John Goodman takes on most challenging role yet: A talking fingertip in an online casino ad

Actor and international treasure John Goodman has enjoyed a long career filled with varied and engaging roles in comedies and dramas alike. Now, an online casino commercial has managed to give him what’s most certainly his most challenging gig yet: A talking fingertip.

So many things needed to go right for this captivating video, sent to us by A.V. Club reader Mark Lattanzi, to exist. The idea had to be thought up, obviously, but that idea also had to be cleared with other departments. Lastly, John Goodman’s agent had to field a call from an online slots app and Goodman had to agree that, yes, having himself turned into a CGI finger was the right career move for him at this time.

Lest you think Goodman would only approach this role with a sort of grudging professionalism, watch the ad for yourself. No matter what talking finger scenario the script calls for, he throws himself fully into the work. Here he is, preparing, it seems, to be thrust into an asshole. Here he is, screaming in terror as he’s nearly killed with a knife. And here he is, at last, thrilled to have his face rubbed against a touch screen as the person he’s attached to starts gambling online, hopefully not losing so much money that he must chop off his talking finger and sell it as a curio to an eccentric collector.

Whatever Goodman gets up to next will pale in comparison to this role. Serious actors spend a lifetime trying to find parts that will test their skills, pushing them toward a greater mastery of their craft. For some, that may be Shakespeare. For Goodman, that’s pretending to be a finger with a human face on it.

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