Noticing Luke Kuechly in more commercials? There’s a good reason.

Carolina Panthers fans are by now accustomed to seeing local favorite Luke Kuechly in commercials for businesses from CPI Security to Geico.

But if it feels like the number of appearances is increasing, there’s a good reason. Kuechly apparently enjoys acting, and it’s clear doors are opening as his nationwide popularity grows. The topic of acting has come up multiple times in recent interviews, and Kuechly didn’t dismiss the idea of being an actor.

“I think it’s fun,” he told the news site UPROXX. “Most of the stuff we do is pretty lighthearted and we have a good time with it.”

UPROXX asked specifically if he would want a career like former Seattle Seahawk Brian Bosworth, who went from the NFL in the ‘80s to a film career. (He’s been in 18 movies so far.)

“Oh, I don’t know, he had a little more juice than I did. But I enjoy doing it,” he responded.

Kuechly recently said something similar to ESPN.com, adding: “As long as I know my lines and the different cues and where I'm supposed to stand, I feel pretty good.”

ESPN.com was on the set when Kuechly filmed his most high profile commercial yet: A Campbell’s Chunky Maxx Soup ad. In the commercial, Kuechly is seen in full uniform at 3 a.m., holding twin newborns and humming a lullaby. Their father sits nearby, eating a bowl of Chunky soup, which Kueckly promises will give him more energy for early morning feedings.

Kuechly admits it took a lot of takes to get his lines right, but that is an example of how his acting choices are evolving. His earliest commercials simply had Kuechly rattling off cue card dialog about the product, or doing physical acts that played off his athletic abilities. (He once carried boulders on his shoulders in a CPI Security commercial.)

More recently, he’s been doing scenes with other actors, exchanging lines and projecting an image that is often comedic. ESPN said Kuechly is being typecast as “Mr. Nice Guy,” which is his intention.

“I like that,” he told ESPN. “I try to be a good person, and for the most part these spots do that.”

Kuechly already has his own page on the Internet Movie Data Base, which is a directory of actors.

Fans clearly love seeing Kuechly flex his acting muscles, with props from his TV commercials going for exorbitant prices at charity auctions. This is particularly true of the Luke Kuechly gnomes from the CPI Security commercials, examples of which have sold for as much as $16,000.

This story was originally published November 28, 2017 at 6:06 AM with the headline "Noticing Luke Kuechly in more commercials? There’s a good reason.."