Peter Fonda Reprises ‘Easy Rider’ Role For Mercedes Super Bowl Ad

Peter Fonda starred in the Mercedes Super Bowl ad on Sunday in which he reprised his role from Easy Rider.

PETER FONDA’S MERCEDES SUPER BOWL AD

The ad opens in a sleazy motorcycle bar, with a leather-and-tye-dye wearing biker playing Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild” on the jukebox. The camera pans over a few typical biker antics, from arm wrestling to playing pool, and everyone seems to have a tribute to Easy Rider. One even has a tattoo of Fonda driving on his arm.

Finally, a burly man walks in and complains that he’s been “blocked in.” The whole crowd gets riled up and a few march outside to see the action. But what they find is Fonda, in a black leather jacket with the American flag stitched on the back hop into a Mercedes. “Nice rides,” he says, as he starts the booming engine and takes off.

2019 will mark the 50 year anniversary of Easy Rider, and Fonda hopes this ad will get the old timers excited about it, and also teach the youngsters about his heyday film.

“I did not have any idea of what I was going to say,” Fonda said of the shoot. “You don’t know what you are going to do in a commercial until you get there, even right down to the last second.” The ad was conceived by famous directing brothers Ethan and Joel Coen.

In a behind the scenes video, Fonda talks about his love affair with Mercedes and how he’s owned many in his life. “And the car is unbelievable,” he said of the model in the commercial. “I looked under the hood and what a magnificent thing, and that one man who built that engine’s signature’s on the engine. I like that.”