There’s nothing worse than being typecast as an actor, so spare a thought for Diarmid Heidenreich who, a quarter of a century on, can’t appear to escape his “Dougie the pizza boy” moniker.
As anyone who’s older than about 35 would remember, Heidenreich’s character “Dougie” was ubiquitous across Australian TV screens as he flogged Pizza Hut pizzas as a hapless but loveable delivery driver.
Now Pizza Hut has bought the character out of retirement for its latest campaign, although thankfully for Heidenreich he’s now the one doing the ordering.
The latest incarnation is to promote the brand’s “hot dot” that apparently ensures your Hawaiian is delivered hot or your next pizza’s free. Check out the ad below:
And check out one of the original ads below that turned Heidenreich into a household name.
However, the fame also bought its share of notoriety, too. In 1996, Heidenreich served 77 weekends of periodic detention in jail for a drug and alcohol-fuelled car smash that left his girlfriend in hospital.
Take yourself back to 1994 below all while thinking “the more things change, the more…!”
