Why Dunkin' Donuts' New Commercial Actress Looks So Familiar
Dunkin' is moving past its 2024 Super Bowl commercial with Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, and a pretty cringey joke about a historical tragedy. In fact, Dunkin' commercial mainstay Ben Affleck is nowhere to be found in a new series of ads that stars Will Arnett and social media personality Natalie Marshall. The two have assembled a mix of folks, known as the Dunkin'terns, across various realms of pop culture to help sell Dunkin' iced drinks. One of the more notable faces is a rising star you may have already seen in some major projects. It's Maia Reficco, and she definitely has some thoughts regarding this ad campaign.
In her personalized ad spot, Arnett and Marshall pitch things for her to say in the commercial. This turns into them misusing Gen Z slang like "rizz" and "no cap." Reficco looks ready to say, "Okay, boomers," and it might have something to do with the fact she's already recognizable amongst a Gen Z base in several projects. If you want to see what Reficco can do beyond a Dunkin' boardroom, here's where you may have seen her before.
Do Revenge (2022)
Maia Reficco broke onto the scene with the lead role on the Nickelodeon Latin America series "Kally's Mashup." She plays Kally, a girl with superb musical gifts with expectations to become a great pianist, but a desire to be a pop star. The show concluded with the movie, "Kally's Mashup: Un Cumpleaños Muy Kally," and at that point, she began making moves stateside, with many likely getting introduced to her for the first time in the 2022 Netflix film, "Do Revenge."
"Do Revenge" has numerous references to other teen movies, becoming a genuine pastiche of the genre. This is true right down to there being a popular girl clique, the Rosehill Royal Court, that Reficco's character, Montana, is part of. For Reficco, getting cast in the comedy was a major opportunity, as she told L.A. Confidential Magazine, "I truly was so in awe of everybody and this is such a women-driven set that I felt inspired by every single woman that was there."
She even revealed to the outlet that she based her character of Montana on the not-so-bright Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried) from "Mean Girls." One could even argue that the main queen bee, Tara (Alisha Boe), has more than a little in common with Regina George (Rachel McAdams). "Do Revenge" is a campy, satirical look at high school politics and an excellent use of Reficco's talents.
Pretty Little Liars (2022 - Present)
Maia Reficco wasn't done with high school after "Do Revenge," as 2022 also saw her appear in the reboot of "Pretty Little Liars," subtitled "Original Sin." She plays Noa, a track star and juvenile delinquent who, alongside some other girls at her school, gets wrapped up in a mystery. Getting such a part was surely a full circle moment for Reficco, as she explained to Max, the platform for the series, how she loved the original "Pretty Little Liars." "Not only did I watch 'Pretty Little Liars,' but I was obsessed with it and I have receipts," she expressed. "I have had 'Ezria' written on my bed since I was 16," which was the ship name for Aria (Lucy Hale) and Ezra (Ian Harding).
However, for Reficco, it was more than just joining a beloved franchise. It was a chance to bring some much-needed representation to the screen, as she told People, "Honestly, as a Latina and as a first Latina Liar ever, I think for me, my biggest priority was to represent my people and the stories that we're telling in the most accurate, responsible and respectful way I could." And the good times didn't end with "Original Sin," as "Pretty Little Liars" returned to Max in 2024 for Season 2, which this time was called "Summer School."
Much of the cast of the "Pretty Little Liars" reboot may look familiar, but now, Reficco is getting some extra airtime as a Dunkin'tern. Even if she doesn't love the lines being pitched in her big ad, at least it seems less stressful than getting spooky messages from "A."