The icon joked that he’s trying to “catch up to my dog” by starring in the big game commercial the “Top Gun: Maverick” star.

How Kurt Russell’s dog inspired him to star in new Super Bowl commercial with Lewis Pullman

The icon joked that he's trying to "catch up to my dog" by starring in the big game commercial the "Top Gun: Maverick" star.

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and *NME*.

EW's editorial guidelines

February 8, 2026 7:03 p.m. ET

Kurt Russell and his dog Roy. Credit:

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Budweiser/YouTube

Kurt Russell is sharing how his and Goldie Hawn’s adorable Labrador retriever, Roy Hawn Russell, inspired him to star in a Super Bowl commercial with *Top Gun: Maverick* star Lewis Pullman.**

The Hollywood icon tells * *that he accepted a role in a Michelob ULTRA ad at the big game to “catch up with my dog,” who previously appeared in a Super Bowl ad for Budweiser in 2024. **

“Roy, our Lab that I got gold for Goldie, he became the Budweiser dog,” Russell explains. “He went in on a cattle call, and they picked him — and I think there was a large audience for that! So I looked at this as an opportunity to maybe catch up with my dog. Who knows? Maybe this will be a really big audience!”

Kurt Russell in September 2024 in Beverly Hills.

Stefanie Keenan/Getty

Roy played a key role in the heartwarming commercial by guiding a horse-drawn carriage full of Budweiser through a blizzard and safely to the town’s local tavern. And, when the commercial aired during the sporting event, Russell says the whole family — including Kate Hudson and Wyatt Russell — was in attendance to cheer on their popular pooch. **

“Kate did a little video last year of the commercial when it came on, and that went viral because Anheuser-Busch had no idea that [Roy] was a dog that was Goldie’s and mine,” Kurt Russell adds. “They got more mileage outta that than they did the commercial, I was told by the Buschs!” **

But is Roy okay with sharing the title of Super Bowl star with his owner?

Kurt Russell's dog Roy.

Budweiser/YouTube

“So far so good, but I don't think he's too worried about much,” a laughing Russell replies.

In her Instagram post, Hudson can be seen filming the ad as it plays on the family’s television. It then cuts to reveal Roy getting showered with affection from his loved ones including Russell. **

Kurt Russell reveals he helped Tom Cruise learn how to fly after 'Top Gun'

Kurt Russell calls Taylor Sheridan's 'The Madison' a 'female-gaze-oriented show'

“Good boy, Roy!” Russell cheered in the clip. “You just were in front of more people than any actor in this family has ever been in front of at one time!” **

Hudson captioned her video, "There’s a lot of thespians in this family, but tonight there was only one star."

Hawn also shared her own video of the moment on social media, adding, “Don’t get me wrong, I love watching football, but tonight was all about watching our dog Roy Hawn Russell star in his first superbowl commercial for @budweiserusa!!!”

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.*****

Now all that’s left to see is how Russell’s famous family reacts when he appears in Michelob ULTRA’s advertisement. Titled “The ULTRA Instructor,” the Joseph Kosinski-directed commercial sees the *Thing* actor play a mysterious snow guru who takes a rookie skier (Pullman) under his wing and transforms him into a serious slope shredder.

Russell notes that he and Pullman hadn't met prior to filming the clip, but that his son Wyatt personally vouched for his costar’s character, having shared the screen with him in Marvel’s *The Thunderbolts/New Avengers*. **

"Wyatt told me, 'Who's going to play the student, as it were?' And I said, ‘Lewis Pullman.’ And he said, ‘Do you know Lewis!?'" Russell recalls. "And I said, 'No.' [He said,] ‘Aww, he's a great guy. You're going to have a blast. You're going to have a great time with him!'"**

He continues, “I said, Oh, you guys know each other?’ He said, ‘We work together in Marvel.’ I said, ‘Oh, okay, great!’ I didn't know. And he was right.” **

For the last five years, Wyatt has portrayed John Walker, a former Captain America now operating under the name U.S. Agent, in several projects within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is set to team up again with Pullman, who plays Bob/Sentry, in the upcoming *Avengers: Doomsday*. **

Kurt also made an appearance in the MCU playing the father of Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) in 2017’s *Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2*. **

Watch “The ULTRA Instructor” above, and check out our roundup of best and worst 2026 Super Bowl commercials here.

- Entertainment Lifestyle

- Sports Events

- Super Bowl ads

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Super”