The actor stars in Subway’s new “Feed Your SUBconscious” campaign
Credit: SUBWAY; Jeff Spicer/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Will Arnett stars in Subway’s new campaign, portraying quirky characters as the embodiment of people’s inner voices
- He reflects on his iconic roles in Arrested Development and BoJack Horseman, often recognized by his distinct voice
- Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes will bring their Smartless podcast to the Hollywood Bowl for a live show
When Subway approached Will Arnett about a partnership, it was a no-brainer for the star.
“Well, I’m hungry a lot of the time — let me start there,” Arnett tells PEOPLE over Zoom. “And I’ve always been a Subway fan. I know what my experience is going to be when I go to Subway, and I know that I’m going to enjoy it.”
In Subway’s new “Feed Your SUBconscious” campaign, Arnett transforms into the physical embodiment of five different characters’ inner voices. When a craving strikes or a food decision needs to be made for each of the characters, Arnett, as their subconscious, steers them in the direction of Subway.
“Honestly, the moment that I saw the creative, I thought it was a great way to do something organically with a brand that I know pretty well from my own use as a consumer over the years,” he says.
He got to play everything from a cowboy to a woman in a sauna and a cyclist.
“I loved the process of getting to wear all these different wigs and then the bald top comb over,” he says. “We ended up dancing in that scene in a really super awkward dance that’s at the end of one of the spots. And then, of course, I think about wearing the beard and sitting in the car or playing the cowboy. I got to do this weird dance when I’m dressed as a cowboy. It’s so nutty, and the fact that they encouraged me to do it meant that each character had a fun vibe.”
Credit: SUBWAY
“I’m wearing a wig in the sauna and that to me was super fun and weird,” he continues. “I get to wear this one piece bathing suit and crumple a protein bar. So as I go through the characters, I’m like, I really liked them all for different reasons.”
Also on display in the campaign is Arnett’s distinct voice, which he says has gotten him recognized in the most unlikely of places.
Credit: SUBWAY
“This summer I was with my kids, and we were at a store and I asked somebody for help or something,” he says. “The woman working there, she had her head down, and then she looked up and she wasn’t even looking at me and she goes, ‘Are you BoJack?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah.’ She had no idea who I was. She didn’t know what I looked like or anything. She was just fully going on my voice.”
“The other day, too, a guy came to the door and asked me a question, and he didn’t recognize me until I started talking,” he continues. “He went, ‘Oh my God. Are you the dude from Arrested Development?’”
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Arrested Development ended after five seasons in 2019, but reminders of the show — also starring Arnett’s longtime friend and collaborator Jason Bateman — are still frequent.
“The other day I was looking on Netflix to watch something, and in the ‘for you’ cue a trailer started playing for Arrested Development, and then I see myself say something and I’m like, ‘Whoa,’” he says. “It seemed like a different person. It was trippy watching Jason in the trailer and seeing how we both look so different. We’re almost 25 years older. If you told me that that was Jason’s kid, I’d believe you.”
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty
Arnett admits Bateman, 57, “looks great now,” but he would also like his famously health-conscious friend “to get a grip, bro!”
“I think that actually Subway would fall right in line with what he’d need,” he says. “If nothing else, these ads are almost aimed at Jason Bateman, like, ‘Dude, this is what you want. You know you want this. This is the fresh alternative.’ As much as he does eat healthy, so much of it is because his brain is trying to tell him to not. Do you know what I mean? He’s in a constant battle with himself. And the solution to that is this. I got to take him to Subway. You don’t need to punish yourself for something to be good for you.”
In the meantime, Arnett says his sons Abel, 16, whom he shares with ex-wife Amy Poehler, are always game to join him for Subway trips. (Arnett also shares son Archie, 17, with Poehler and son Alexander, 6, with ex Alessandra Brawn.)
“We have one really close to where we live, and he goes there quite frequently,” he says. “He, like me, is a huge fan of Subway. He’s a big customer.”
Next, Arnett, Bateman and Sean Hayes are going to bring their Smartless podcast to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles for a live show on Oct. 17.
“That’s going to be a really fun event for us and a real pinch-me moment,” he says. “Honestly, it all just feels like such a gift. I’m just so grateful that anybody gives us even 30 seconds of their time.”
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