Who plays the GEICO Caveman? Jeff Daniel Phillips takes the spotlight
Auto insurance company GEICO introduced the Caveman in 2004 as part of its advertising campaigns. The ad was created as a humorous and unique juxtaposition of prehistoric characters in modern-day settings. But who is the man behind the makeup? Uncover the actor who plays the GEICO Caveman in the latest commercials.
Source: Getty Images
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The GEICO Caveman has become a popular campaign character in popular culture for the last two decades. Its iconic status earned it a place on the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame in 2008. Later, in 2010, the mayor of Homer, Alaska, gave the Caveman a key to the city.
Jeff Daniel Phillips' profile summary
| Full name | Jeffrey Daniel Phillips |
| Date of birth | February 19, 1965 |
| Age | 59 years old as of January 2025 |
| Net worth | Approx. $300,000 |
| Place of birth | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m/193 cm) |
| Gender | Male |
| Marital status | Married |
| Children | A daughter |
| Parents | Juanita Phillips (mother), Chester Phillips (father) |
| Education | University of Southern California (Fine arts and filmmaking)Michigan State University (Computer Graphics)Temple University's Tyler School of Arts (Filmmaking)Maine West High School |
| Profession | Actor, filmmaker |
| Years active | Early 1990s to date |
| Social media |
Who plays the GEICO Caveman?
Actor Jeff Daniel Phillips portrays the GEICO Caveman in the latest ad campaigns. The Chicago native was in early commercials introduced in the early 2000s. He reprised the character (Maurice) in the short-lived ABC sitcom Cavemen, which aired from 2007 to 2008.
Jeff made a comeback over 15 years later, in December 2023. He appeared in several campaigns throughout 2024, including Guess, Heckler, and The Caveman Watches, a GEICO Commercial.
Phillips joined the GEICO family after being spotted by commercial directors who were impressed by his performance in a Los Angeles play. In a 2012 interview with Journal Star, he mentioned that he initially did not want people to know he was in the GEICO Caveman insurance commercials.
I kept a lid on it for a long time that I was the Caveman...You always worry about being pigeonholed. I am proud of the work. But it blows me away and surprises me how many people love that character.
Source: Original
Which other actors have portrayed the GEICO caveman?
Several actors have portrayed the iconic GEICO Caveman character. Apart from Jeff Daniel Phillips' Caveman, others include;
- McManus Woodend: He portrayed the GEICO Caveman from 2009 to 2018, appearing in over 25 national commercials. Today, McManus is an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at the University of Southern Indiana.
- John Lehr: He is the original GEICO Caveman who appeared in the company's first ad campaign in 2004. He was depicted reacting to the tagline, 'So easy, a caveman could do it,' by storming off the set of a TV commercial where he was a worker holding a boom mike.
- Ben Weber: He is among the original GEICO cavemen and occasionally appeared as a sidekick caveman to Jeff Daniel Philips' character. He also has several film and TV credits.
- Ben Wilson: He portrayed the GEICO Caveman in early commercials.
- Jim Rose: He appeared in several early GEICO commercials.
Source: Getty Images
What does the Geico Caveman really look like?
In real life, GEICO Caveman actors look nothing like the character. The caveman look is achieved by working with a skilled makeup artist.
The actor usually wears custom-made facial prosthetics, dental veneers, body hair, a wig, and contact lenses and layered with makeup. According to McManus Woodend, the prosthetics take around three hours to put on and about one and a half hours to take off.
What has Jeff Daniel Phillips been in?
Jeff has worked both in front and behind the camera on various projects for over three decades. He has appeared in three Rob Zombie movies, portraying five different characters, including Halloween 2 as Howard Boggs/Uncle Seymour Coffins, The Lords of Salem as Herman 'Whitey’ Salvador/Goat Walker, and 31 as Roscoe Pepper.
Jeff Daniel Phillips' movies and TV shows
| Project | Year | Role |
| Dexter: Original Sin | 2024 | Levi Reed |
| Christmas Bloody Christmas | 2022 | Sherriff Monroe |
| The Munsters | 2022 | Herman Munster/Zombo/Shecky |
| 3 From Hell | 2019 | Warden Virgil Dallas Harper |
| Satanic Panic | 2019 | Steve Larson |
| The Gifted | 2017-2018 | Tex/Fade |
| Claws | 2017 | Circus |
| The Ice Cream Truck | 2017 | Delivery Man |
| APB | 2017 | Duke Johnson |
| Flaked | 2016-2017 | Uno |
| Happy Birthday | 2016 | Frank Zappa |
| 31 | 2016 | Roscoe Pepper |
| Westworld | 2016 | Tenderloin |
| There Shall Come Angeles (Short film) | 2016 | Bearded Man |
| Irwindale (Short film) | 2016 | Kirby Reed |
| Agents of SHIELD | 2015 | David A. Angar |
| The Weight of Blood and Bones (Short film) | 2015 | Sol White |
| Futurestates | 2014 | The Foreman |
| Dr Jeckel and Mr Coffins (Short film) | 2014 | Mr Coffins |
| The Lord of Salem | 2012 | Herman 'Whitey’ Salvador |
| CSI: Miami | 2010 | Photo Assistant |
| Trust Me | 2009 | Hal the Blind Date |
| Halloween II | 2009 | Howard/Uncle Seymour Coffins |
| Elsewhere | 2009 | Officer Berg |
| Cavemen | 2007-2008 | Maurice |
| Standoff | 2006 | Neil Van Sickle |
| Unknown | 2006 | Iron Cross |
| Arrest & Trial | 2000 | Jason Brumwell |
| Sneakers | 1992 | Guard |
The actor(s) who plays the GEICO Caveman has made the character a beloved advertising icon for the last two decades. He is not only the face of GEICO but a beloved cultural phenomenon who made the phrase 'So easy, a caveman could do it' a household phrase.
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Source: Briefly News
