In the hair tonight

Sep 6 2007 By Will Oliphant, Birmingham Mail

IT'S the advert everyone's talking about, but confusion over its star is the topic of pub and office conversation – until now.

Is it a computer generated gorilla, an actor in a mask, a real trained up ape - or even a hirsute Phil Collins?

But the Mail can today reveal the identity of the hairy star of Birmingham-based Cadbury's latest cult ad... gorilla impersonator and actor
Garon Michael.

The American actor is no stranger to monkeying around in front of the camera – he has starred in Planet of the Apes, Congo and Instinct.

Hollywood special effects team Stan Winston Studios, who have created monsters for film greats such as Terminator, Aliens and Predator, are
behind the sophisticated suit he wore for the role.

The gorilla's drum role begins to the soundtrack of Collins' hit song In The Air Tonight.He waits behind the drum kit for his cue as the chorus reaches a crescendo and flexes his neck before thrashing the skins.

It's not until the final scene that you realise it's an ad for the chocolate giant.  The Birmingham company's mind-boggling and not so 'cheap-as-chimps' £6 million advert campaign hit our screens on Friday and has been causing a stir ever since.

But the only mention of Cadbury is the logo at the end for Dairy Milk.

Tony Bilsbrough, from Cadbury, said: "We've had hundreds of emails and phone calls since the advert went out."We thought it would capture people's imagination but we've been amazed by how popular it's been and how much it's been enjoyed by the public

"Even we've been surprised by the feedback. It's now the most talked about advert on the television."