Local celebrity Murray Laidlaw has had a banner year.
He’s been doing a variety local commercials featuring a comedic character he’s developed for a light-hearted approach to Prince George businesses.
Then we saw him as the Canadian Tuxedo Man in the PetroCan commercials which aired during the summer Olympics and most recently he can be seen as the Goat Guide in commercials for the Paramount+ streaming service.
The Paramount+ commercials first aired in Australia in January and then aired in Canada in September.
Laidlaw is seen dressed as a mountain man with a traditional horn he blows during the commercial. He’s standing beside a mountain goat, but not just any mountain goat.
“My commercial agent submits me for the roles she believes I would be suited for and then the casting director of the commercial picks those who they like,” Laidlaw said, explaining the process.
“I got picked so then I made an audition video at my cabin showing my authentic off-grid living and then they picked their favourites from the videos. I got picked again. So then I went down to Vancouver to audition in person and then about a week later I got offered the job and then a week after that I was down in Vancouver filming.”
They don’t explain the commercial until right before filming so you can imagine what that might’ve been like for Laidlaw.
Well, you’re a mountain man wearing an ear-flapped winter hat blowing a horn and you’re going to be standing beside a goat, but you won’t be talking, the goat will be talking…
“I loved it – it’s hilarious,” Laidlaw laughed. “And it really was me embracing my inner silliness.”
Laidlaw just showcased a second commercial where the goat shares a special moment with a Paramount+ viewer and once again Laidlaw is the Goat Guide and ends the commercial blowing his horn.
“We did two days of filming and they shot a whole bunch of footage,” Laidlaw said.
That could mean there’s potential for more commercials.
“I hope we do more commercials with me and the goat,” Laidlaw said. “We spent a full day in front of the green screen. There’s a real goat and then they built one that looks like the real one.”
It's designed for viewers to buy into the premise of a talking goat.
“And I think it appeals to the animal lover in all of us,” Laidlaw pointed out.
In the latest commercial the creatives added to Laidlaw’s wardrobe.
There’s a metal box attached to his belt.
“I think the idea is I am an eccentric character who lives in the woods and has this goat,” Laidlaw explained. “I collect things along the way and I found this little lunch box that I store stuff in.”
It’s a prop for authentically developing Laidlaw’s character.
“I feel so lucky to have this role,” Laidlaw said. “I am super-blessed.”
We all know that in life, one thing leads to another and now Laidlaw is heading in a whole other direction.
Laidlaw now has a small, recurring non-speaking role in a major Apple TV series opposite a mega-star who is one of his Hollywood heroes.
He can’t say much more than that until it comes out in a few months but then we’ll get all the details. Stay tuned for Laidlaw’s next adventures.
To see more of Laidlaw follow him on Instagram @murflaidlaw or visit www.facebook.com/MurrayLaidlaw.
