Stoneham native aspiring to attend 2nd Super Bowl

By Patrick Blais
January 18, 2010
The Stoneham Independent

STONEHAM, MA – The New England Patriots’ hopes of making the Super Bowl may have been dashed last Sunday, but with a little help from her hometown, one of the team’s former cheerleaders may just make it there.

Stoneham native Elizabeth Hanson, who moved to Hollywood, Calif. in 2005 to pursue an acting career, is featured in one of six advertisements recently selected as finalists for Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” contest.

Hanson, who was a New England Patriots’ cheerleader from 2002-2004, could win an opportunity to attend the Super Bowl in Miami this February, if her commercial captures enough votes to become one of three semi-finalists in the competition.

After already attending Super Bowl 38, where New England captured the NFL crown by beating the Carolina Panthers, not only would the aspiring actress earn the opportunity to watch her second live Super Bowl, her commercial will also air during the game.

“What’s so cool was that I got to dance at the Super Bowl in Houston, and now I have a shot of going back for the commercial,” said the SHS alumnus during a recent phone interview.

“A Super Bowl is kind of like the Oscars of commercials. So I’d love to get back as an actress instead of a cheerleader,” Hanson added.

Hanson’s commercial, which can be viewed at www.voteforcasket.com, is about three friends attending the funeral of a friend. However, the only catch is that the deceased has staged his own death.

Local residents interested in giving the former SHS cheerleader and girls track team member a boost in the contest can vote for the commercial after viewing it. Participants can vote once a day, and a lucky pair will be awarded their own tickets to the Super Bown.

According to Hanson, while she was extremely pleased with the production, beating out 4,000 other contestants to become a finalist was quite the shock.

“I was really proud of the outcome, but because of the sheer numbers, I was excited and overwhelmed that we were one of the finalists,” the former NFL cheerleader said. “Winning the competition and having it aired during the Super Bowl would defintely give me [a boost] as an actress.”

While the Clark University graduate always expressed an interest in acting professionally — she was in a few high school and college plays — she credits her days as a Patriots’ cheerleader as giving her the confidence she needed to take a chance in pursuing that dream.

In 2001, Hanson tried out unsucessfully for the squad after being convinced by a friend to tag along. However, the lifelong dancer put in some hard work in following months and eventually earned her spot the subsequent year.

“I really feel like making the team gave me the confidence and the push to come out here,” the SHS graduate recalled. “In addition to support from family and friends, it just gave me a bunch of sheer confidence.”

According to the West Hollywood resident, whose parents still live in Stoneham, she hopes to one day become a television and movie actress.

“When I look at films, the ones that stand out to me are the ones you think about a few days afterwards. The genre really isn’t as important to me,” she explained.