As aSuccessionfan herself,Serena Williamswas thrilled to work alongsideBrian Coxin the 2023 Michelob Ultra Super Bowl commericial.
“He was in all of my scenes, so I kind of felt special,” she tells PEOPLE about working alongside the Golden Globe award winner, who plays Logan Roy.
The full ad opens up with a view of a golf course and a sign that says “Bushood Country Club,” which is the name of the fictional country club in Harold Ramis' comedic film. The sign has a haphazard message attached reading “New Member’s Day.”
Williams, wearing a purple plaid outfit, walks over to Cox, in a pink polo shirt and plain khakis, who says to her, “Well, we’re waiting.”
While the two take turns at the tee, the camera cuts to other argyle-clad golfers on the course including Miami Heat playerJimmy Butlerand WNBA starNneka Ogwumike. This pair watches Cox and Williams before turning up some music, specifically playing the theme song fromCaddyshack, Kenny Loggins' “I’m Alright.” They proceed to pour beer from a Michelob Ultra tap in a golf bag and dance to the music with fellow golfers.
Channeling his gruff character inSuccession, Cox shouts at Butler, Ogwumike and the dancing crowd, “Cut that off!”
Michelob
As Cox prepares for his next hit, U.S. Women’s National Team memberAlex Morganpops out from behind a hedge and taunts him: “I bet you’ll slice it into the woods.” This comment throws Cox off his game and his swing sends a golf ball into someone’s wine glass.
Far off on the golf course, former Dallas Cowboys quarterbackTony Romocracks open a bottle of beer, causing birds to fly, the ground to shake and subsequently rolling Williams' ball into the hole. The crowd goes wild at her victory and cheers on Williams.
In the popular HBO series, Cox plays the role of Logan, an intimidating head of the Roy family and of the media conglomerate, Waystar Royco. But Williams is happy to report that Cox is just an excellent actor and not like his scary character.
“I think just seeing him in person, you just see him as that patriarch. Even though you kind of want him to be that person, he’s not,” she tells PEOPLE. “He’s super sweet and super awesome.”
The athlete is quite the actress herself, considering that she is not a golfer but has a convincing swing in the commercial. “I was focused on just making sure I made the right faces and the acting,” she explains but, after shooting the ad, she has plans to take up the game. “I was thinking about getting myself in golf after all of this.”
Williams is close friends withTiger Woods— but does not plan to play with the 82-time PGA Tour winner any time soon. “He might be a little too intense, he’s still professional,” she says.
It is not the beer that keeps the 23-time Grand Slam champion coming back to partner with the Michelob year after year. It is the company’s commitment to gender equality in sports.
“When we first talked about a relationship, I honestly couldn’t believe all that they were doing,” Williams says.
She explains howthis year’s golf-themed commercialhas equal representation of female and male athletes, which she says is “a really big deal for the Super Bowl and a Super Bowl commercial.” Also, Williams referenced her pride in the$100 million commitment that Michelob Ultra made in 2021to increase women’s visibility in sports.
“The whole mission kind of just has Serena written all over it,” the mother of one says.
The commercial will air during Super Bowl LVII, which takes place on Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
source: people.com
