Monday Afternoon Diversion: Steve Carrell for Brown's Chicken

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 18, 2010 8:00PM

Long before he went on to greater things as a 40-year-old virgin and as the bumbling, always inappropriate Michael Scott on "The Office," Steve Carrell was a regular at Second City and local improv shows throughout the city. He also did his fair share of local commercials, like an eight-second bumper for WTMJ back in the day. Or this blink-twice-and-you'll-miss-him appearance in a spot for the Citibank Rewards Card.

Karl, in his constant search for the offbeat, found this Brown's Chicken (pre-"Chicken and Pasta") commercial from 1989 in which Carrell touts the cholesterol-free cottonseed oil and batter used by the local chicken franchise. Yes, Dr. Atkins and his crackpot diet was popular even then and Carrell sells the sizzle. Like Tankboy, Carrell also hasn't aged a bit in the 21 years since this commercial first aired.