Whatever Happened To The Original Jake From The State Farm Commercials?
In 2011, there was one word on everyone's lips: khakis. And it was all thanks to State Farm. In a viral commercial for the insurance giant, a man whispers on the phone at 3:00 in the morning. The man's wife, assuming her husband is cheating, grabs the phone out of his hand and demands to know what the person on the other end of the line is wearing. Cut to Jake from State Farm sitting in a fluorescent-lit cubicle. "Uhh, khakis?"
The promo skyrocketed Jake Stone — the guy who played the titular Jake — to overnight fame. Stone was a real-life State Farm agent in Bloomington, Illinois who worked part-time as a bartender. When State Farm launched an internal casting call for an advertisement, the then-26-year-old applied and ended up traveling to California to shoot the ad. Fame didn't change Stone's life too much, but it did make him a subject of some strange online scrutiny. When a rumor surfaced that Stone had been murdered by his wife, the insurance agent took to X — then still called Twitter — to assure people it was a hoax. "Contrary to recent reports, I am alive," he wrote. "Thank you all for your concern."
As of 2023, Stone has left the insurance game behind and works as a bartender at Pub II in Normal, Illinois. He assures fans that his uniform hasn't changed much and that his TV-famous pants are hung up at the pub. "I'd never stop wearing khakis," Stone told The Pantagraph in 2023. "We'll stop the rumors right there!"
Jake from State Farm was recast in 2020
In 2020, State Farm brought back the popular Jake from State Farm character, this time casting professional actor Kevin Miles. In a statement shared by Carrier Management, State Farm's public affairs rep Gina Morss-Fischer explained why the company recast Jake. "[Stone] did great delivering his famous line, 'uh...khakis,'" Morss-Fischer said. "However, this expanded role is very demanding and is best filled by an actor." Indeed, Miles has since appeared in countless State Farm ads at a fairly quick clip — a schedule that likely wouldn't work with a real-life agent.
Still, Stone got to revisit the character one last time. Miles made his State Farm debut during the 2020 Super Bowl in a shot-for-shot remake of the 2011 ad. After he explains that he's wearing khakis, Jake leans over to his co-worker and asks, "Hey, do they ever ask you what you're wearing?" Stone's head pops up from behind a cubicle and he delivers in the familiar deadpan, "Uh, yeah."
Stone had no problem handing over the khaki crown to Miles. "It was cool to hear that it was coming back, and it was even a bigger honor that they wanted me to have that cameo to bridge the gap between the old commercial to the new ones with Kevin," Stone told The Argus in 2022. Still, he couldn't help feeling a little jealous that the new Jake got to rub shoulders with stars like Paul Rudd and Patrick Mahomes. "[It's] jealousy in the most positive way, absolutely," he added.
Jake from State Farm did wonders for Jake Stone's confidence
Jake Stone might have left his days as Jake from State Farm behind, but his moment in the spotlight certainly impacted his life. In his interview with The Argus, he noted that his stint as Jake from State Farm massively boosted his confidence both in his personal and professional life. Stone has also been surprised to find out just how enduring the character has turned out to be. "We thought it would be something that would be quick and fun, lasting only a month or two, but did we know that almost 11 years later we're still talking about it?" he mused.
The original Jake from State Farm has remained humble about the whole experience, largely attributing his brush with fame to chance. "I was lucky to be in the role I was at the time and knew the right people," he said. "It all kind of connected."