Why You Recognize The Actors From Taco Bell's Nacho Fries Commercial

In January of 2018, the world changed forever. Civilization tries its best to maintain the status quo, but every so often, a gamechanger gets introduced that demands attention. Nothing could stop the inevitable march of its progress... until one day, it just sort of disappeared. Of course, the only thing we could be talking about is nacho fries from Taco Bell. 

For a limited time, the fast food behemoth offered French fries covered with spices and served with cheese sauce. It's the perfect late night munchie idea that left many to wonder why Taco Bell had never ventured into this kind of territory in the past. Despite being a success, the nacho fries went the way of McDonald's McRib, with humanity left wondering why this delicious treat was sucked back into the ether from whence it came. 

Fortunately, the fries are back, and with their reinstatement also comes the return of the excellent movie trailer parodies the company did the first time around. Back in the day, Josh Duhamel played a family man who finds himself tangled into a massive conspiracy regarding the nature of these fries. This time around, Taco Bell has given us a horror parody about a man who traverses into the woods to clear his head. As is the case with anyone who goes to a cabin in the woods, horrifying things happen — namely, the fries come back from the dead. It looks like the company isn't skimping on star power, as two recognizable actors appear in the commercial spot to sell you some fries. 

When it came to casting the haunted lead of the commercial, Taco Bell chose wisely and opted for Joe Keery of Stranger Things fame. Keery plays Steve Harrington on the 1980s throwback show, starting off as your stereotypical '80s bully but becoming one of the most nuanced characters in the cast. Now, instead of fighting demogorgons, he battles the alluring horror of the nacho fries coming back just when he was ready to give them up. 

Keery will be back to reprise the role that made him famous when Stranger Things season 4 drops later in 2020. In the meantime, you can check out the rest of Keery's filmography, which includes roles in films like Molly's Game and Slice. He recently took the lead role in the 2020 thriller Spree as Kurt Kunkle, a rideshare driver who goes to exceedingly psychotic lengths to garner an online following. 

Next up, you can see him in the 2021 film Free Guy alongside Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer. 

While Keery goes on a Shining-like rampage in the nacho fries commercial, Sarah Hyland backs him up as the girlfriend he left behind to find himself in the woods. Hyland's no stranger to the industry, and despite being only 30 years old, her resume dates back to 1997, with a number of high-profile roles in television and film. 

Of course, her most prominent part to date is of Haley Dunphy in the long-running sitcom Modern Family. Some of her other credits include roles in Vampire Academy, Geek Charming, and Scary Movie V. She already has her next project lined up as a yet-untitled ABC series that she'll executive produce and star in (via The Hollywood Reporter). 

She's teaming up with Emily V. Gordon for the project, but as of right now, not much else is known. It's likely the COVID-19 pandemic derailed things a bit, but hopefully, we'll get more information on the series in the near future. For now, both actors are committed to giving audiences a craving for some delicious nacho fries.