“That’s what 24/7 means, Sugar,” says the seen-it-all waitress in the classic pink dress working the diner in the Geico commercial “The Gecko Visits a Diner.” (The conceit is that Geico, like the diner, is open 24/7.) It’s such a well-executed commercial, with all the GEICO hallmarks: perfect set design, perfect casting, strong message delivery and confident humor. Actress Patricia Belcher stars as the quietly dynamic waitress with pure power over her domain. Belcher’s screaming of “PIE!” to the cook in the kitchen is really unforgettable. And the set designers, always good, have really outdone themselves this time too, producing perhaps the most archetypal diner cup of coffee of all time for the spot:
Patricia Belcher’s memorable scream follows the Gecko’s question, “Now what would it take to get 24/7 access to that lemon meringue pie?” After the cook (actor Ross Francis) answers immediately, “Pie’s coming,” Belcher — seemingly possessing the wisdom of the ages — tells the Gecko: “that’s what it takes, baby.”
If Belcher looks familiar, there’s a reason — or heaps of reasons. Speaking of the wisdom of ages, Belcher was once a contestant on Jeopardy! — and the not the celebrity edition. Her work in commercials has seen her pitching for Staples, the American Cancer Society, Wells Fargo and Time Warner cable, among others. Probably Belcher’s most well-known films are the horror flick Jeepers Creepers, its sequel Jeepers Creepers 2 and the romantic comedy (500) Days of Summer.
On TV Belcher had a recurring role on Bones (attorney Caroline Julian) for more than a decade. Besides more than 50 Bones episodes, Belcher’s television appearances have been so numerous that her list looks like a recent history of network TV stretching from Beverly Hills 90210 and Seinfeld to Good Luck Charlie and Trial and Error. Other Belcher TV appearances include Everybody Loves Raymond, Boston Legal, The Jake Effect, Twins, The Proud Family, Sister, Sister, In Plain Sight, The Middle, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Still Standing, and How to Get Away with Murder.
