Especially in recent years, certain actors have been making a name for themselves in commercials. That’s really no surprise considering the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Courteney Cox, and Brad Pitt started out this way too.
A-listers themselves have even been getting involved in commercials nowadays. In other words, commercials are, arguably, becoming as popular as films and shows themselves.
And one actress who has been stealing the spotlight lately is Milana Vayntrub, better known as the AT&T girl Lily Adams.
Vayntrub made her debut for AT&T way back in 2013. She continued to appear in these commercials until 2017 before AT&T decided to take a little hiatus.
Now that Vayntrub is, once again, back as Lily, fans can’t help but wonder where else they might have seen the actress. As it turns out, she was involved in Hollywood projects long before booking the AT&T gig.
She Made Her Acting Debut In This Popular Medical Drama
Many don’t realize that Vayntrub’s Hollywood career goes all the way back to the '90s when she booked a recurring part in the Emmy-winning medical drama E.R. On the show, she played Tatiana, an abandoned Russian girl who has AIDS.
At that time, Vayntrub was only eight years old but even though she was so young, the actress was so smitten with one of the show’s main stars.
“It was also season one with George Clooney and he was amazing. I just kept trying to invite him over,” she told Esquire.
“He was like, ‘Yeah, I'll come over for a playdate.’ I was like, ‘Mom! Can you cook something so we have a reason for him to come over?’ My mom and I were both just goo-goo-gaga over him.”
Soon After, Milana Vayntrub Landed A Part In A Soap Opera
Unbeknownst to Vayntrub, she apparently caught the eye of some casting directors during her brief stint on E.R. And so, she booked another gig almost right away.
This time, it was for the soap opera Days of Our Lives. “I ended up not auditioning for that,” the actress revealed. “They just called me after they saw me on E.R. to do that.”
Vayntrub was cast on the show to play a young Kristen Blake. She appeared in flashback scenes across three episodes.
Milana Vayntrub Then Became The Famous Burper On This Hit Disney Show
As a young actress, Vayntrub pursued all kinds of roles. It didn’t really matter if she had a line or not.
And when it came to Disney’s Lizzie McGuire, it wasn’t even a line that made the actress stand out. Rather, it was a burp and as it turns out, the moment wasn’t planned.
“The whole episode took place in a hidden camera kind of setup,” Vayntrub recalled. “One of the characters set up hidden cameras around the school and he caught me eating and burping. That was it.”
Vayntrub appeared on the show twice more. In one episode, she was a dancer. Later on, she was cast as a member of Kate’s (Ashlie Brillault's) posse.
Milana Vayntrub Did A Few Movies Too
After landing various brief TV roles, Vayntrub went on to take her talent to the big screen. For instance, she joined the cast of the 2011 R-rated comedy Life Happens. The film stars Krysten Ritter, Rachel Bilson, Kate Bosworth, and Geoff Stults.
Around the same time, Vayntrub also got cast as a voice actor for the animated comedy Immigrants (L.A. Dolce Vita). The cast included Hank Azaria and Fergie.
Vayntrub then snagged a small part in the comedy Junk, which was nominated at the 2012 Austin Film Festival.
Milana Vayntrub Has Been Busy With Other Projects Since Becoming The AT&T Girl
Around the time that Vayntrub was playing the AT&T girl, the actress found herself starring in several film and TV projects. For instance, she guest-starred as Tara in the Emmy-winning comedy Silicon Valley for two episodes.
In addition, Vayntrub landed the lead role in Paul Feig’s Yahoo series Other Space.
Of her experience working with a true Hollywood veteran, Vayntrub said, “It was inspiring, to say the least. It was like watching him in his element. Not only is he incredibly talented, but he as a human comes to life when he is sitting in the director's chair.”
The actress worked with Feig once more in the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters.
Later on, Vayntrub booked a recurring role in the hit drama This Is Us. And more recently, she starred in the film Werewolves Within. Plus, the actress pursued a range of voice acting gigs.
In fact, she readily voiced several characters for Robot Chicken. At the same time, she has also been voicing the character of Doreen Green, a.k.a. Squirrel Girl, across various Marvel animated shows.
Despite all her other projects, fans are definitely hoping that Vayntrub will keep being AT&T’s Lily. After all, it’s just not the same without her.
