Actor Profile: Will Arnett

From Gob Bluth and BoJack Horseman to LEGO Batman, Reese’s and Subway, Will Arnett has turned a distinctive voice and fearless comic timing into a remarkably versatile career

(By Carmichael Phillip)

Who Is Will Arnett?

Will Arnett is an actor, comedian, voice performer, producer and podcast host known for one of the most distinctive voices in modern entertainment.

Born in Toronto, Canada, Arnett developed an acting career that initially moved through television guest roles before he found the part that changed everything.

That role was Gob Bluth in Arrested Development.

Gob is an incompetent magician, a desperate attention-seeker and a man with far more confidence than self-awareness.

Arnett’s performance turned those qualities into one of the defining comic characters of the series.

His voice helped immediately.

It was deep.

Gravelly.

Authoritative.

And frequently attached to completely ridiculous statements.

That contradiction became one of Arnett’s great comic weapons.

He sounds like the person in the room who should know what he is talking about.

Then the audience discovers that he absolutely does not.

That same quality would eventually make Arnett exceptionally valuable to advertisers.

Quick Facts About Will Arnett

Will Arnett in the 2026 Subway Commercial

In 2026, Subway made Arnett the centerpiece of a major new advertising platform called “Feed Your SUBconscious.”

The concept takes the phrase “subconscious” and turns it into a Subway joke.

Arnett represents the inner voice telling consumers that they can make a better food choice.

But the campaign goes much further than simply using him as a narrator.

Arnett plays multiple characters.

Five, in fact.

Each represents a different exaggerated version of someone’s internal thought process.

The campaign allows him to change his appearance, posture, rhythm and delivery while remaining recognizably Will Arnett.

That is exactly the kind of assignment that suits him.

Acting Magazine’s Subway Commercial Actors (Full Breakdown 2026) identifies Arnett as the star of the campaign and lists “Feed Your SUBconscious” among Subway’s major 2026 advertising efforts.

Acting Breakdown: Will Arnett in the Subway Commercial

The Subway campaign gives Arnett something most celebrity commercials do not.

It gives him characters.

Rather than asking him to stand in front of a camera and explain a sandwich, the campaign allows him to transform.

That makes the performance much more interesting.

Arnett changes the rhythm of each character.

He changes facial expressions.

He changes physical posture.

He changes vocal emphasis.

But he never abandons the core quality audiences recognize: his confident, slightly sarcastic delivery.

One of his strongest skills is contrast.

He can make a completely absurd line sound important.

That gives the joke weight.

If Arnett winked at the camera too aggressively, the comedy would collapse.

Instead, he commits.

The ridiculous character believes what he is saying.

That commitment makes the performance funny.

Arrested Development and Gob Bluth

Arnett’s defining live-action role remains Gob Bluth.

Arrested Development centers on a wealthy family whose financial collapse exposes years of dysfunction.

Gob is one of the most dysfunctional members.

He considers himself a serious magician.

Other people generally do not.

He constantly seeks approval.

He frequently attempts to dominate conversations.

And he is almost incapable of recognizing his own failures.

Arnett’s performance works because Gob’s confidence never completely disappears.

Even after something goes terribly wrong, he can still behave as though he nearly succeeded.

The character also established many of the traits advertisers later borrowed.

The deep voice.

The dramatic emphasis.

The exaggerated confidence.

The sudden emotional collapse.

And the ability to behave as if something trivial is extremely serious.

Netflix currently lists Arnett among the stars of the Emmy-winning series alongside Jason Bateman and Portia de Rossi.

BoJack Horseman

Arnett later took on one of the most acclaimed roles of his career without appearing on screen at all.

He voiced BoJack Horseman.

The character is a washed-up former sitcom star who is depressed, narcissistic, self-destructive and desperate for validation.

The role demonstrated that Arnett’s voice could carry much more than comedy.

BoJack is funny.

But he is also deeply unhappy.

Arnett uses the same deep vocal instrument associated with Gob Bluth but strips away much of the performative confidence.

BoJack often sounds exhausted.

Cynical.

Defensive.

Sometimes emotionally empty.

That vocal complexity helped make the character feel human despite being an animated horse.

Netflix also credits Arnett as an executive producer on the series.

The LEGO Batman Movie

Arnett’s Batman takes the opposite approach.

His version of Batman is enormous.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

He plays Batman as the most self-important person in the universe.

This Batman thinks everything he does is impressive.

He loves his own image.

He loves dramatically announcing himself.

He loves being Batman.

Arnett’s voice is perfectly suited to that parody because it naturally contains the authority audiences associate with superhero narration.

He pushes that authority until it becomes ridiculous.

Again, the joke depends on commitment.

Batman cannot know how funny Batman is.

He has to believe the legend.

Will Arnett and Reese’s

Reese’s has made Arnett’s voice part of its advertising identity.

His narration adds a mischievous quality to the brand.

Instead of sounding like a traditional announcer describing candy, Arnett sounds like someone trying to convince the viewer that a peanut butter cup is a matter of enormous importance.

That is precisely why it works.

Acting Magazine’s Who Is the Voice in Reese’s Commercials? identifies Arnett as the familiar voice behind many Reese’s campaigns.

The dedicated Reese’s | Will Arnett Commercial article also examines how his deep, playful delivery became intertwined with the brand’s humor.

Another related article, Who Voices Reese’s Commercials?, discusses his narration in Reese’s “Big Change” advertising.

Why Arnett Is Such an Effective Voice Actor

Arnett’s voice is recognizable almost immediately.

But recognizability alone is not enough.

The real advantage is control.

He knows how to use pace.

He knows how long to hold a pause.

He knows when to drop his volume.

He knows when exaggerated emphasis will make a line funnier.

Voice acting also requires imagination because the actor may not have a physical environment around him.

The voice must suggest the environment.

With BoJack, Arnett can make exhaustion audible.

With Batman, he can make ego audible.

With Reese’s, he can make temptation audible.

With GMC, he can make strength audible.

That flexibility makes him far more than a celebrity with a memorable voice.

Will Arnett and GMC

Arnett has also been closely associated with GMC advertising.

The relationship demonstrates how differently the same voice can be used.

Reese’s asks Arnett to sound mischievous.

GMC traditionally asks him to sound confident and authoritative.

The deep voice that makes a candy joke funny can also make a truck sound powerful.

Acting Magazine’s Who Does the GMC Commercial? examines Arnett’s longtime connection to GMC narration.

Who Is the Actor in the Sierra Commercial? specifically discusses his voice work for GMC Sierra advertising.

The related article Who Voices the New GMC Commercial? looks at how Arnett became one of the voices most strongly associated with GMC’s advertising history.

Will Arnett and Dick’s Sporting Goods

Arnett has also appeared physically in Dick’s Sporting Goods advertising.

In the “Click on DICKS.com” campaign, Arnett plays a frantic father trying to find soccer cleats for his daughter.

The premise allows him to use a broader physical style than his voiceover campaigns.

He becomes increasingly desperate.

The situation becomes increasingly exaggerated.

That escalation is one of his specialties.

Acting Magazine’s Who Is the Actor on the Dick’s.com Commercial? identifies Arnett and Kathryn Hahn as stars of the campaign.

Is Will Arnett the Actor on the Dick’s Sporting Goods Commercial? also examines his performance and why viewers immediately recognize his voice and comic style.

Will Arnett and RBC

Arnett has also served as a celebrity endorser for RBC.

That pairing is particularly natural because Arnett is Canadian.

The campaign uses his humor to make banking services feel less formal.

Financial advertising can easily become dry.

Arnett gives it personality.

Acting Magazine’s Who Stars in the RBC Commercial? identifies Arnett as the face of the campaign and highlights his approachable comic delivery.

Will Arnett and AT&T

Arnett’s voice has also appeared in AT&T advertising.

Earlier campaigns used his dry narration as a way to give telecommunications advertising more personality.

The strategy is similar to Reese’s and GMC.

The brand gains immediate identity from the voice before the viewer necessarily knows who is speaking.

Acting Magazine’s Who Are the Actors in the AT&T Commercials? includes Arnett among the recognizable performers associated with the company’s advertising history.

Murderville and Improvisation

Murderville demonstrates another major element of Arnett’s skill set: improvisation.

Arnett stars as Senior Detective Terry Seattle.

The celebrity guest stars are not given the full script.

They have to react to what happens around them.

Arnett therefore has two jobs.

He must stay in character.

And he must create opportunities for the guest performer to become funny.

That requires listening.

It requires flexibility.

It requires the ability to change direction immediately.

Netflix describes the series as an improvisational crime comedy in which celebrity guests attempt to solve murder cases without knowing what is coming next.

SmartLess

Arnett is also one of the hosts of the popular podcast SmartLess.

He hosts alongside Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes.

The format is built around surprise.

One host introduces a mystery guest while the other two do not know who is coming.

That creates spontaneous conversation.

Again, Arnett’s improvisational ability becomes central.

He can move from joking to genuine curiosity quickly.

The podcast also reveals why his commercial performances feel conversational.

Arnett has spent years speaking without a traditional script.

He knows how to make prepared ideas sound spontaneous.

FAQ: Will Arnett and Commercials

What commercial is Will Arnett in now?
One of Arnett’s newest major campaigns is Subway’s 2026 “Feed Your SUBconscious” campaign, in which he plays five different characters.

Is Will Arnett the voice of Reese’s?
Yes. Arnett has provided the recognizable deep and sarcastic narration heard in many Reese’s commercials.

Is Will Arnett in a Dick’s Sporting Goods commercial?
Yes. He appears in Dick’s “Click on DICKS.com” campaign.

Does Will Arnett do GMC commercials?
Yes. His deep voice has been strongly associated with GMC and GMC Sierra advertising.

Was Will Arnett in AT&T commercials?
Yes. He provided voice work for AT&T campaigns.

Is Will Arnett in an RBC commercial?
Yes. He has appeared as a celebrity spokesperson for RBC.

Why is Will Arnett popular with advertisers?
His voice is instantly recognizable, his comic timing is strong, and he can sound authoritative while simultaneously making that authority funny.

Why Brands Want Will Arnett

Arnett offers advertisers several different tools in one performer.

He can narrate.

He can improvise.

He can play exaggerated characters.

He can deliver dry comedy.

He can perform broad physical comedy.

And he can sound serious without actually making the commercial serious.

That flexibility means different brands can use completely different parts of his persona.

Reese’s gets temptation and mischief.

GMC gets authority.

Dick’s gets frantic physical comedy.

RBC gets approachable sarcasm.

Subway gets character transformation.

The performer stays the same.

The emphasis changes.

What Actors Can Learn From Will Arnett

Will Arnett’s career offers several useful lessons for actors.

Develop your voice. A distinctive voice can become a career asset rather than simply a natural characteristic.

Commit to comedy. Arnett does not weaken ridiculous material by signaling embarrassment.

Use contrast. His authority makes nonsense funnier.

Learn improvisation. His work on Murderville and SmartLess demonstrates how valuable listening and spontaneity can be.

Understand rhythm. Comedy often depends as much on the pause before a line as the line itself.

Do not limit yourself to on-camera acting. Voiceover became one of the most important parts of Arnett’s career.

Know when to exaggerate. Gob Bluth and LEGO Batman are enormous performances, but they remain internally consistent.

Know when to simplify. A commercial voiceover may require far less performance than a sitcom character.

Authoritative External Resource

For an official look at Will Arnett’s improvisational television work, visit Netflix’s official Murderville page. Netflix identifies Arnett as Senior Detective Terry Seattle and explains the show’s unusual format, in which celebrity guest stars must improvise their way through murder investigations without knowing the full script.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Will Arnett?

Will Arnett is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, producer, voice actor and podcast host best known for Arrested Development, BoJack Horseman and The LEGO Batman Movie.

When was Will Arnett born?

Arnett was born on May 4, 1970.

Where is Will Arnett from?

He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Who did Will Arnett play in Arrested Development?

He played Gob Bluth, the overconfident and chronically unsuccessful magician in the Bluth family.

Is Will Arnett BoJack Horseman?

Yes. Arnett voices BoJack and also served as an executive producer on the series.

Is Will Arnett LEGO Batman?

Yes. Arnett voices Batman in The LEGO Movie universe and in The LEGO Batman Movie.

What commercial is Will Arnett in?

Arnett stars in Subway’s 2026 “Feed Your SUBconscious” campaign and has appeared in or voiced campaigns for Reese’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, GMC, RBC and AT&T.

Who is the voice in Reese’s commercials?

Will Arnett is the recognizable voice behind many Reese’s advertisements.

Is Will Arnett the GMC voice?

Arnett has been strongly associated with GMC narration and voiced numerous GMC and Sierra campaigns.

Is Will Arnett in the Dick’s commercial?

Yes. He appears in the “Click on DICKS.com” campaign as a father urgently shopping for soccer cleats.

Does Will Arnett have a podcast?

Yes. He co-hosts SmartLess with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes.

What is Murderville?

Murderville is a Netflix improvisational crime comedy starring Arnett as detective Terry Seattle. Celebrity guests are not given the full script and must improvise while trying to solve each murder.

Why is Will Arnett’s voice so recognizable?

His unusually deep tone, gravelly texture, precise rhythm and ability to shift between authority and sarcasm make his voice immediately distinctive.

Final Thoughts

Will Arnett’s career demonstrates the value of recognizing what makes a performer distinctive.

His voice could have been treated as simply one characteristic.

Instead, it became an instrument.

Gob Bluth uses it for false confidence.

BoJack Horseman uses it for despair.

LEGO Batman uses it for exaggerated heroism.

Reese’s uses it for temptation.

GMC uses it for authority.

Subway uses it for comedy.

The voice stays recognizable.

The performance changes.

That is versatility.

Arnett also demonstrates that comedy requires seriousness.

His funniest characters do not behave as though they are performing jokes.

Gob believes he is a brilliant magician.

Batman believes he is the greatest hero alive.

Terry Seattle believes he is an excellent detective.

The Subway characters believe their strange internal arguments matter.

Arnett commits to each premise completely.

For actors, that may be the most important lesson in his work.

Do not apologize for the scene.

Do not tell the audience where to laugh.

Believe the character.

Let the situation create the comedy.

That approach has allowed Will Arnett to move from cult sitcoms to animation, feature films, improvisational television, podcasting and some of the most recognizable commercials on television.

Carmichael Phillip is a managing editor of Acting Magazine. In addition to editing, Mr. Phillip is a writer, coordinator and creative director.

Related Links

Subway Commercial Actors (Full Breakdown 2026) – Features Will Arnett as the star of Subway’s 2026 “Feed Your SUBconscious” campaign.

Reese’s | Will Arnett Commercial – Explores how Arnett’s distinctive voice became an important part of Reese’s advertising personality.

Who Is the Voice in Reese’s Commercials? – Identifies Will Arnett as the recognizable voice behind many Reese’s campaigns.

Who Voices Reese’s Commercials? – Looks at Arnett’s narration in Reese’s recent advertising, including the “Big Change” campaign.

Is Will Arnett the Actor on the Dick’s Sporting Goods Commercial? – A detailed breakdown of Arnett’s comedic Dick’s Sporting Goods campaign.

Who Is the Actor on the Dick’s.com Commercial? – Covers Will Arnett and Kathryn Hahn’s “Click on DICKS.com” advertisements.

Who Stars in the RBC Commercial? – Profiles Arnett’s role as a celebrity spokesperson for Royal Bank of Canada.

Who Does the GMC Commercial? – Examines Arnett’s long-running association with GMC voiceover advertising.

Who Is the Actor in the Sierra Commercial? – Discusses Will Arnett’s distinctive narration in GMC Sierra campaigns.

Who Voices the New GMC Commercial? – Explores the evolution of GMC’s commercial voice and Arnett’s role in the brand’s advertising history.

Who Are the Actors in the AT&T Commercials? – Includes Will Arnett among the recognizable actors and voices connected to AT&T advertising.

Actors in Commercials (The Complete Guide 2026) – Explains how actors, celebrity spokespeople and voice performers are used in advertising.

Acting Magazine Commercial Index – Browse Acting Magazine’s extensive archive of commercial actors and brand campaigns.

Acting Magazine Articles – Explore additional actor profiles, commercial breakdowns and acting-industry features.

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