Stevens is well known for playing the character 'Fred Rated' in various '80s offbeat TV commercials for the Federated Group stores, a chain of home electronics retailers in the western and southwestern United States. Stevens as Fred Rated appeared in more than 1,000 commercials and gained a cult following. The ads were so popular that they were the subject of two-page spread in Time Magazine and led to a movie deal, television shows, and American Top 40.