Advertising icon Ben Curtis

Although he will inexorably age into an "old dude," Benjamin "Ben" Curtis will live on in public memory as the hip, cheerful yet geekish young Steven the Dell Dude in the Dell computer commercials.
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This ad campaign kicked off in 2000, and Dude trade character, played by Tennessee-born acting student Curtis, seemed to work well. Curtis, who already had performed as a magician,worked some pretty good magic for Dell sales as well.

Curtis was in his early 20s when he did these commercials, and as young fellows often do of late, he got into a spot of trouble for marijuana possession. Thereafter, he was dropped by Dell but is no doubt saying the buzzword "dude" all he wants elsewhere.