Why You Recognize The Narrator Of Beyond Meat's New Ad

Celebrity voices in commercials are nothing new, but these ads can sometimes leave you scratching your head if you can't quite put your finger on whose faceless voice is trying to sell you the latest product. We've got the answer for those wondering about a new ad from Beyond Meat.

The voice in question is comedian and actor Chris Parnell, who's best known for his voice-over work on "Archer" and "Rick and Morty" in addition to time spent on "Saturday Night Live." Parnell has also voiced characters on shows like "Family Guy," as well as in numerous children's series, and he had a reocurring live-action role as Dr. Leo Spaceman on "30 Rock."

In the spot, which advertises Beyond Meat's new steak, our familiar narrator recites the phrase, "Now steak is good for you!" The commercial's protagonist responds with incredulity that steak tacos, nachos, and cheesesteaks are now supposedly healthier with the company's product. This leads him to engage in a series of risky actions before concluding, "Everything bad is good for me!" The narrator disagrees, telling him that the rule only applies to Beyond Steak, which, in his words, "changes everything."

This is by no means Parnell's first commercial. He's the voice of The Progressive Box for Progressive Insurance, and he's also worked with Dr. Pepper, Hamburger Helper, and Oscar Meyer. TV fans may also recognize the commercial's lead actor; it's Rizwan Manji, familiar to millions as the unusual, multiple-career-holding Ray Butani on the hit show "Schitt's Creek." He's also starred in the TV series "Perfect Harmony," "The Magicians," and "Outsourced," along with guest roles on "New Girl," "Mr. Robot," and many more shows and movies. 

While well-known, Parnell is far from the most prominent Hollywood name lending his voice (but not his face) to commercials. "Succession" actor Brian Cox has "secretly" voiced fast food commercials for McDonald's, Ving Rhames (of the "Mission: Impossible" series and "Pulp Fiction") solemnly intones "We have the meats" in Arby's spots, and John Goodman reminds viewers about America "running on Dunkin'" for Dunkin' Donuts. So, if the identity of the Beyond Steak narrator has been driving you crazy, you can now rest easy — at least until the next familiar, disembodied voice accompanies another commercial.