Dos Equis dumps ‘the Most Interesting Man in the World’

Even “the Most Interesting Man in the World� is not immune to getting dumped.

Mexican beer brand Dos Equis is letting go of its gray-haired spokesman, 77-year-old Jonathan Goldsmith, and replacing him with another actor.

Goldsmith has been appearing in Dos Equis commercials as “the Most Interesting Man in the World� for about nine years. He usually is seen sitting at a table with a group of women before uttering the beer’s slogan, “Stay thirsty, my friends.�

Dos Equis is making the change to attract new drinkers, said Andrew Katz, the brand’s vice president of marketing. The company, owned by Amsterdam-based Heineken, said sales of the brand have nearly tripled since the ads began airing in 2007.

A new “Most Interesting Man in the World� will appear in commercials later this year. A replacement has been chosen, but Katz declined to say who it is.

Goldsmith is not crying in his beer over the change, though.

“I feel terrific, I really do,� Goldsmith said. “I’ve had a great time in the last 10 years.�

He said fans of the ads approach him all the time.

“It’s overwhelming recognition,� Goldsmith said. “I would be literally mobbed.�

In his last Dos Equis commercial, Goldsmith’s character is shipped off in a rocket on a one-way trip to Mars. He says, “Stay thirsty, my friends� for the last time as the rocket takes off.

Some brands have had a hard time getting rid of beloved pitchmen. Four years ago, travel website Priceline.com tried to kill off the Negotiator, played by actor William Shatner, in a fiery bus crash during a TV spot. But Shatner returned to the role just months later.

Katz said Goldsmith’s space odyssey is more permanent. “It’s a one-way mission.�

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