Who Plays Dr. Rick In The Progressive Commercials?
Let's be honest, insurance isn't exactly the most exciting subject in the world.
It's likely for this reason insurance commercials have to be funnier than the average ad to keep viewers' attention. The Allstate Mayhem guy frequently finds himself in some tricky spots to illustrate the importance of having the right insurance. Geico has had a proverbial clown car full of spokespeople over the years from the lovable gecko to the cerebral cavemen (who even earned their own short-lived TV series), and Progressive is quickly following in Geico's footsteps by propping up a bunch of mascots of their own.
Most people are familiar with Flo from Progressive, who has been a fixture on our TV sets for years now. She's no longer alone in her mission to sell people Progressive insurance, however, as Dr. Rick has joined the fold with a much different vibe. You've likely seen the commercials by this point wherein Dr. Rick helps people who have recently bought homes avoid transmogrifying into their parents. This means teaching them that every smartphone comes with a "silent" button, as well as how it isn't appropriate to hover over a plumber to give him pointers on how to do his job.
Hopefully, we continue seeing Dr. Rick pop up for a long time to come, and if you were thinking he looked familiar, you're not alone. Actor Bill Glass has been in the industry for a while now and had plenty of credits to his name before landing the gig with Progressive.
Bill Glass has had guest spots on many different TV series over the years
If you've watched any kind of TV in the last couple of decades, then chances are good you've seen Bill Glass at some point even if you didn't realize it was him. His first acting credit dates back to 1999 in the "Santa on Ice" episode of Becker. Glass plays a man portraying Joseph in a local Christmas pageant. He goes to see Dr. John Becker (Ted Danson) after suffering a smack in the head at the hands of the Virgin Mary after complimenting her on her nice rear end (although the episode uses another word for it that could also describe a donkey).
The episode provided an initial glimpse into the kind of comedic timing Glass was capable of mustering, timing that would be put to good use in the Progressive commercials. It's also for this reason he's likely landed gigs on other comedy series, such as Battery Park, Dharma & Greg, and Free Ride. However, he's been known to show a serious side as well. He appears on season 1, episode 2 of the neo-Western series Justified as Mr. Lawlor. He's just your average run-of-the-mill homeowner who discovers $180,000 just laying underneath his house. He goes on a spending spree, which lands him in hot water when men with a link to the cash arrive at his abode to collect the loot.
Most recently, you could see Glass in a small but memorable role on Fresh Off the Boat. He appears in the season 4 episode, "It's a Plastic Pumpkin, Louis Huang," as a pumpkin salesman, Bob, who wheels and deals with Louis (Randall Park) until they finally reach an agreement but only after Bob promises to throw in a cutout of a black cat wearing a witch's hat. One thing's clear from all this: If you watch re-runs of your favorite sitcoms with commercials, then you're going to come across Bill Glass sooner or later.