In the Loop
Alumni News : Nov 19, 2014

Joe Coffey stars in national advertising campaign for Dodge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oicu39lda0E

By Elizabeth Boone

After three rounds of callbacks, UF School of Theatre + Dance alumnus Joe Coffey (MFA Theatre ’09) was given the part of Horace Dodge in a national campaign advertising Dodge vehicles. Coffey said showing up in ‘20s-era clothing may have helped land him the job.

After being cast, Coffey spent two weeks on set doing everything from handing out drinks to hanging from a chandelier. He said he was happy to have done his own stunt. One of the most challenging parts of shooting was being on location in a desert. Hydration was key, and the climate nearly got to him, but with some shade and water, Coffey pulled through.

The commercial was directed by Noam Murro, director of feature film “300: Rise of an Empire.” After hearing this, Coffey knew it would be a large-budget project. Because of this, Coffey said he had to really trust the process. Coffey credits his education at UF for providing a strong foundation on which to build his craft and discipline. “The core of my process is faith, trust and heart.”

View two other clips of Coffey as Horace Dodge here and here