If you watch TV, then you're probably familiar with the Allstate Mayhem commercials. This is a series of ads the insurance company has run for well over a decade at this point where the embodiment of mayhem, played by Dean Winters, causes destruction. He'll take the form of a distracted teenager who accidentally hits your car in the parking lot or a raccoon living in the attic, creating a hole in the roof. Life is full of unexpected occurrences that are no fault of your own, and these ads highlight that in funny and creative ways.
It's rare for a commercial mascot to stick around for too long, but Mayhem has persisted. Over 100 of these commercials have appeared on our TV sets over the years, and the best Allstate Mayhem ads allow Winters to bring his sardonic delivery to the silliest scenarios. And you're not mistaken for thinking Winters looks familiar: He's appeared in numerous movies and TV shows in addition to his commercial work, plying his trade in projects like "John Wick," "30 Rock," and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."
He may not be an A-list star, but Winters has excelled in Hollywood in a manner many would-be actors can only dream of. However, beneath the memorable ads, the supporting roles, and the sitcom guest spots is a truly tragic story of an actor who almost lost everything. No amount of mayhem in an Allstate commercial could compare to the kind of turmoil Winters has endured in real life.
Read More: https://www.looper.com/1939804/dean-winters-allstate-mayhem-commercial-actor-tragic-life-story/
Rough start in Hollywood | 0:00
Almost missing 30 Rock | 1:25
His heart stopped | 3:12
Amputations after surgeries | 4:21
Neuropathy and chronic pain | 5:28
Lost his Happy Town role | 6:26
Finding his real friends | 7:24
Turning Allstate down | 8:54
Career comeback, with limitations | 10:08
