Actor and singer Tim Williams is best known in the U.S. for his role as “the Trivago Guy” in television commercials. For many years, starting in 2013, Williams appeared as a scruffy-faced spokesperson for the travel discount website. Prior to that, he had appeared in several German movies and TV shows as well as movies that include an appearance in Valkyrie (2008), which starred Tom Cruise.
Although Williams has lived much of his life in Germany, he grew up in Houston, Texas. So it may not be too much of a surprise that Williams developed a love for country music, first hearing it at rodeos he attended as a kid. And in 2018, he released his own album, Magnolia City, having co-written most of the songs with his producer Norbert Hamm.
Williams has a warm deep voice that suits his music well. While he has yet to do a follow-up album, and his acting career has not made him into a leading man, Williams is a man of many talents.
The video for the title track “Magnolia City” is about a man missing his home in Houston. Although Williams had hoped to make the video in Houston, they were in Germany at the time. So Hamm suggested they give it a touch of Houston’s NASA connections by putting Willams in a space suit.
While Williams’s costume may make one initially think Williams is not taking his music seriously, the quality of his singing and songwriting shows a serious effort in the music.
Check out Tim Williams, aka “the Trivago Guy,” singing in a space suit.
Where is the Trivago guy today? In 2024, Williams gave an interview where he explained he is back in the United States working on a script with his production company in New York and still appearing on TV and movies. He also recounts his appreciation for his time with Trivago, while also being disappointed they stopped using him and started using AI-enhanced commercials.
He also explained that the reason he did not wear a belt in the commercials was due to the fact his initial commercial did not have much budget for wardrobe, and that his famous unshaven look started because he initially was also doing a German TV show with a part that required the look.
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