The Liberty Mutual 'Emu Guy' Is Gorgeous In Real Life

In 2019, insurance company Liberty Mutual introduced a bold marketing campaign that incorporated a man named Doug and his avian sidekick, LiMu Emu. As the ads have evolved over the years, incorporating everything from streaking to parachuting, curiosity around the mysterious man behind the aviator glasses has grown. Similar to how Dean Winters, who plays Allstate's Mayhem, has a raving following, David Hoffman, who plays Doug, should certainly have a fanbase all his own... especially considering just how gorgeous he is behind the Liberty Mutual costuming.

Seen in the above Instagram post from January 7, 2025, Hoffman posed for the cover of Boston University College of Fine Arts Magazine, revealing quite the handsome mug. This wasn't lost on the powers behind the ad campaign, as Hoffman divulged to the magazine that a marketing executive told him Doug was going to be the next "Tony the Tiger." 

However, the path to becoming ubiquitous with a successful branding campaign didn't happen overnight for Hoffman. "I had so many different visions of what would happen, and there were so many valleys... And yet, in the end, I'm in a sweet spot as an actor, and I wouldn't trade it for anything," he told CFA. But eagle-eyed fans just might recognize him from a handful of popular media before he broke big.

According to David Hoffman's IMDb page, he's enjoyed quite a bit of work, though most of it was just a small role or two. One of the more notable parts he held was as Tommy on the show "I Live With Models," which aired in England from 2015 to 2017. Leaning on his comedic training from his time at The Groundlings School, Hoffman played a hand model who found himself living among the more traditional interpretation of fashion models. While that show might be hard to find stateside, fans of Hoffman can spot him guest-starring in single episodes of several famous sitcoms.

In 2011, Hoffman played the Haircut Guy in a "New Girl" episode. Hoffman also found himself working alongside Chris O'Dowd in "Bridesmaids," though in a much smaller capacity as his role was just Doorman at Shower. He also appeared in two episodes of the since-cancelled "2 Broke Girls" as a man named Gordon who appears on a video. And in 2017, Hoffman was in an episode of "Modern Family" as a character named Richard.

Hoffman also has a history of voice acting for several video games, ranging from "The Darkness 2" in 2012 to "Rise of the Tomb Raider" in 2015. While all this work might have felt simultaneously successful and middling, now that Hoffman has made it big, he seemingly continues to hold friends and family as incredibly valuable.

According to his Instagram, David Hoffman married wife Jamie Kowal in 2019. In June 2023, the couple welcomed their son, Sonny Malone Hoffman, with a post dedicated to him, claiming "he has already brought so much love and happiness" to the couple. Not only are there several posts dedicated to David enjoying spending time with his family, but there's also a recurring theme of him using his newfound fame and comedic chops to build and maintain community.

There's a post from 2023 showcasing the work David and his fellow Groundlings did to raise funds for the Hollywood Food Coalition. Both in 2022 and 2023, David hosted the Military Child of the Year awards, which just might hit close to home for the actor, as he grew up in a military family. According to his LinkedIn profile, David was raised on several Army bases and even helped make an animation called "Army Brat" dedicated to his upbringing.

David also got to present several awards at the Creative Arts Emmys in September 2025. As can be seen on his Instagram, David does a wonderful job of marrying his career success with his passion for family, with his post also paying homage to his "beautiful, statuesque wife" (last photo above). Hopefully David's apparent heart of gold can help continue to nurture a successful career.