I read recently that they are holding casting calls to audition a new lonely Maytag Repairman for the Maytag television commercials. The article brought back a flood of memories. Who could forget the lonely and bored Maytag repairman, waiting in the hope that someone would call for repairs? Of course, no one ever did - Maytags were just too reliable it seems.

The brilliant character actor, Jesse White, originated the character in 1967 and starred in the commercials for 21 years. Jesse was one of those actors, enormously gifted and always having work, but not deemed by Hollywood to have “star” qualitites and so was relegated to bit parts. Jesse was the kind of guy who took those small character bits and made them sing. Watch this clip from the movie Harvey.

When Jesse retired in 1988, the role was taken over by Gordon Jump, best known for playing Aruthur Carlson, the bemused manager of WKRP in Cincinnati. Jump had a naturally lonely face and was a fairly good replacement but it just wasn’t the same without Jesse White.

Jesse White died in 1997.