Michael Vale
Encyclopedia
Michael Vale was an American commercial 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, New York City at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
in New York City
with classmates Tony Curtis
, Ben Gazzara
, and Rod Steiger
.
Growing up in Brooklyn, 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
in New York.
's "Androcles and the Lion".
Vale later described his modest role: "I was thrown to the lions."
Vale 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. The humanizing touch given "Sam Breakstone" was his irascibility, usually dramatized when a black-and-white dog would bite his pants-cuff and not let go, while "Sam" screamed, "Go away! Get away from me! Let me go!" These moments came at the end of each commercial, just as "Sam" would have perfected one of his ideas.
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."
He got the Dunkin' Donuts
gig by chance: Vale was told that another actor was to be cast in the role of the baker, but he was encouraged to come to the audition anyway in case he was needed as an extra. The other actor never showed, however, and Vale got the part and unlikely stardom. "Making the donuts put three kids through college," he once commented.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
famous for being the longtime sleepy-eyed mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
"Fred the Baker
Fred the Baker
Fred the Baker was a popular advertising character portrayed by actor Michael Vale in commercials for Dunkin' Donuts from 1982 to 1997. He was best known for his catchphrase "Time to make the donuts!" and the commercial that introduced the phrase was named one of the five best commercials of the...
" for donut
DONUT
DONUT was an experiment at Fermilab dedicated to the search for tau neutrino interactions. Even though the detector operated only during a few months in the summer of 1997, it was largely successful. By detecting the tau neutrino, it confirmed the existence of the last lepton predicted by the...
chain Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
, 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, New York City at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Personal life
Vale was born in Brooklyn, New York, and studied acting at the Dramatic WorkshopDramatic Workshop
Dramatic Workshop was the name of a drama and acting school associated with the New School for Social Research in New York City. It was launched in 1940 by German expatriate stage director Erwin Piscator. Among the faculty were Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler, among the students Marlon Brando, Tony...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with classmates Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama...
, Ben Gazzara
Ben Gazzara
-Early life:Gazzara was born Biagio Anthony Gazzara in New York City, the son of Italian immigrants Angelina and Antonio Gazzara, who was a laborer and carpenter. Gazzara grew up on New York's tough Lower East Side. He actually lived on E. 29th Street and participated in the drama program at...
, and Rod Steiger
Rod Steiger
Rodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his performances in such films as On the Waterfront, The Big Knife, Oklahoma!, The Harder They Fall, Across the Bridge, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, In the Heat of the Night, and Waterloo as well as the...
.
Growing up in Brooklyn, 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
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he studied at the Dramatic Workshop at The New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
in New York.
Career
One of his earliest appearances was in a summer stock production of George Bernard ShawGeorge Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
's "Androcles and the Lion".
Androcles and the Lion (play)
Androcles and the Lion is a 1912 play written by George Bernard Shaw.Androcles and the Lion is Shaw's retelling of the tale of Androcles, a slave who is saved by the requited mercy of a lion. In the play, Shaw portrays Androcles to be one of the many Christians being led to the Colosseum for torture...
Vale later described his modest role: "I was thrown to the lions."
Vale was a longtime spokesman for Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
' Breakstone line of cottage cheese
Cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is a cheese curd product with a mild flavor. It is drained, but not pressed, so some whey remains and the individual curds remain loose. The curd is usually washed to remove acidity, giving sweet curd cheese. It is not aged or colored. Different styles of cottage cheese are made from...
and sour cream
Sour cream
Sour cream is a dairy product rich in fats obtained by fermenting a regular cream by certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, which is introduced either deliberately or naturally, sours and thickens the cream. Its name stems from the production of lactic acid by bacterial...
products, for whom he portrayed long-suffering dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
owner "Sam Breakstone". The focus on those commercials is Sam's dedication to quality, usually with Sam having a comedic "eureka
Eureka (word)
"Eureka" is an interjection used to celebrate a discovery, a transliteration of a word attributed to Archimedes.-Etymology:The word comes from ancient Greek εὕρηκα heúrēka "I have found ", which is the 1st person singular perfect indicative active of the verb heuriskō "I find"...
" moment on how to make a better product. The humanizing touch given "Sam Breakstone" was his irascibility, usually dramatized when a black-and-white dog would bite his pants-cuff and not let go, while "Sam" screamed, "Go away! Get away from me! Let me go!" These moments came at the end of each commercial, just as "Sam" would have perfected one of his ideas.
Vale appeared in several television series, including Car 54, Where Are You?
Car 54, Where Are You?
Car 54, Where Are You? is an American sitcom that ran on NBC from 1961 to 1963. Episodes had various directors, the most recognized being Al De Caprio. Stanley Prager and Nat Hiken also directed several episodes. Most of its filming was on location in The Bronx, and at Biograph...
in the 1960s and The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
in 1987. On the big screen, he was a cab driver in A Hatful of Rain
A Hatful of Rain
A Hatful of Rain is a 1957 dramatic film. The movie was a rarity for its time in its frank depiction of the effect of drug addiction.It is a medically and sociologically accurate account of the effects of morphine on an addict and his family ....
in 1957 and a jewelry salesman in Marathon Man
Marathon Man (film)
Marathon Man is a 1976 thriller film based on the novel of the same name by William Goldman. The film was directed by John Schlesinger, and stars Dustin Hoffman, Roy Scheider, and Laurence Olivier. The original music score was composed by Michael Small....
in 1976. The actor described working with British leading man Laurence Olivier in Marathon Man as "the most wonderful experience of my life."
He got the Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
gig by chance: Vale was told that another actor was to be cast in the role of the baker, but he was encouraged to come to the audition anyway in case he was needed as an extra. The other actor never showed, however, and Vale got the part and unlikely stardom. "Making the donuts put three kids through college," he once commented.