Putting the words “Frasier Crane” and “quality insurance” in the same sentence seems like an odd notion — but at one point in time Kelsey Grammer himself voiced the Geico Gecko for a couple of Geico insurance commercials. While it might seem shocking that Grammer would work as a pitchman, it’s not uncommon for big name actors to lend their talent to help sell products and services, with some even starting their careers in commercials.

On top of that, the character, having been around for over two decades, has gone through a number of changes in appearance and voice. The version that Grammer portrayed was a much more realistic four-legged character with only minor cartoony features. During Grammer’s brief time on the campaign, the Gecko would plead with consumers to stop confusing it with the Geico insurance company while praising its virtues and rates.

In recent years, the character has taken on a more anthropomorphic shape. Instead of begging to be seen as divisible from Geico, he now proudly represents the company while also being used as an ambassador for wildlife conservation efforts. Similar to Paddington, the Gecko travels the world with a sweet, good-natured outlook. In keeping with this new image, the voice has also changed. 

Since Kelsey Grammer’s departure from voicing the Gecko, not only has Geico developed other notable mascots – including the volatile Geico Cavemen – but has brought in new actors to play the iconic green character, including Andrew Randall, Thom Bromhead, and Dave Kelly. But since the 2010s, British actor Jake Wood has been the Gecko’s sole performer. 

Wood is well-known in England, where he played Max Branning for over twenty years on the popular daily soap opera EastEnders. But the rest of his resume is nothing to sneeze at; he appeared in four episodes of “Red Dwarf” Season 8 as Kill Crazy, and has starred in films as varied as “Flesh + Blood” and “Vera Drake.” In addition, Wood sports a solid reality television career, being a semi-finalist on Series 12 of “Strictly Come Dancing” – Britian’s answer to “Dancing with the Stars” — and has returned to the show numerous times over the years. Looks like he doesn’t need any insurance to guarantee his success.