Wait, Is That Charles Esten in That New Carl’s Jr. Commercial?
Does that older gentleman in the new Carl’s Jr. commercial look familiar? Spoiler alert: it’s Charles Esten.
Yes, that silver-haired man you see sitting at the bar at a rib joint is a glimpse into Esten’s future, complete with gray hair and wrinkles. With only one actual line, the Nashville star takes the role of the strong, silent type as Carl Sr. in this ad, which attempts to explain how the chain got the idea for putting baby back ribs on a burger.
Esten’s appearance is a quick one, but enough for fans to enjoy seeing him aged up a couple decades with prosthetics, a beard and a wig. The commercial is part of a rebranding effort by the company, in which Esten originally appeared in a spot introducing Carl Hardee Sr. bringing the hammer down on his slacker son, who’d apparently let the branding go a little ... off track. Check out Esten’s starring role in the first ad below.
Esten, who plays Deacon Claybourne on Nashville, is gearing up to host the CMT Awards this summer — his first time hosting the gig.
“I’ve always been a fan of the show,” he said when it was announced. “I’ve attended, I’ve presented, I’ve never hosted. This is brand new for me. What could go right?”
Nashville has been renewed for a sixth season after being revived by CMT for its fifth. It was originally canceled by ABC after the fourth.
See Charles Esten as Carl Hardee Sr.
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