# Actors and characters that share first names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 28, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926 "2011-09-28T20:59:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/41 "2011-09-29T15:05:59Z")
One \*Spin City \* Michael J. Fox as Mike Flaherty was replaced by Charlie Sheen as Charlie Crawford ETA: On the soap Days of Our Lives, Austin Peck played Austin Reed for years. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/42 "2011-09-29T15:22:26Z")
I don’t think _Night Court_ or _Home Improvement_ or _Welcome Back, Kotter_ or many others should count. The actor’s name isn’t the show’s name, but those shows were clearly created for those comedians, and the roles were created for the actor, rather than an actor happening to land a role with the same first name. Likewise, _Mad About You_ shouldn’t count for Paul Reiser. ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/43 "2011-09-29T15:40:41Z")
Shirley Jones as Shirley Partridge and Danny Bonaduce as Danny Partridge on _The Partridge Family_. It can be argued that the show was a vehicle for Ms. Jones, so she might not count, but Danny certainly does. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/44 "2011-09-29T16:25:23Z")
Bud Abbott and lou Costello usually played characters with names different from their own, but they played Bud and Lou on their TV series. Bud also played characters named “Bud” in three movies: Bud Jones in A and C in the Foreign Legion, Bud Alexander in A and C meet the Invisible Man, and Bud Flick in their last film, Dance with me Harry. (He was “Buzz” Johnson in Africa Screams and “Buzz” Curtis in A and C in Hollywood) He was Abbott in “One Night in the Tropics”, their first. In the same movies, Lou Costello was Lou Hotchkiss (A and C in the Foreign Legion), Lou Francis (A and C meet the Invisible Man), and Lou Henry (Dance with me Harry). His names didn’t resemble “Lou” in the ones where Bud was “Buzz”. He was Costello in “One Night in the Tropics”, their first film together. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/45 "2011-09-29T16:38:14Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I don’t think _Night Court_ or _Home Improvement_ or _Welcome Back, Kotter_ or many others should count. The actor’s name isn’t the show’s name, but those shows were clearly created for those comedians, and the roles were created for the actor, rather than an actor happening to land a role with the same first name. > > Likewise, _Mad About You_ shouldn’t count for Paul Reiser. You’re incorrect about Night Court. The character of Harry Stone was created before Harry Anderson auditioned for the role. It was even a coincidence that both Harrys are Mel Torme fans. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/46 "2011-09-29T16:50:11Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I don’t think _Night Court_ or _Home Improvement_ or _Welcome Back, Kotter_ or many others should count. The actor’s name isn’t the show’s name, but those shows were clearly created for those comedians, and the roles were created for the actor, rather than an actor happening to land a role with the same first name. > > Likewise, _Mad About You_ shouldn’t count for Paul Reiser. Why is any of this relevant? The OP didn’t stipulate that the actor _just happened_ to have the same name as the character. I think the point in most of these cases is that the characters and actors share names precisely because of who’s playing the role. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/47 "2011-09-29T17:54:07Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > [Does he ever!](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheDanza) The TV Tropes link that The Other Waldo Pepper provides lists perhaps a thousand examples. Virtually every one listed here is already there, making this thread an exercise in redundancy. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/48 "2011-09-29T18:09:02Z")
I’ll throw this out there, it may deviate just a bit from your OP but it’s worth mentioning. I’m another one of those guys that reads intently as the credits roll at the end of a movie. In doing so I’m struck by the number of time animals participating in a feature are portrayed using their real name. I think the reason is pretty obvious, that’s how they’ll best respond to instruction, pay attention, etc. Still, you’ll often times see that Duke, Buddy and Muffin are in fact Duke, Buddy and Muffin. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/49 "2011-09-29T18:21:15Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Why is any of this relevant? The OP didn’t stipulate that the actor _just happened_ to have the same name as the character. I think the point in most of these cases is that the characters and actors share names precisely because of who’s playing the role. It is relevant because I’m overly emotionally invested in this for no good reason, and I thought that was pretty obvious, SIR. Besides, **Bricker** acknowledged that\* I Love Lucy\* and other shows that literally have the actor’s name in the title shouldn’t count. I think the difference between that and a show like _All-American Girl_ (you remember Margaret Cho’s sitcom, where she played Margaret Kim!) is arbitrary and uninteresting. I could also point out that some sitcoms did have the actor’s name but the lead role had a different name (on \*Newhart \*Bob Newhart played Dick). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/50 "2011-09-29T18:22:18Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I’ll throw this out there, it may deviate just a bit from your OP but it’s worth mentioning. > > I’m another one of those guys that reads intently as the credits roll at the end of a movie. In doing so I’m struck by the number of time animals participating in a feature are portrayed using their real name. I think the reason is pretty obvious, that’s how they’ll best respond to instruction, pay attention, etc. Still, you’ll often times see that Duke, Buddy and Muffin are in fact Duke, Buddy and Muffin. They often do it the other way – precisely so the dog _ **won’t** _ respond to instructions. Think of, say, a scene where the kid fails to show off while the dog just sprawls out on the floor and keeps doing nothing: _“Sit up, Rufus! Shake hands, Rufus! Roll over, Rufus! Um. Play dead, Rufus!”_ You don’t cast a disobedient dog named Rufus; you cast an obedient one named Shep. (_“No, Rufus! Stop humping that man’s leg, Rufus!”_) ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/51 "2011-09-29T18:57:57Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I could also point out that some sitcoms did have the actor’s name but the lead role had a different name (on \*Newhart \*Bob Newhart played Dick). And Dick Van Dyke played Robert Petrie. Circle of life. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/52 "2011-09-29T20:01:17Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > And Dick Van Dyke played Robert Petrie. Circle of life. Some _Dick Van Dyke_ trivia: The character Rob is named after Rob Reiner, whose father, Carl Reiner, created and produced the series (and played Alan Brady). Of course, Rob went on to greater fame playing Mike Stivic on _All In the Family_ and later became a prolific film director. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/53 "2011-09-29T20:50:41Z")
I know Night Court has been covered, but has anyone mentioned Harry Anderson’s role on Cheers, Harry the Hat? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/54 "2011-09-30T12:17:05Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > The TV Tropes link that The Other Waldo Pepper provides lists perhaps a thousand examples. Virtually every one listed here is already there, making this thread an exercise in redundancy. No, it doesn’t. The point of these threads if for people to try to come up with them on their own. That’s the fun of it. While a TVTropes link is nice information, to use it in the thread is cheating. In no way do I think **The Other Waldo Pepper** was posting to tell us to shut up, as that would be pretty close to threadshitting. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/55 "2011-09-30T13:06:58Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > I know Night Court has been covered, but has anyone mentioned Harry Anderson’s role on Cheers, Harry the Hat? > [@zamboniracer](#): > > He also played a con-man character named “Harry the Hat” on Cheers before that. Post #18 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/56 "2011-09-30T13:09:53Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > In no way do I think **The Other Waldo Pepper** was posting to tell us to shut up, as that would be pretty close to threadshitting. I wouldn’t go that far, I was hoping to mention those so the SDMB would switch to examples _ **missed** _ by a site dedicated to this exact thing; that’s why I went on to mention Magnum PI, and nodded appreciatively at Monstera’s mention of The Partridge Family, and at bup’s quick discussion of Mad About You and All-American Girl, and so on. So I wasn’t trying to tell folks to shut up – rather the opposite – but all apologies if it was too close to threadshitting. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926/57 "2011-09-30T16:14:56Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Hmm, that sounds like exactly the same… I meant it wasn’t exactly the same because she wasn’t a comedian, but the character was closely based on her, so it still fit in that list. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-characters-that-share-first-names/597926.md?page=2)