What do Kim Basinger, David Duchovny, Richard Dreyfuss, Catherine Keener, Michael Madsen, Mandy Patinkin and Martin Sheen have in common with Jeff Bridges and what do the eight actors have in common with the Academy Awards and Hyundai?
It’s simple. Bridges has been the voice of Hyundai for the past three years, and the South Korean automaker is the exclusive automotive sponsor for the Academy Awards broadcast. But Bridges is also nominated as Best Actor for his performance in Crazy Heart.
And therein lies the problem. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences prohibits sponsors from running advertising featuring any of the night’s nominees or presenters, which put Hyundai in a bind.
Bridges suggested seven of his fellow actors, and each will the voice over for one of Hyundai’s commercial during the Academy Awards broadcast Sunday on ABC.
Hyundai has done a clever commercial promoted the unique situation that features all of the seven substitute actors. It’s clever and notes that Bridges will return the his Hyundai duties following the Academy Awards.
Article Last Updated: August 6, 2023.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
