Live Wire: Lion in commercial real, actor does the talking

Jan. 24--Q: Tell me something about the Food Lion lion -- real or very clever? Also, Flo -- who is she? And is the good driver check available in North Carolina? -- H.M., Southern Pines

A: First, the star of the supermarket chain's ads is real but we'd be, er, lion if we said he's the one doing the talking.

Actor Steve Tom handles those duties and has for more than three years. The lion's name is Major.

Flo, the perky white-clad saleswoman in Progressive Insurance ads, is played by Stephanie Courtney, an actress and comedian who's had the job since 2008. Progressive has made more than 100 Flo commercials. The 100th debuted in late 2014 and featured Flo and five family members, all played by Courtney. Over the years, Flo has reportedly earned Courtney more than $8 million.

As for the safe-driving reward checks that Allstate says it hands out every six months, the insurer also says -- in teeny-tiny fine print -- that the rewards aren't available in every state. Guess which state falls in that particular category. (Hint: You live there.) Allstate has said that it hasn't sought approval from state regulators to put the program in place here because it's not sure it would be allowed under North Carolina's rate structure.

Q: How many times has Tom Selleck been married? Does he have any children? -- K.A., Dunn

A: The 70-year-old actor has been married twice and has two children, one from each marriage.

He adopted his first wife's young son after they married in 1971. Eleven years later, he and Jacqueline Ray divorced.

In 1987, he married actress Jillie Mack. Their daughter Hannah was born the following year. Selleck and Mack are still married.

Q: In a recent Saturday Extra, a From the Archives column had an item about a man being "sent to the roads" for four months after pleading guilty to something. What does "sent to the roads" mean? I've never heard that phrase. -- B.C., Laurinburg

A: We're pretty sure it meant he was sentenced to do some sort of road-crew work.

Live Wire seeks to answer questions of general interest and consumer topics. Initials are used to identify questioners when names are given. Contact Live Wire at [email protected] or at 486-3516.

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