Do You Have What It Takes to Be the Next Gilbert Gottfried?

Aflac opens auditions to be the new voice of the duck to the general public

By Natalie Finn Mar 22, 2011 10:30 PMTags
Aflac Duck, Gilbert GottfriedAflac; Kevin Winter/Getty Images

One of the most high-profile jobs in the TV biz is ripe for the picking.

Before it offers the job to another celebrity, insurance giant Aflac Inc. is holding open auditions to replace Gilbert Gottfried as the voice of the Aflac Duck.

The company booted Gottfried from his longtime gig after he cracked jokes about the multipronged disaster in Japan via Twitter.

So, how does someone get in on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

Aflac will start accepting submissions on Wednesday, with details on how to enter posted on the Aflac Duck's Facebook page and Monster.com. The deadline to submit materials is April 1 at midnight. Live auditions will be held in six cities, including New York and Los Angeles.

The company's aiming to have its first ad featuring the lucky duck premiere on April 22.

"There's a lot of undiscovered talent in the U.S.," noted Aflac's chief marketing officer, Michael Zuna. "We're considering anyone and everyone. We're looking for the best voice."

But yes, the main quality Aflac is looking for is the ability to communicate the company's overall message of security and stability in one quacked-out word: "Aflac!"