The Truth About Flo From Progressive.

#1 Sprinkles Are For Winners

We all know Flo from those Progressive commercials: the bright-red lipstick, the starched apron, the blue headband, and the perky personality. But not many of us know much about Stephanie Courtney, the actress who has portrayed Flo in dozens of Progressive ads since 2007. Here are a few interesting tidbits we've discovered about her.

#2 Progressive Wasn't Her First Commercial

Stephanie Courtneys very first television commercial was for Bud Light back in 1999 which aired during the Super Bowl. Before becoming the face of Progressive she had already made appearances in over 35 television commercials for 20 different products.

#3 Her Commercial For Skittles Gave Her A Boost

Stephanie was the star of ads for Quaker Oats, McDonalds, Wienerschnitzel, Toyota, Verizon, and Skittles. It was her funny turn in the Skittles ad that brought her to the attention of Progressive Insurances advertising company, who created the character of Flo specifically for the actress.

#4 She's Appeared On A Bunch Of TV Shows

If you've ever had a moment where you thought 'where do I know her from', it's probably from one of the over 30 television shows she has appeared on since 1998. Courtney has appeared on Mr. Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, House MD, Angel, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Tom Goes To The Mayor, How I Met Your Mother, and You're The Worst, to name a few. She also had a recurring role on the hit show Mad Men, as Marge, the switchboard operator.

#5 She's A Stand-Up Comedian

After graduating from the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, she started doing stand-up, which brought her to Los Angeles. She has performed her routine at the Aspen Comedy Festival twice. She began performing comedy in 1996 when she received an invitation from a friend to perform on a show called Newborn Comis, Actors Stand Up! She had less than two weeks to perfect a routine and she states that she feels more comfortable doing comedy than anything else.

#6 She's A Member Of The Groundlings

Courtney's comedy and passion for acting led to her joining the improv group, The Groundlings. The Groundlings is a legendary improvisational comedy troupe from Los Angeles that is often compared to Second City because of the number of great performers who had started their careers there. Courtney worked her way up after a few years becoming a member of the main company, whose alumni included Jim Rash, Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Melissa McCarthy, Ana Gasteyer, and Jimmy Fallon.

#7 She Graduated From Binghamton University

Courtney's parents believed is was very important for her to get a college degree,as they thought she would never make a living with her acting. So, she enrolled at Binghamton University where she earned an Englis degree. To her parent's surprise, her secondary courses included acting and the arts, and she performed in several stage productions including playing Elizabeth Proctor in a production of The Crucible before graduating in 1992. She was invited back to the university in 2015 to deliver the commencement address to the graduating class.

#8 No One Recognizes Her On The Street

Transforming Courtney into Flo takes a lot of time. Over an hour of teasing to get the hair just right and another hour to apply the thick lipstick and eye makeup. Though Flo is a spiffy buttoned up eccentric, in real life Courtney prefers J Crew and a more casual dress code. She has said that she feels like she lives a double life at times because she can walk the streets and never be recognized, but as soon as she gets into costume everybody knows who she is immediately.

#9 She Didn't Die In 2014

For some reason, on May 27, 2014, eBuzzed, a site notorious for spreading online rumors reported that Stephanie Courtney died in a car accident while driving her Lexus LX in New York. This did not happen. Courtney never even owned a Lexus and was not in New York at the time.

#10 She Is Alive A Still Portraying Flo

As of 2016, she is alive and well, living in Los Angeles with her husband, Scott Kolanach, who is the lighting director for "The Groundlings". She is continuing to portray the annoying Flo for Progressive Insurance and will through 2018. She is busy doing small roles in various series and performing her comedy as much as possible.

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