Laurel Coppock

Last updated

Laurel Coppock
Born (1977-07-17) July 17, 1977 (age 47)
Years active2006–present
Spouse Bobby Mort
Children2

Laurel Coppock (born July 17, 1977) is an American comedic actress. Coppock has appeared in several TV series and TV movies, and as a member of the Main Company of The Groundlings in Los Angeles. She is best known for her lengthy appearance in the role as "Jan" in a series of Toyota commercials, beginning in 2012 and continuing into 2024.

Contents

Early life and education

Coppock was raised in Weston, Massachusetts, the daughter of teacher and writer Susan Coppock. [1] Her father is a retired lawyer. She graduated from Weston High School, [1] and attended Colby College in Maine, [2] where she was a member of the Colbyettes, an a cappella singing group, [3] and the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City. [2]

Career

She performed comedy for five years in Chicago at Second City and IO Theater, and with Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. [2] In 2007, Coppock was an assistant crew member on Curb Your Enthusiasm , also appearing in a minor role in the episode "The N Word". [4] She was a member of The Groundlings, along with Charlotte Newhouse and Ryan Gaul. A 2011 Los Angeles Times review noted their performance as "a cappella singers who enthusiastically perform Toto's "Africa" even though they are missing six members of their group ("Throat Culture") and know only the background and percussion parts". [5] [3]

In 2012, Coppock was selected to play the character "Jan" in a series of Toyota commercials. [2] [6] Toyota interviewed 500 actresses before selecting Coppock for the role. [7] [8] The advent of the character came in the wake of the success of Stephanie Courtney's Flo for Progressive Insurance, leading to the suggestion that Jan was intended as a copy of Flo, although the character of Jan was initially presented in a much more restricted way in the breadth of her activities. [9] Coppock's Jan was also compared to Milana Vayntrub's character, Lily, who began playing a similar role in AT&T commercials around the same time, and has been described as "an amalgam of Flo and Jan". [9] These characters were generally recognized as part of a trend in which "corporations have created their own celebrity endorsers". [10] In 2014, when Coppock became pregnant, Toyota incorporated her pregnancy into her commercials. [7] [9] [11] [8] Toyota's ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi indicated that they would use Coppock's pregnancy "as a way to advance Jan's storyline", although it was observed that Jan, whose commercial appearances rarely develop beyond one-off jokes "doesn't really have a storyline". [9] Coppock, as Jan, has been noted to be one of the centerpieces of an ad campaign having "one of the largest ad budgets in the auto industry". [12] By the mid-2010s, Coppock was occasionally recognized in public for her portrayal of the commercial character. [11] Coppock has noted that she is permitted to improvise in filming commercials in the series, and that the character has been given an extensive backstory. [11] The campaign has also featured commercials in which Coppock sings, one in a duet, and another in a layered a capella performance. [3] Coppock also co-wrote and appeared in the video short Comedy Jam in 2012. [13] [14]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Coppock took part in the creation of a national Toyota commercial from her home, offering assurance to customers in character as Jan, [15] [16] [17] with her husband, Bobby Mort, filming the scene. [18] Toyota noted that having Coppock lead the campaign "gives it instant credibility and recognizability", as Coppock was "the trusted face of Toyota". [17] J.D. Power noted in 2023 that Coppock was "one of the select few people who have been the face of any brand for as long as she has". [6]

In addition to her commercial work for Toyota, Coppock has appeared in Modern Family as Lily Tucker-Pritchett's preschool teacher in the episode, "When Good Kids Go Bad", [19] [20] [21] Arrested Development , [20] [21] the American version of The Office , [19] [21] and Hot in Cleveland , [20] as well as the YouTube comedy series, The BreakWomb. [21] In 2015, Coppock appeared in Groundlings Kung Fu Battle Island, for which her work was again highlighted by the Los Angeles Times, [22] and in 2020, Coppock appeared in The Groundlings Theatre 45th Anniversary Show. [19] [23] In October 2023, it was reported that she would appear in the Groudlings' planned benefit show, One Night Only, in support of the Motion Picture & Television Fund. [24]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2011 Crazy, Stupid, Love Sophia

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2007 Derek and Simon Art Gallery PatronEpisode: "In Character"
2007 Curb Your Enthusiasm PatientEpisode: "The N Word"
2008Downers GroveChatty GirlEpisode: "Open Season"
2008 Talkshow with Spike Feresten Hollywood ReporterEpisode: "Olivia Munn and Hanson"
2011 Workaholics MeeganEpisode: "Straight Up Juggahos"
2011 Modern Family Miss ElaineEpisode: "When Good Kids Go Bad"
2012 The Office StephanieEpisode: "Trivia"
2012 Zeke and Luther Bambi McFaddenEpisode: "Accidental Hero"
2012 Hart of Dixie PeggyEpisode: "Disaster Drills & Departures" [11]
2012 2 Broke Girls KaraEpisode: "And Martha Stewart Have a Ball: Part 2"
2013 Arrested Development MaggieEpisode: "Off the Hook" [11]
2013 Adam Devine's House Party RamonaEpisode: "Neighbor Party"
2015 Hot in Cleveland EmilyEpisode: "Cleveland Calendar Girls" [11]
2016History of the World... For NowMary Poppins / Weather Woman / Megan3 episodes
2016–2017 Mike Tyson Mysteries Cathy Walker / Amy Morgan2 episodes

Personal life

Coppock has two sisters: Selena, a stand-up comic and author, and Emily, an art appraiser. [1]

She is married to Bobby Mort, writer for The Colbert Report and co-creator of the TV show Loudermilk with Peter Farrelly. [11] They had their first child in 2014. [13] During her pregnancy, Coppock continued to appear as Jan in Toyota commercials, which incorporated the pregnancy into the character. [7] [6] Coppock was revealed to be pregnant with a second child in 2018. [6] [25]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Weston Shines A Spotlight on 4 of the Coppock Family Ladies, Weston Patch, Accessed May 3, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Laurel Coppock 2010S Alumni at The Groundlings, Accessed May 3, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Is That Laurel Coppock Singing in the New Toyota Jan Commercial?". The News Wheel. September 5, 2019.
  4. ↑ Herzog, Kenny (December 7, 2017). "Every Episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ranked". Vulture. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Theater Review: 'Groundlings State Penitentiary' at the Groundlings Theatre". LA Times. May 26, 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Hawley, Dustin (January 11, 2023). "What Happened To Toyota Jan?". J.D. Power.
  7. 1 2 3 "Motherly Love: Toyota Jan is Pregnant in Real Life and Commercials". The Newsreel. May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Evans, Rory (April 19, 2024). ""Flo" Chart: How Being a Spokesperson Can Help Your Career" – via backstage.com.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Hingston, Sandy (May 27, 2014). "Which TV Ad Babe Is For You: Progressive's Flo, Toyota's Jan, or AT&T's Lily?". Philadelphia.
  10. ↑ Ronald D. Smith, Becoming a Public Relations Writer: Strategic Writing for Emerging and Established Media (2019), p. 73.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bbentley, Rick (August 5, 2016). "Laurel Coppock's career driven by commercial success". The Fresno Bee . Archived from the original on October 16, 2016.
  12. ↑ Tom Altstiel, Jean Grow, Dan Augustine, Joanna L. Jenkins, Advertising Creative: Strategy, Copy, and Design (2022), p. 297.
  13. 1 2 Laurel Coppock at Internet Movie Database, Accessed January 15, 2023.
  14. ↑ Laurel Coppock at Rotten Tomatoes, Accessed May 3, 2020.
  15. ↑ Buss, Dale (April 6, 2020). "Toyota Enlists 'Jan' For Action-Oriented Messaging Amid Covid-19". Forbes.
  16. ↑ Rizov, Vadim (April 15, 2020). "Canon Reformation (2): New Commercials, 12 Monkeys, Mysterious Skin". Filmmaker Magazine.
  17. 1 2 Zanger, Doug (April 6, 2020). "Toyota's Next Phase of Advertising Aims to Reassure Owners". Adweek. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020.
  18. ↑ Deighton, Katie (April 6, 2020). "'We location scouted on Zoom': how Toyota and Saatchis shot a new campaign remotely". The Drum.
  19. 1 2 3 Cristi, A.A. (April 20, 2020). "The Groundlings Theatre 45th Anniversary Show Available On-Demand For Limited Time". Broadway World.
  20. 1 2 3 Villafane, Camila (July 30, 2021). "How Much Actors Got Paid for Some of the Most Successful Commercials of All Time". Obsev.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Clarendon, Dan (October 24, 2021). "Who are the Actors Behind Some of TV's Most Popular Commercial Characters?". TV Insider.
  22. ↑ Nichols, David C. (May 7, 2015). "Media glut, the 'Bachelor,' Yelp get the Groundlings treatment". Los Angeles Times.
  23. ↑ "LAUREL COPPOCK attends the Groundlings Theatre 45th Anniversary with Alumni Reunion Performance at the Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles, California". www.alamy.com. October 22, 2019.
  24. ↑ Evans, Greg (October 3, 2023). "Ana Gasteyer, Kristen Wiig, Will Forte Among Lineup For Groundlings' Motion Picture & Television Fund Benefit 'One Night Only'". Deadline.
  25. ↑ "Get a Second Baby Seat: Toyota Jan Is Pregnant Again". The News Wheel. June 13, 2018.
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