# Actors / comedians who played a worse version of themselves **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** actor-characters\ **Created:** [February 18, 2024, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737 "2024-02-18T18:22:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/41 "2024-02-18T22:14:18Z")
Mel Torme wasn’t very patient with his #1 fan on Night Court. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/42 "2024-02-18T22:14:58Z")
Nor was Queen Elizabeth. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/43 "2024-02-18T22:24:31Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Adam West on _Family Guy_. Also, James Woods as recurring villain. Merv Griffin is arguably the worst [fictional version of self.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merv_Griffin) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/44 "2024-02-18T22:27:33Z")
_Entourage_ had a ton of people playing themselves. I remember a few. Bob Saget playing a nasty version of himself. Sasha Grey turning Vincent into a coke addict. Gary Busey turning himself into a total nut. Matt Damon is credited for only one episode on IMDB, though. I think they referred to his hounding afterward without him being on. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/45 "2024-02-18T22:54:36Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Margot Robbie in a bubble bath playing Margot Robbie in a bubble bath Selena Gomez and Anthony Bourdain also played themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/46 "2024-02-18T23:12:36Z")
I agree that stand-up comedians sometimes play worse versions of themselves on scripted shows, and I agree with your examples. However, I think it’s even _more_ common with stand-up comedians when they do their stand-up routines. In many cases, we are led to believe stand-up comics are portraying themselves on stage, when in fact they are portraying greatly exaggerated, or completely false versions of themselves. The better stand-ups do it best and most convincingly. A prime example is Bill Burr. Burr often portrays himself as a dimwitted, misogynistic, racist (and every other type of _-istic_) character on stage. And he’s quite convincing. His NSFW [Philly Rant](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_H_Suj7SEs&t=1s) is a good example. But, I’m confident, after seeing many not-in-character interviews with Burr, that he’s a pretty intelligent, pussycat of a fellow IRL. The late Gilbert Gottfried and George Carlin (especially in his later grouch years) are two others off the top of my head. Brutal, contemptible, and funny-as-hell onstage; gentle, intelligent, and somewhat boring off stage. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/47 "2024-02-18T23:16:40Z")
A recent one is Matthew Broderick playing Matthew Broderick on _Only Murders in the Building_ (not to mention a few other celebrities playing themselves). ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2024, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/48 "2024-02-18T23:57:39Z")
And “Jerk Brent Spiner” also turned up in one episode. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/49 "2024-02-19T00:07:46Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > There are several in _Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back._ They interrupt the filming of _Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season._ Affleck and Damon play douchey versions of themselves and Gus Van Sant isn’t paying attention while he is literally counting money. “Sorry to interrupt sirs, but we’ve got a 10-07 on our hands.” “Oh Jesus, again Ben?” “No, bullshit, because I wasn’t WITH a hooker today, ha-HA!” ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/50 "2024-02-19T00:41:01Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Gary Busey turning himself into a total nut. No, that’s just how Gary Busey is. > [@Tibby](#): > > Burr often portrays himself as a dimwitted, misogynistic, **racist** (and every other type of _-istic_) character on stage. (My bold) I agree with your assessment, and was surprised to learn that his wife is an African American woman. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/51 "2024-02-19T02:32:53Z")
Forgive me if he has already been mentioned, but Woody Allen comes to mind as a comedian who created a character, “Woody Allen,” who was the opposite of himself. Jack Benny, whose “Jack Benny” character was a vain, ill-tempered miser, was in real life a kind and generous man. Allen’s “Woody Allen” character was a nebbish, to use an apt Yiddish expression. In his early days as a stand-up comedian, he played that character, so well in fact, that people assumed that was what he was really like, which it was not. It was a character he created. Later, of course, he played that character under various names in various movies, but when he appeared on the Tonight Show or in night clubs, he played “Woody Allen,” the nebbish. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/52 "2024-02-19T02:39:39Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > However, I think it’s even _more_ common with stand-up comedians when they do their stand-up routines. In many cases, we are led to believe stand-up comics are portraying themselves on stage, when in fact they are portraying greatly exaggerated, or completely false versions of themselves. The better stand-ups do it best and most convincingly. > > A prime example is Bill Burr. Burr often portrays himself as a dimwitted, misogynistic, racist (and every other type of _-istic_) character on stage. And he’s quite convincing. His NSFW [Philly Rant](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_H_Suj7SEs&t=1s) is a good example. But, I’m confident, after seeing many not-in-character interviews with Burr, that he’s a pretty intelligent, pussycat of a fellow IRL. Anthony Jeselnik is an even better example, IMO. If even a tenth of the stories he tells about “himself” onstage were true, he’d be in prison. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2024, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/53 "2024-02-19T02:50:03Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > Forgive me if he has already been mentioned, but Woody Allen comes to mind as a comedian who created a character, “Woody Allen,” who was the opposite of himself. Jack Benny, whose “Jack Benny” character was a vain, ill-tempered miser, was in real life a kind and generous man. Allen’s “Woody Allen” character was a nebbish, to use an apt Yiddish expression. In his early days as a stand-up comedian, he played that character, so well in fact, that people assumed that was what he was really like, which it was not. It was a character he created. And then there was Andrew ‘Dice’ Clay. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/54 "2024-02-19T02:57:10Z")
The comedy folk duo Garfunkel & Oates played “themselves” on a short-lived Netflix series à la _Flight of the Conchords_. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/55 "2024-02-19T04:11:40Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > If songwriting is allowed, Taylor Swift’s _Blank Space_ is exactly this. Maybe [the video for that](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ORhEE9VVg) is a bit closer? When I saw that video, I’d never seen her perform anything, and thought “That is one gutsy artist, to portray herself as such a shallow, horrible person.” ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/56 "2024-02-19T04:18:05Z")
Character actress Margo Martindale on Bojack Horseman. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/57 "2024-02-19T04:37:47Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ytKdbz_ThOg/maxresdefault.jpg "William Shatner speaks his mind to fans at Star Trek convention #classic #SNL #comedy #funny #shorts") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytKdbz_ThOg) ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/58 "2024-02-19T05:55:20Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Character actress Margo Martindale on Bojack Horseman. Good call! ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/59 "2024-02-19T09:22:23Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Which got me to thinking, there are a lot of times an actor, especially a comic actor and usually for comedic purposes, has played a more unlikeable, annoying version of themselves. [Patrick Stewart on _Extras_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg_cwI1Xj4M) (show cited a few times here, but this particular scene…) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2024, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/60 "2024-02-19T09:59:07Z")
David Duchovny played himself as an insecure wannabe academic on **The Chair**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737.md?page=4)