A Maine senior citizen who became an internet megastar after hilariously flubbing his lines during a 2013 commercial has died aged 86.
John 'Jack' Palmer became a sensation after his botched commercial for a local restaurant's chicken pot pie, where he struggled to say the phrase 'buttery, flaky crust.'
He appeared alongside his wife of 65-years Sonya in the commercial for Dysart's diner, with the couple chosen to star in the hit as they were longtime customers of the restaurant, reports Bangor Daily News.
Palmer's death was announced on Friday on a post on Dysart's Facebook page, which said 'our heart's go out to Sonja and their family.' A cause of death was not given.
John 'Jack' Palmer, known for his hilarious advert blooper reel while trying to say the phrase 'buttery, flaky crust', has passed away aged 86
Jack and his wife of 65-years Sonya became internet sensations after their bloopers went viral in 2013, but he once insisted that while 'people say we’re famous... We’re just ordinary people'
Local patrons of the restaurant and truck stop said Jack and Sonya were seen at the spot almost every day for five decades, where they 'made many friends, some of whom were like family', his obituary reads.
When it came time to shoot an advert for the eatery, the couple were asked by director Ric Tyler to appear, leading Jack to flub and joke his way through filming.
Jack had just one line, where he attempted to say Dysart's famous chicken pot pie is 'baked in a buttery, flaky crust.'
After a number of failed efforts, Sonya grew visibly annoyed as she showed him how it was done - only for her to stumble over the words herself, as Jack howled with laughter.
While producing the advert, Tyler also cut together a compilation of the bloopers and shared it to Dysart's YouTube channel, and it quickly became a viral meme across social media.
In his own post on Facebook following news of Jack's death, Tyler wrote: 'Thank you, Jack, for making MILLIONS of people laugh and smile.'
'I have faith God serves chicken pot pie in heaven,' he added.
The viral clip was even parodied by Saturday Night Live, where Jack was portrayed by Will Ferrell and Sonya by Kate McKinnon.
Jack's hilarious acting attempt was even parodied by Saturday Night Live, where he was portrayed by Will Ferrell and Sonya by Kate McKinnon.
Before his retirement in 2005, Jack worked for Bangor Daily News for 37 years laying out its pages for print.
In an interview with his former employer in 2016, Jack joked about his viral fame and said he was routinely spotted by people throughout Maine as the 'buttery, flaky crust' guy.
'People say we’re famous, and I don’t like that. We’re just ordinary people,' he said.
'Kids come up to me and say ‘baked in a buttery, flaky crust’ and then say ‘Ha, I got it!’ I say it in my sleep now. And I still screw it up.'
Mary Dysart Hartt, a longtime owner of Dysart's, told the outlet that she remembered Jack stopping by the restaurant since it first opened in 1967, when she was just 12.
'He was the most loyal customer you can imagine,' Dysart Hartt said.
Jack and Sonya were near-daily visitors to the truck-stop restaurant where they filmed the iconic blooper reel, and the diner described him as 'the most loyal customer you can imagine'
'His laugh was infectious. He was always smiling. I remember right after the blooper video went viral, they were just totally unaware of it. That fame did not change them one little bit.'
In his obituary, Jack was described as a loving family man whose 'presence on this earth will be missed by many.'
'He loved his family and the many pet companions they had through the years. Jack enjoyed collecting guns, target shooting and harness racing,' the obituary added.
He is survived by Sonya, his wife of 65 years, as well as a number of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
