Marionetteer Ricky Syers was in shock when he got a call two-and-a-half weeks ago asking to help out FOX Sports for a Pizza Hut commercial.
“They were looking for popular New York City icons,” Syers said. “I can’t believe I fell into this category.”
Syers, who often performs in Washington Square Park, crafted a marionette that looks just like FOX analyst Howie Long in four days in order to shoot an ad with the former Raider that will air before Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday. It usually takes Syers four to five days to build his marionettes, but he normally takes a week to refine it. He wasn’t afforded that luxury for this project. He was contacted on Jan. 14, got confirmation for the ad two days later and it was filmed last Tuesday at FOX’s temporary Times Square studio at Duffy Square.
“I toiled my ass and I pulled it off,” said Syers, a native of South Plainfield, N.J.
The puppet is a splitting image of Long. Syers had to cut fabric from one of his Ralph Lauren suits to put together a mini suit for the Long marionette. It was 13 degrees plus wind chill for the one-and-a-half hour shoot.
Syers said when Long saw the puppet, Long said “I thought I’d seen everything in my life. Now I know I have.”