Isaiah Mustafa
Encyclopedia
Isaiah Mustafa is an American actor and former NFL practice squad wide receiver
. Mustafa is widely known as the main character for a series of Old Spice
TV commercials, The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
.
, Oregon
, the youngest of seven children of Shahidah Mustafa-Davis and Wali John Mustafa, who owned and ran a limousine service in Laguna Hills, California in the early 1980s. His family is Muslim
. Mustafa studied history at Arizona State and, in 2000, owned a restaurant called Jo Jo's Barbecue on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles that is now closed.
, California. He did not play high school football
, but he tried out for Moorpark College
's football team hoping for an athletic scholarship
; he became a free safety, later becoming a wide receiver, and eventually earned a football scholarship.
After transferring to Arizona State University
on a football scholarship in 1995, Mustafa was a starting wide receiver for the Arizona State Sun Devils but had an unspecified "confrontation" with a coach and was benched his senior year. Mustafa played during the 1997 Rose Bowl
between the then-undefeated Sun Devils (led by Mustafa's friend Jake Plummer
) and the Ohio State Buckeyes
.
Although Mustafa expected to become a high school teacher after graduation, a sports agent
suggested that he try out for NFL teams. The Tennessee Titans
(then known as the Houston Oilers
) signed him to the practice squad, then sent him to NFL Europe
's Barcelona Dragons
in 1998. After a season on the Oakland Raiders
and Cleveland Browns
' practice squads in 1999, he attended the Seattle Seahawks
' training camp in 2000.
advertising campaign for Old Spice
, which featured his monologues. Mustafa's first commercial in the series was directed by Tom Kuntz
.
Subsequently, a three-day session created a series of humorous, personalized YouTube videos, with Mustafa reprising the character from the original Old Spice commercial. These were directed at members of the public and celebrities, who had asked him questions on websites such as reddit
, Facebook and Twitter.
On July 26, 2011, Old Spice launched a new campaign on YouTube
featuring a challenge between Isaiah Mustafa and Fabio
entitled Mano a Mano in el Baño (which translates to "hand-to-hand in the bathroom", although it is supposed to mean "man-to-man in the bathroom"). Mustafa said he wasn't worried, even though Fabio has been "the epitome of the sex symbol as a pitchman." Mustafa emerged as the winner.
Mustafa signed a talent deal with NBC
and appeared in the film Horrible Bosses
. He hosted the TBS
special Funniest Commercials of the Year: 2010. He has also appeared as a guest panelist on the popular late-night talk show Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
.
and Batman
among his favorites), which interest sometimes relates to key events in his life. His knowledge of Doctor Doom
's first name accidentally helped him win $47,000 on The Weakest Link for a question on the first name of Doctor Frankenstein
; the money helped him pursue his post-restauranteur goal of becoming an actor. Mustafa named his daughter in reference to the Batman
character Harley Quinn
. He has expressed interest in playing comic book superhero Luke Cage
and appeared as Cage in a Marvel Comics
web short styled after his Old Spice commercials. He is also a fan of the animated series The Venture Bros.
In the realm of sports, Mustafa remains an avid fan of the Arizona State Sun Devils and expressed his support of the Vancouver Canucks NHL team during their 2010–2011 playoff run. He continues to support his hometown Portland Trail Blazers
, as is evidenced in the photograph of him at the top of the page.
Mustafa is also a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha
fraternity, rushing while attending Arizona State University.
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. Mustafa is widely known as the main character for a series of Old Spice
Old Spice
Old Spice is a prominent American brand of male grooming products. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble, which acquired the brand in 1990 from the Shulton Company.-History:...
TV commercials, The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
Smell Like a Man, Man is a television advertising campaign created by ad agency Wieden+Kennedy for Old Spice. The campaign is also commonly referred to as The Man Your Man Could Smell Like, being the title of the campaign's initial 30-second commercial...
.
Early life
Mustafa was born in PortlandPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, the youngest of seven children of Shahidah Mustafa-Davis and Wali John Mustafa, who owned and ran a limousine service in Laguna Hills, California in the early 1980s. His family is Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
. Mustafa studied history at Arizona State and, in 2000, owned a restaurant called Jo Jo's Barbecue on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles that is now closed.
Football career
Mustafa played basketball and ran track at Santa Clara High School in OxnardOxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
, California. He did not play high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, but he tried out for Moorpark College
Moorpark College
Moorpark College is a California state college located on a property reclining on a hill in Moorpark, a town in Ventura County, California. It was established in 1967 and as of 2006, had an enrollment of 16,580 students and 175 full-time faculty members....
's football team hoping for an athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
; he became a free safety, later becoming a wide receiver, and eventually earned a football scholarship.
After transferring to Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
on a football scholarship in 1995, Mustafa was a starting wide receiver for the Arizona State Sun Devils but had an unspecified "confrontation" with a coach and was benched his senior year. Mustafa played during the 1997 Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
between the then-undefeated Sun Devils (led by Mustafa's friend Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
) and the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
.
Although Mustafa expected to become a high school teacher after graduation, a sports agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
suggested that he try out for NFL teams. The Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
(then known as the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
) signed him to the practice squad, then sent him to NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
's Barcelona Dragons
Barcelona Dragons
The Barcelona Dragons were a team originally in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. Their home field in Barcelona was the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic, the 1992 Olympic Stadium, and later the Mini Estadi. The Dragons were successful on the field, making it...
in 1998. After a season on the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' practice squads in 1999, he attended the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
' training camp in 2000.
Acting career
After the Seahawks, Mustafa pursued an acting career. He played small, character roles on various television programs gained sudden fame in February 2010 as the result of the popular The Man Your Man Could Smell LikeThe Man Your Man Could Smell Like
Smell Like a Man, Man is a television advertising campaign created by ad agency Wieden+Kennedy for Old Spice. The campaign is also commonly referred to as The Man Your Man Could Smell Like, being the title of the campaign's initial 30-second commercial...
advertising campaign for Old Spice
Old Spice
Old Spice is a prominent American brand of male grooming products. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble, which acquired the brand in 1990 from the Shulton Company.-History:...
, which featured his monologues. Mustafa's first commercial in the series was directed by Tom Kuntz
Tom Kuntz
Tom Kuntz is a filmmaker who is most known for his unique television commercials and music videos, which either have colorful settings, time-lapse photography or wildly eccentric humans...
.
Subsequently, a three-day session created a series of humorous, personalized YouTube videos, with Mustafa reprising the character from the original Old Spice commercial. These were directed at members of the public and celebrities, who had asked him questions on websites such as reddit
Reddit
reddit is a social news website where the registered users submit content, in the form of either a link or a text "self" post. Other users then vote the submission "up" or "down," which is used to rank the post and determine its position on the site's pages and front page.Reddit was originally...
, Facebook and Twitter.
On July 26, 2011, Old Spice launched a new campaign on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
featuring a challenge between Isaiah Mustafa and Fabio
Fabio Lanzoni
Fabio Lanzoni ; born March 15, 1959), widely known simply as Fabio, is a famous international Italian fashion model, spokesperson and actor who appeared on the cover of hundreds of romance novels throughout the 1980s and 1990s....
entitled Mano a Mano in el Baño (which translates to "hand-to-hand in the bathroom", although it is supposed to mean "man-to-man in the bathroom"). Mustafa said he wasn't worried, even though Fabio has been "the epitome of the sex symbol as a pitchman." Mustafa emerged as the winner.
Mustafa signed a talent deal with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and appeared in the film Horrible Bosses
Horrible Bosses
Horrible Bosses is a 2011 black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, written by Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, based on a story by Markowitz. It stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx...
. He hosted the TBS
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
special Funniest Commercials of the Year: 2010. He has also appeared as a guest panelist on the popular late-night talk show Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
Red Eye w/Greg Gutfeld is a late-night/early-morning satirical talk show on the Fox News Channel, airing at 3:00 am ET Tuesday through Saturday. The show features panelists and guests discussing the latest news in politics, pop culture, entertainment, business, sports, and religion...
.
Personal life
Mustafa is a comic book fan (with Spider-ManSpider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
among his favorites), which interest sometimes relates to key events in his life. His knowledge of Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
's first name accidentally helped him win $47,000 on The Weakest Link for a question on the first name of Doctor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein was born in Napoli, is a Swiss fictional character and the protagonist of the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, written by Mary Shelley...
; the money helped him pursue his post-restauranteur goal of becoming an actor. Mustafa named his daughter in reference to the Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
character Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn was first introduced as a villain on September 11, 1992, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic books. As suggested by her name , she is clad in the manner of a traditional harlequin jester...
. He has expressed interest in playing comic book superhero Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
and appeared as Cage in a Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
web short styled after his Old Spice commercials. He is also a fan of the animated series The Venture Bros.
In the realm of sports, Mustafa remains an avid fan of the Arizona State Sun Devils and expressed his support of the Vancouver Canucks NHL team during their 2010–2011 playoff run. He continues to support his hometown Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
, as is evidenced in the photograph of him at the top of the page.
Mustafa is also a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
fraternity, rushing while attending Arizona State University.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Last Supper The Last Supper (2006 film) The Last Supper is a 2006 comedy short film about the Biblical Last Supper. The film portrays the Last Supper as having occurred at a modern night club. The film was directed by Marius A. Markevicius and stars Chip Bent, Michael Bortone, Eliza Dushku, Andrew Davoli and Isaiah Mustafa.The Last... |
Moses | |
| 2006 | Even Money Even Money (film) Even Money is a 2006 American crime film.The story concerns three strangers who are addicted to gambling and how their lives come to be intertwined. They are a novelist who struggles to write her follow-up book, a former stage magician and an older brother of a college basketball star... |
Basketball Player | |
| 2007 | Football Wives Football Wives Football Wives is a television pilot developed for U.S. television network ABC, which would have aired in the fall 2007 season had it been picked up for a series order... |
Football Player | (TV) |
| 2008 | Ugly Betty Ugly Betty Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea... |
Bailiff | (TV) (One Episode) |
| 2009 | Days of our Lives Days of our Lives Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around... |
Cleveland Cop | (TV) (Two Episodes) |
| 2009 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Brent Duffy | (TV) (One Episode) |
| 2009 | Eli Stone Eli Stone Eli Stone is an American TV series, and also the name of the title character.San Francisco lawyer Eli Stone begins to see things, which leads him to discover a brain aneurysm... |
Newlywed Husband | (TV) (One Episode) |
| 2009 | NCIS NCIS (TV series) NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S... |
Oliver Newcomb | (TV) (One Episode) |
| 2010 | Castle Castle (TV series) Castle is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on ABC on March 9, 2009. The series is produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. On January 10, 2011, Castle was renewed for a fourth season... |
Team Leader | (TV) (One Episode) |
| 2010–2011 | Chuck Chuck (TV series) Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central... |
Greta/Rick Noble | (TV) (Two Episodes) |
| 2010 | Funniest Commercials of the Year: 2010 | Host | (TV) |
| 2011 | Madea's Big Happy Family Madea's Big Happy Family (film) Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family is a 2011 comedy-drama film based on Tyler Perry's 2010 play of the same name and the eleventh film in the Tyler Perry film franchise, and the fifth in the Madea franchise.-Plot:... |
Calvin | |
| 2011 | Horrible Bosses Horrible Bosses Horrible Bosses is a 2011 black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, written by Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, based on a story by Markowitz. It stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx... |
Police Officer | |
| 2011 | Hot in Cleveland Hot in Cleveland Hot in Cleveland is an American sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White. The series, which is TV Land's first original scripted series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The... |
Coach at Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team... |
(TV) (One Episode) |
| 2011 | Love Bites Love Bites (TV series) -Episodes:-Development:In January 2010, NBC announced Love Bites as one of many pilots on its early development slate. Becki Newton was cast in late February, followed quickly by Jordana Spiro. Marc Buckland was confirmed to be directing the pilot in early March. In May 2010, NBC announced it had... |
Astronaut | (TV) (One Episode) |
| 2011 | Gears of War 3 Gears of War 3 Gears of War 3 is a third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. Originally due for release in April 2011, the game was delayed and eventually released on September 20, 2011.... |
COG Gear | Video Game |
| 2011-present | Charlie's Angels Charlie's Angels (2011 TV series) Charlie's Angels is an American reboot television series developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar for ABC, based upon the 1976 series of the same name created by Ivan Goff, and Ben Roberts. The series ran on ABC from September 22, 2011 to November 10, 2011.Charlie's Angels was canceled on October... |
Detective Ray Goodson | (TV) (Recurring) |