Who Are The Stars In The Old Spice 'Mother-In-Law' Commercial?

There are two things Old Spice does very well: make a heck of a deodorant and deliver television viewers entertaining commercials. In late June, the men's grooming products company released a brand-new commercial titled "Mother-in-Law." If you happen to see it while watching network or cable TV — or browsing on YouTube — you'll catch a 45-second spot that makes a compelling argument for stocking up on the Old Spice product line. 

The commercial's premise is a fun one: The husband in a married couple stomps out to talk to his wife, who's hanging out in the living room. The husband is completely fed up with his wife's mother, who's visiting the couple. Why is he so fed up, you ask? Well, according to the husband, his mother-in-law keeps using all of his Old Spice products and isn't leaving any product for him to maintain his grooming routine. This act is made even worse by the fact that his wife uses his Old Spice body wash regularly, too. At that moment, the mother-in-law steps into frame and offers up some body wash to her son-in-law, but only manages to squeeze out a tiny amount before the bottle is empty, to which she says he'll need to buy more. Oh boy.

For its new "Mother-in-Law" commercial, Old Spice has recruited two popular TV comedians — one of whom is currently the official face of the grooming products brand — and a very famous R&B singer to play out this thrilling tale.

The husband in the commercial is played by Deon Cole, aka the current Old Spice guy. Cole followed in the footsteps of Terry Crews and "It Chapter Two" star Isaiah Mustafa's shoes when he took over the gig in January 2019 (via Variety). In addition to his current Old Spice gig, Cole is likely most familiar to audiences through his role as Charlie Telphy on ABC's "black-ish" and Freeform's "grown-ish." 

Starring opposite Cole as his commercial wife is Gabrielle Dennis, who has frequently been paired with Cole in previous Old Spice commercials to play his better half who keeps stealing his body wash and deodorant. Dennis' star has been on the rise on recent years thanks to roles in Netflix's "Luke Cage" and "The Upshaws," as well as HBO comedies "Insecure" and "A Black Lady Sketch Show." 

As for the role of mother-in-law, the actor playing her may look supremely familiar because she's Grammy Hall of Famer Patti LaBelle. She's one of the most iconic soul and R&B singers to date, with hits like "Lady Marmalade," "You Are My Friend," and "On My Own" cementing her place of prestige in the music world and earning her the nickname "Godmother of Soul." Fingers crossed Old Spice brings LaBelle back for part two of the "Mother-in-Law" saga because she's a total scene-stealer.