# 27 actors, 1 movie **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 26, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017 "2010-11-26T22:29:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/1 "2010-11-26T22:29:35Z")
This game was popular about 5 years ago. Let’s see if it catches on again. I’m thinking of a movie. Can you work out what it is? Phase I: Look at the list of 27 actors below. Group them into 9 groups of 3 each. For each group, name a movie that all 3 have been in. Name a 4th actor that was in each movie. Phase II: You now have 9 new actors. Group them into 3 groups of 3 as in phase I. Name a 4th actor for each. Phase III: Name a movie with the 3 new actors. Note: I’ve made this super easy by including VERY popular movies. (Most of them, anyway.) If you post your own puzzle after this one has been solved, please have the same courtesy. It’s a hard enough game as it is! Puzzle 1: Richard Attenborough Christine Baranski Drew Barrymore Kate Blanchett Jeff Bridges Pierce Brosnan Sandra Bullock Steve Buscemi Simon Callow Jim Carrey Danny DeVito Joseph Fiennes Paul Giamatti John Goodman Ed Harris David Huddleston Angelica Huston Raul Julia David Krumholtz Christopher Lloyd Andie McDowell Jack Nicholson Elizabeth Perkins Geoffrey Rush Adam Sandler Rob Schneider Meryl Streep Kristin Scott Thomas ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/2 "2010-11-27T04:41:02Z")
Procedural question…the 4th actor that we’re supposed to pick should be someone not already mentioned in the list or is supposed to be in the list? I may have inadvertently confused myself by picking a movie that 4 people on the list had been in… ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/3 "2010-11-27T06:05:14Z")
Another procedural question…why are there 28 names? I’ve almost got the first level worked out. Assuming you drop one name from the list, I’ll either be really close or have to start all over again. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/4 "2010-11-27T06:24:27Z")
A most excellent question, Robot. If my 4th person ends up being the name that is dropped, that would be quite handy. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/5 "2010-11-27T07:18:26Z")
Jeez. This game was popular? I’m pretty “well-watched” and I’ve never even heard of 6 of the names on your list. I think I’d have more luck doing a Chinese crosssword puzzle blindfolded and unconscious. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/6 "2010-11-27T09:31:28Z")
I’m interpreting this as an ‘open internet’ sort of puzzle. Am I wrong? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/7 "2010-11-27T13:49:52Z")
> [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](#): > > A most excellent question, Robot. If my 4th person ends up being the name that is dropped, that would be quite handy. Yeah – sorry. Ms. Blanchett is indeed a 2nd phase name, not a 1st one. That should make things a lot easier. And what makes this puzzle difficult is that certain actors tend to be in a lot of movies together. Some phase II actors may have also been in other phase I movies. I don’t believe that I’ve included any actual duplicates anywhere in the puzzle, though. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/8 "2010-11-27T13:57:00Z")
> [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](#): > > I’m interpreting this as an ‘open internet’ sort of puzzle. Am I wrong? Use whatever resources you have to. And work cooperatively. I tried to assemble this without the use of IMDB. But while I could remember faces quite well, I was totally blanking on names. Who was that guy who starred in that one movie? He was the Joker. Heeeeeere’s Johnny! You can’t handle the truth! Yeah, I actually had to look up his name. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/9 "2010-11-27T15:09:46Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Jeez. This game was popular? Yeah, it got [535](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=339457) replies. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/10 "2010-11-27T15:26:28Z")
This looks ridiculously difficult, but I’ll give it a shot: John Goodman Steve Buscemi Jeff Bridges **The Big Lebowski** (4th actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman?) Richard Attenborough Christine Baranski Drew Barrymore Kate Blanchett Jeff Bridges Pierce Brosnan Sandra Bullock Steve Buscemi Simon Callow Jim Carrey Danny DeVito Joseph Fiennes Paul Giamatti John Goodman Ed Harris David Huddleston Angelica Huston Raul Julia David Krumholtz Christopher Lloyd Andie McDowell Jack Nicholson Elizabeth Perkins Geoffrey Rush Adam Sandler Rob Schneider Meryl Streep Kristin Scott Thomas ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/11 "2010-11-27T15:30:22Z")
Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito and Paul Giamatti were all in **Man in the Moon** , but I doubt that’s what you’re going for (Giamatti had a small, un-credited part). mmm ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/12 "2010-11-27T17:17:45Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito and Paul Giamatti were all in **Man in the Moon** , but I doubt that’s what you’re going for (Giamatti had a small, un-credited part). I didn’t even see that! Nope, wrong movie and (partly) wrong grouping. The Big Lebowski is correct, but Steve Buscemi doesn’t belong in that grouping. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/13 "2010-11-27T17:28:23Z")
Here’s my best effort at all of level 1:1. Addams Family Values: Angelica Huston, Raul Julia, David Krumholtz 2. Mamma Mia: Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep 3. Elizabeth: Richard Attenborough, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush 4. Four Weddings and a Funeral: Simon Callow, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas 5. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Jack Nicholson 6. Fifty First Dates: Drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider 7. 28 Days: Sandra Bullock, Steve Buscemi, Elizabeth Perkins 8. The Truman Show: Jim Carrey, Paul Giamatti, Ed Harris 9. The Big Lebowski: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, David Huddleston Which gives me two out of three movies for level 2:[spoiler] Sean Astin (Fifty First Dates) Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth) Viggo Mortensen (28 Days) _The Lord of the Rings_ Colin Firth (Mamma Mia) Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral) Laura Linney (The Truman Show) _Love Actually_ No luck yet finding cast members from _One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest_, _The Big Lebowski_, and _Addams Family Values_ that I can tie together, yet.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/14 "2010-11-27T17:39:59Z")
Good job, **Robot Arm**. Except Cate Blanchett was not in LotR. She’s in a different level II movie. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/15 "2010-11-27T17:53:47Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Cate Blanchett was not in LotR. She’s in a different level II movie. She most certainly was in LOTR. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/16 "2010-11-27T18:22:38Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Good job, **Robot Arm**. Except > > Cate Blanchett was not in LotR. She’s in a different level II movie. Is this better?[spoiler]Sean Astin (Fifty First Dates) Brad Dourif (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) Viggo Mortensen (28 Days) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Colin Firth (Mamma Mia) Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral) Laura Linney (The Truman Show) Love Actually So now I need Cate Blanchett (_Elizabeth_) and anybody from _The Big Lebowski_, and _Addams Family Values_. Still working on it.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/17 "2010-11-27T18:27:10Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > She most certainly was in LOTR. True, but so was someone else from the list. **Robot Arm** got that one right, too. The missing movie from level II is the only one in this puzzle that that wasn’t really big. It probably just played in art houses. But it had four major actors. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/18 "2010-11-27T18:31:32Z")
Is the final answer:Pirates of the Caribbean I don’t have all the details worked out yet. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/19 "2010-11-27T18:40:24Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Is the final answer Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017/20 "2010-11-27T18:57:59Z")
I think I’ve got it:[spoiler]Angelica Huston, Raul Julia, David Krumholtz: Addams Family Values – Christina Ricci Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep: Mamma Mia – Colin Firth Richard Attenborough, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush: Elizabeth – Cate Blanchett Simon Callow, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas: Four Weddings and a Funeral – Hugh Grant Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Jack Nicholson: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Brad Dourif Drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider: Fifty First Dates – Sean Astin Sandra Bullock, Steve Buscemi, Elizabeth Perkins: 28 Days – Viggo Mortensen Jim Carrey, Paul Giamatti, Ed Harris: The Truman Show – Laura Linney Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, David Huddleston: The Big Lebowski – John Turturro Sean Astin, Brad Dourif, Viggo Mortensen: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Orlando Bloom Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney: Love Actually – Keira Knightley Cate Blanchett, Christina Ricci, John Turturro: The Man Who Cried – Johnny Depp Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley: Pirates of the Caribbean[/spoiler] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-actors-1-movie/562017.md?page=2)