William Shatner played himself in “Free Enterprise”
His heroin busts would confirm there’s at least some truth to that. Kevin Smith says that Jay is more like Mewes was in high school, but he seems to have a similar problem…
… Jennifer Grey starred as Jennifer Grey in the bizarre comedy series, “It’s Like, You Know” …
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0168340
(the jokes about the “nose job” were hillarious!)
ME-Clifton James was Monty’s double in, strangely enough, “I was Monty’s Double”, back in 1958…
William Shatner also played himself in “Showtime” giving advice to real cops on how to play cops on TV.
I can’t believe I mentioned “Alice’s Restaurant” and didn’t think of Arlo Guthrie.
Dan Marino played himself in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” Keith Hernandez played a ballplayer in “Law and Order.” Brett Favre plays himself in “There’s Something About Mary.”
Jay Leno plays himself in many movies for that “Jay Leno Makes Jokes About The Protagonist” scene.
Many politicians and political commentators play themselves in movies with political themes, such as “Dave.”
Of course, the most famous case might be Harold Russell, a soldier who lost both his hands in WWII, and was hired to play a soldier who lost in hands in WWII in “The Best Years of our Lives.” He won the Oscar for basically playing himself (it wasn’t just a sympathy vote, he was really good) and didn’t appear in another film for decades.
Of course, I forgot Dr. Haing Ngor, who was imprisoned and tortured by the Khmer Rouge and then later played a man imprisoned and tortured by the Khmer Rouge in “The Killing Fields.” (Other than that connection, the characters were different; the character was a photographer, Ngor was a physician.) Ngor also won the Academy Award.
And damn, I wasn’t the first one to mention Russell. You got me, RealityChuck.
Sort of. The Beatles were never mentioned by that name in A Hard Day’s Night, but the audience is left with the obvious conclusion as to who the annonymous band are meant to be.
How about George Raft? Frequent gangster in the movies and pal of Bugsy Siegel in real life.
This thread sure went off-topic real quick. Y’all might want to read the OP again.
Xenia Seeburg who plays Xev on the Lexx television show played herself. My husband met her at a con and said her personality was the same. Not the sex starved love slave, mind you, but the cuteness that she brings to the role.
Nina Hartley in “Boogie Nights”
(Or so I’ve heard)
I just saw and episode of Seinfeld with Raquel Welch. She was playing herself, although I really think she does move her arms when she walks.
Dudley Moore played a composer/pianist in 10. He is a concert pianist, and didn’t use a music double (i.e., played his own piece).
God, I tried not to make that sound dirty, but it just didn’t work.
Burt Reynolds had a brief career as a football player, so his part inSemi-Tough counts.
Jeff Olson’s comments noted, Istill must point out an interesting “playing themselves” film.
In the “Jolson Story”, Al Jolson was played by actor Larry Parks. The film was a big success so what do they do? The of course film a sequel.
The sequel, Jolson Sings Again, covers the time in Jolson’s life during which they actually filmed the FIRST film.
So there is a scene in the sequel where Jolson, played by Parks, meets the man who played him on the set of the first movie (Parks) and the role of Parks in the sequel was played, of course, by Parks.
So a score card:
- Parks played Jolson in the first movie
- Parks Played Jolson in the second movie
- Parks played Jolson meeting Parks in the second movie ON THE SET OF THE FIRST
- Parks played Parks meeting Jolson in the second movie on the set of the first…
I assume we’re not even going to begin listing all the people who have played actresses & actors…
Plus the fact that Jolson himself played Parks playing Jolson in a couple of shots in the film. Not really on subject, except in a purely regressive sense.
Alex Karras played Alex Karras in “Paper Lion.” Actually, Karras was not a member of the Lions when George Plimpton tried out for the team (he was on a suspension for gambling), but Plimpton recounted some stories about him in the book, and they were shown in the movie. Karras used the role to start his acting career.
Looking at the cast list of the “Paper Lion,” quite a few Detroit Lions players played themselves. The movie may hold the record for a non-documentary for the number of speaking roles consisting of people playing themselves. Alan Alda and Lauren Hutton are the only main cast members playing someone other than themselves.
Not any more he isn’t. Jeff and Beau Bridges also played piano without doubles in The Fabulous Baker Boys though, and have admitted that there were autobiographical elements in that.
In the Pegasus Bridge sequences in “The Longest Day”, Richard Todd plays Major John Howard. Todd participated in the actual attack, with Howard being his commanding officer.