Tom Bodett

Thomas Edward “Tom” Bodett (/boʊˈdɛt/ boh-DET; born February 23, 1955) is an American author, voice actor, and radio host. Since 1986, he has been the spokesman for the hotel chain Motel 6, whose commercials end with the phrase, “I’m Tom Bodett for Motel 6, and we’ll leave the light on for you.”

Personal background

Thomas Edward “Tom” Bodett was born on February 23, 1955, in Champaign, Illinois, and raised in Sturgis, Michigan.As of 2013, he resided in Dummerston, Vermont, where he is a member of the town’s board of selectmen.

Career

Spokesperson

In 1986, Bodett was both building houses in Homer, Alaska, and contributing content to NPR’s All Things Considered show. A creative director at the Richards Group ad agency heard him on NPR and hired him to record a commercial for Motel 6. Bodett ad-libbed the famous line, "We'll leave the light on for you", and has been the spokesperson for the chain ever since. The director, David Fowler, hired him because Bodett "sound[ed] like the kind of person who stays there." He thought, "Gosh, if I only had an account for a national budget motel brand with a sense of humor and humility, I could make a heck of an advertising campaign with this guy."