The Odd Couple: Jeffrey Tambor Teams Up With Rob Gronkowski for Super Bowl Commercial
There are two types of people who watch the Super Bowl: people who genuinely love football and people who genuinely love commercials. Enter Jeffrey Tambor, Rob Gronkowski, and one doomed button-down shirt. The spot is for Tide and proves either that Tambor can make anyone funny or that the Patriots’ tight end is secretly a comedic genius. Either way, it’s sure to be one of the bright spots in the sea of corporate advertising that the country is about to consume.
Tambor told Yahoo Celebrity that shooting the spot was great. “It was a chance to meet Gronkowski, who is a national treasure. He’s also a very nice kid.” The veteran actor went on to explain, “These sports guys are wonderful and they’re well-paid and they make national headlines, but they’re like kids and it’s very infectious.” (To be clear, that was a compliment.) “Honestly, I didn’t know he was going to be so good, but I had a great time.” Another small bonus was earning some kudos from his children. “My kids are very impressed,” Tambor, 72, said proudly. “I had to talk them into being impressed a little bit, but they are finally impressed.”
Though the Arrested Development alum isn’t exactly a die-hard sports fanatic, he did know who Gronkowski was before they started filming. “I certainly knew who he was, and I actually am a fan of the Patriots because my son-in-law is from New England.” (Tambor has an adult daughter in addition to two young kids, just for clarity’s sake.) That doesn’t mean Tambor is rooting for the Patriots, though. “I’m rooting for a good game,” he revealed. “I don’t want a blowout. I want a tight game. I’ll take 31 to 27.” He noted that he had not bet on the Super Bowl but considered Gronkowski a “terrific” player.
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This terrific player makes for one resourceful dry cleaner too. ICYMI, Gronkowski plays a dry cleaner in the Tide ad, which illustrates why one might be better off doing laundry at home (with Tide!) than paying a professional. So, does Tambor do his own laundry? Sometimes. “While I’ve been doing Transparent, I’ve lived in Los Angeles, but my home base is New York, so while I’m in L.A. filming, I do my own laundry.” Although he does not separate his whites and darks, he has learned the value in turning sweaters inside out before throwing them into the washer, and he’s a big fan of dryer balls, which he frequently finds later in his pants when he’s walking down the street. “That’s never good when that happens,” he laughed. “I do like doing the laundry, though.”
And while he doesn’t rock sleeveless shirts in real life (like he may or may not in the ad), he does admit, “Sleeveless vests are part of the Tambor look.” Discussing his attire, he noted that he got his start in fashion selling shoes at JCPenney. “I was a terrible salesman,” he confessed. “I had to sell baby shoes. Do you know how hard it is to get babies’ shoes on?”
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One thing Tambor has proved he can do? Win awards — lots and lots of awards. For his role in Transparent alone, the 72-year-old actor has snapped up an Emmy, a SAG Award, and a Golden Globe (among others). Even though awards shows can feel like a dime a dozen these days, he maintained that they have continued influence. “They’re not obsolete,” he said. “I think that good work should be merited. I’m a member of the Academy and I take that very seriously. It all depends on the award, but I’m very grateful for the awards that I’ve received, and I will speak for the show Transparent. The awards helped us because people said, ‘Oh, that won a Golden Globe. I think I’m going to watch that,’ and then they watched it and good things happened because people watch and people learn and people change. From that respect, I think they’re very valuable.”
Speaking of Transparent, the star reflected on the significance of the show in the country’s current political landscape. “I’ve said and I’ll continue to say, lives are at stake, and as dramatic as that may seem, it’s the truth.” There are many out there who agree with him, no doubt.
Reflecting on the overall experience filming an ad for one of the most-watched events on television, Tambor kept it light. “I actually don’t know if Gronkowski even knows who I am,” he laughed. “But he was very nice.”
