Do you remember the Geico Caveman? How about Flo from Progressive? You know, there are real people behind those characters, and some of those real people got paid a ton of money to stand in front of a camera for 15 seconds.
The AT&T Lady
Actually, her real name is Milana Vayntrubm, and before she was the AT&T lady she was a model and actor since the ripe age of five. Her family moved from Uzbekistan to Hollywood when she was just a baby, and she had to pick up acting gigs to help supplement her family's income. At a later point, her family's wealth stabilized, and Milana was able to act full time.