. 5. Acting Work Is the Most Fun

I didn’t care how I looked. I got to eat a free sandwich and I got to play in three different scenes. How fun is that that?

I was in a commercial for a credit union my parents used when I was a kid. I walked away with a paycheck and more opportunities. I was on actual television — and my friends texted me when they saw it. That was fun. Simple, surreal, and fun.

Sometimes we forget to celebrate wins like that. We’re so focused on the next thing, we miss what’s already good. There are so many people who would kill to be in our shoes — muddy jeans and all.

Also, my dad got so annoyed at seeing me during Broncos games. We all need family to keep us humble. He could really care less that I was in a commercial.