Maybe it was because the Super Bowl was being played in Los Angeles for the first time in nearly 30 years. Maybe celebrities were tired of having to keep a low profile during the pandemic. Whatever the reason, the stars were in full force for the championship game.
The commercials always feature a slew of familiar faces, but this year's slate was over the top.
The biggest surprise: A Chevrolet spot directed by "The Sopranos" creator David Chase that re-created his show's iconic opening. But this time the car making its way into New Jersey was driven by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who played daughter Meadow on the series. Her road trip ended with a hug from Robert Iler, who played her brother.
Nostalgia was a familiar theme all night long. Mike Myers came together with his "Austin Powers" castmates for General Motors. "Scrubs" actors Donald Faison and Zach Braff reignited their onscreen bromance for T-Mobile. When Steve Buscemi popped in a bowling alley for a Michelob Ultra ad, you couldn't help but flash back to "The Big Lebowski."
If the "Sopranos" moment was the most sentimental, Larry David's appearance was the funniest.
FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange, imagined the beloved curmudgeon pooh-poohing great ideas in history from the wheel to the moon landing. A close second for laughs: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek playing Greek gods enjoying a BMW joy ride.
Other highlights included Lindsay Lohan showing off her "new look" for Planet Fitness and a goofy ad in which Tommy Lee Jones, Rashida Jones and Leslie Jones raced Toyotas against "outsider" Nick Jonas.
Anna Kendrick, Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Willie Nelson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matthew McConaughey, Morgan Freeman and Scarlett Johansson also appeared in commercials.
In addition to the ads, there was Halle Berry introducing a tribute to Los Angeles shortly before kickoff with appearances from Carrie Underwood and Kevin Hart. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson channeled Oprah Winfrey while introducing the two teams.
As for the crowd, NBC seemed most interested in focusing its cameras on the quarterbacks' loved ones and LeBron James. But at one point, they pointed out the attendees included Matt Damon, Charlize Theron and Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.
"You've gotta see to be seen," said announcer Al Michaels.
