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Michael Vale

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Occupation
  
Actor

Spouse
  
Nancy Vale (m. ?–2005)

Years active
  
1982 - 1997

Education
  
Name
  
Michael Vale

Known for
  
Role
  
Actor


Michael Vale wwwnndbcompeople422000071209fredsignedjpg

Born
  
June 28, 1922 (
1922-06-28
)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

Died
  
December 24, 2005, New York City, New York, United States

Movies
  
Guerrilla Girl, Shut Up, I’m Crying

Fred the Baker - Time to make the Donuts


Michael Vale (June 28, 1922 – December 24, 2005) was an American character actor famous for being the longtime sleepy-eyed mascot "Fred the Baker" for donut chain Dunkin' Donuts, with his famous catchphrase "Time to make the donuts." He was featured for 15 years until he retired in 1997, having done more than 1,300 television commercials. Vale also reprised the role for commercials for the short-lived Dunkin' Donuts Cereal. He died of complications from diabetes at age 83 in Manhattan at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and was cremated.

Contents

Michael Vale Celebrities lists image Michael Vale Celebs Lists

Dunkin Donuts - Designer Mini Eclairs [Herve Villechaize] (1993)


Personal life

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Vale was dubbed "the actor" by his childhood friends because of his ability to imitate ballplayers and celebrities. After serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Europe during World War II, he studied at the Dramatic Workshop at The New School with classmates Tony Curtis, Ben Gazzara, and Rod Steiger.

Career

One of his earliest appearances was in a summer stock production of George Bernard Shaw's Androcles and the Lion. Vale later described his modest role: "I was thrown to the lions."

He was a longtime spokesman for Kraft Foods' Breakstone line of cottage cheese and sour cream products, for whom he portrayed long-suffering dairy owner "Sam Breakstone". The focus on those commercials is Sam's dedication to quality, usually with Sam having a comedic "eureka" moment on how to make a better product. Breakstone relatives and historians have noted that Vale's character was fictional and comedic. The Breakstone Dairy brand first started in 1882 by Lithuanian Jewish Emigrant brothers, Joseph and Isaac Breakstone, while their cousins Morris and Hyman, also sold dairy in NYC in the 1890's. The Breakstones trademarked the name in 1906. Lithuanian Jews like the Breakstones are often lighter in skin and hair color with less pronounced facial features than Michael Vale. The Breakstones did emphasize quality but through thought and hardwork rather than shouting.

Vale appeared in several television series, including Car 54, Where Are You? in the 1960s and The Cosby Show in 1987. On the big screen, he was a cab driver in A Hatful of Rain in 1957 and a jewelry salesman in Marathon Man in 1976. The actor described working with British leading man Laurence Olivier in Marathon Man as "the most wonderful experience of my life."

Fred the Baker

Vale got the role of Dunkin' Donuts' Fred the Baker via a casting call. He was told that another actor was to be cast in the role of the baker, but was encouraged to come to the audition anyway in case he was needed as an extra. 300 actors participated in the casting call, including well-known character actor Lou Jacobi. Ally & Gargano creative director Ron Berger said that Vale got the role because of his likeability and believability: "Michael was 100% believable. He looked and talked and walked and breathed like he was a guy who got up at 4 a.m... Lou was good. But when it came to the final decision, Michael was the donut maker. After watching 300 people as Fred, Michael still made us laugh."

The character was so well-liked by Dunkin' Donuts customers that when the character was retired as a result of moving the advertising account from ad agency Ally & Gargano to Euro RSCG, Dunkin' Donuts surveyed its customers on how the character. Euro decided to explicitly acknowledge the "retirement" of Fred the Baker with a campaign that included celebrity retirees such as Bob Dole, Larry Bird, and Sugar Ray Leonard providing Fred with advice on his retirement.

On his death in 2005, Dunkin' Donuts released a statement, noting the Fred the Baker "became a beloved American icon that permeated our culture and touched millions with his sense of humor and humble nature."

Filmography

Actor
1995
Crown Prosecutor (TV Series) as
Owen O'Donnell
- Episode #1.2 (1995) - Owen O'Donnell
1989
One Life to Live (TV Series) as
Mr. Sizzle
- Episode #1.5395 (1989) - Mr. Sizzle
1980
3-2-1 Contact (TV Series) as
Soapy Suds
- Your Body: Twins (1988) - Soapy Suds
- Near/Far: Space Travel (1980) - Soapy Suds
- Food/Fuel: Animal Food (1980) - Soapy Suds
- Noisy/Quiet: Production and Processing of Sound (1980) - Soapy Suds
1987
The Cosby Show (TV Series) as
Mr. Lee
- Calling Doctor Huxtable (1987) - Mr. Lee
1986
Seasons in the Sun (TV Movie) as
Bernie
1985
Search for Tomorrow (TV Series) as
Louis Szabo
- Episode #1.8627 (1985) - Louis Szabo
1979
Mr. Gimme (Short) as
Mr. Saluppo
1978
Captain Kangaroo (TV Series)
- Episode dated 2 November 1978 (1978)
1977
The Psychic Parrot (Short) as
Husband
1977
Looking Up as
Sweedler
1976
Marathon Man as
Jewelry Salesman
1976
Kojak (TV Series) as
Nightclub Manager
- Birthday Party (1976) - Nightclub Manager (as Michael Vael)
1973
Acts of Love and Other Comedies (TV Movie) as
Dante
1972
Madigan (TV Series) as
Mario Zelman
- The Manhattan Beat (1972) - Mario Zelman
1970
Shut Up... I'm Crying (Short)
1969
The Jackie Gleason Show (TV Series) as
Waiter
- The Honeymooners: The Honeymoon Is Over (1969) - Waiter
1964
East Side/West Side (TV Series) as
Bowman
- The $5.98 Dress (1964) - Bowman
1961
Car 54, Where Are You? (TV Series) as
Maury - Real Estate Agent / Louie - Ticket Seller (Camelot) / Cooper / ...
- The White Elephant (1963) - Maury - Real Estate Agent (uncredited)
- 142 Tickets on the Aisle (1962) - Louie - Ticket Seller (Camelot) (uncredited)
- Thirty Days Notice (1961) - Cooper
- Home Sweet Sing Sing (1961) - Klein
1957
A Hatful of Rain as
Cab Driver (uncredited)
1953
Guerrilla Girl as
Pavel Danov
Self
1999
The Howard Stern Radio Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode dated 21 August 1999 (1999) - Self
1997
Dunkin Donuts Fred Retiring Tribute Commercial (Video short) as
Self

References

Michael Vale Wikipedia


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