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Troy Polamalu To Star In Coke Zero Commercial

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Jan 26, 2009 6:44 pm US/Eastern

Troy Polamalu To Star In Coke Zero Commercial

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The 1979 commercial for Coca-Cola featuring Steelers Hall of Famer "Mean" Joe Greene has been named by TV Guide as one of the top ten commercials of all time.

Now, 30 years later it's about to get a re-make featuring another iconic Steelers Player: Safety Troy Polamalu.

The 30 second spot will make its debut during Sunday's game.

It was filmed at Heinz field and features child actor Gabriel Sullivan as the young boy who offers up his drink (this time it's a Coke Zero) to a battered and limping Polamalu in a stadium tunnel.

Polamalu admits he had never seen the original spot before Coke pitched his role in the re-make.

"I had to YouTube it (to watch it) after this idea of the commercial came up. It was pretty amazing," said Polamalu in a feed provided by Coca-Cola. "One of my friends told me it was the most popular commercial in the last 20 years. So to be considered for it was very special for me."

For young Gabriel, having the chance to act in a commercial with one of his heroes was special too.

"He's like one of my favorite football players and talking to him and working with him it was awesome," said the boy.

In a special video news release, Coke provides the first 12 seconds of the new commercial for viewing.

It looks very much like the original, and outtakes show Polamalu throwing the boy his jersey near the end of the spot just as in the Mean Joe spot.

But the cut provided by Coke doesn't reveal a surprise ending that those who have seen it say is funny.

Mean Joe Greene is one of them.

"My first reaction to seeing the commercial: that's just what I did, and he's doing a pretty good job," said Greene. "And then the twist was perfect!"

Polamalu calls the new spot more of a parody than a re-make of the original.

"Mean Joe Greene was a really mean guy. I'm not that," joked Polamalu. "I'm just faking to be. It's the parody of it that makes it funny."

Gabriel agrees that while the commercial starts out looking like the original, it doesn't end that way.

"The mindset is that this is going to be a remake of a classic commercial, but then it takes a funnier twist and I think (the viewers) are going to love it."

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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