There are few truer signs that March has arrived than Reggie Miller popping up in a Wendy’s commercial.
For the fourth consecutive year, Miller is the face of the Wendy’s March Madness ads, and as he continues to film the spots there becomes more of an emphasis on the “madness” portion behind the scenes. Sure there’s a script, but it’s more of a rough guideline.
“I would say it’s 70-to-75 percent is ad-libbed,” Miller said. “We just came up with it right then and we did it.”
So yes, when you see the NBA icon correcting a server on how to approach him or dancing his way around the set during every media break this month, that’s all Reggie.
Not that it should be a surprise at this point. Few players in basketball history have embraced the spotlight like the Hall of Famer.
“I started with like, the MC Hammer. I did the Running Man. I did the windshield wiper is like it was just silly,” Miller said of his dance moves. “We were just doing crazy stuff. The dancing is good, but it’s the timing of the reactions of the actors [Chris Kleckner, Bill O’Neil, Kathryn Feeney and Willie Earl Jr.]. That’s what’s so brilliant about it. It’s never a dull moment when we’re on set.”
Much like his fictional self in the commercials, Miller plans on spending all of March glued to his TV watching the bracket play out. And because he isn’t calling any of the tournament games he’ll get to watch as many of them as he pleases.
Miller spoke to For The Win ahead of the tournament to dish on his Final Four picks, which team is getting bounced early, the dumbest bets he made with his Pacers teammates and why he rocks Craig Sager Air Force 1s during March.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.