# 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:** 9
**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:** [April 20, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/161 "2026-04-20T21:13:19Z")
A possible variation: Elisabeth Shue plays herself in 2008’s Steve Coogan comedy _Hamlet 2_—but she’s not exactly worse than herself. You might say she’s ‘more pathetic’ than herself. In the story she’s become discouraged about her acting career and is now working as a nurse. In reality she’d already had an Academy Award nomination (for _Leaving Las Vegas_) and had been appearing in one to three movies each year since, many with indie cred. So at least this version of Shue had a “worse” career than did the actual Shue. (_Hamlet 2_ is worth a watch.) [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104733/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104733/) ---
**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:** [April 20, 2026, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/162 "2026-04-20T21:37:33Z")
> [@solost](#): > > that ‘wiggle vision’ kinda makes me a little nauseous now, watching the Conan clip. My apologies. It was called _squigglevision_ > **[Squigglevision](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squigglevision)** > > Squigglevision is a method of computer animation in which the outlines of shapes are made to wiggle and undulate, emulating the effect of sketchily hand-drawn animation. Tom Snyder of Tom Snyder Productions invented the technique, which his animation studio Soup2Nuts subsequently used in Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist in 1995, and in Dick and Paula Celebrity Special, the first season of Home Movies, O'Grady, and Science Court. > Compared with traditional animation, Squigglevision is relatively f... > [@RealityChuck](#): > > Ian McKellen ([giving acting advice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5CX00i4uZE) “I pretend to be the person I’m playing.”) This never fails to make me laugh. Sometimes, it’ll get in my head and I’ll drive down the road doing my own paraphrase of the bit. It’s fun to combine the absurdity with the booming voice of a Shakespearean actor. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2026, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/163 "2026-04-20T21:43:01Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > The animation was crude (and wasn’t static - I believe they called it wiggle vision) Squigglevision. > **[Squigglevision](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squigglevision)** > > Squigglevision is a method of computer animation in which the outlines of shapes are made to wiggle and undulate, emulating the effect of sketchily hand-drawn animation. Tom Snyder of Tom Snyder Productions invented the technique, which his animation studio Soup2Nuts subsequently used in Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist in 1995, and in Dick and Paula Celebrity Special, the first season of Home Movies, O'Grady, and Science Court. > Compared with traditional animation, Squigglevision is relatively f... (Ninja’d. That above post wasn’t there when I started to reply and started watching clips of _Science Court_ on Youtube.) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2026, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/164 "2026-04-20T21:47:40Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > Ian McKellen ([giving acting advice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5CX00i4uZE) “I pretend to be the person I’m playing.”) > > This never fails to make me laugh. Sometimes, it’ll get in my head and I’ll drive down the road doing my own paraphrase of the bit. It’s fun to combine the absurdity with the booming voice of a Shakespearean actor. Heh, reminds me of the story in which, one day on the set of the movie ‘Marathon Man’ Dustin Hoffman tells Sir Laurence Olivier that he hadn’t slept for 72 hours to get ready for a scene where he was supposed to be severely exhausted. Olivier replied, “My dear boy, why don’t you just try acting? It’s so much easier”. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/165 "2026-04-21T00:51:25Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > This never fails to make me laugh. Sometimes, it’ll get in my head and I’ll drive down the road doing my own paraphrase of the bit. It’s fun to combine the absurdity with the booming voice of a Shakespearean actor. Sir Ian, Sir Ian, Sir Ian, _You shall not pass!, Sir Ian._ ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/166 "2026-04-21T12:15:00Z")
Laurence Fishburne, being a jerk to Kermit the Frog: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yZ-yzQL7214/hqdefault.jpg "Laurence Fishburne on The Muppets (2015)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ-yzQL7214) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/167 "2026-04-21T15:39:57Z")
Perfect example! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/168 "2026-04-21T18:05:07Z")
> [@solost](#): > > within the fiction of the movie, he’s not supposed to be the actual Roger Moore. Technically, Moore played Seymour Goldfarb, Jr, son of Seymour Goldfarb, heir to the Goldfarb Girdle fortune. It is unclear whether Seymour sincerely believes he is Moore, or just deep play acting. Seymour does break character after he “shoots” his mother. “Where did I go wrong”, she cries. He chuckles and says “you’re too Jewish”. ---
**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:** [April 21, 2026, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/169 "2026-04-21T19:14:20Z")
There are various odd sorts of television episodes with an actor playing weird versions of themselves. One of the oddest is the 1991 “Stark Raving Dad” episode of _The Simpsons_ with Michael Jackson doing the voice for a character. This character, who doesn’t look remotely like a cartoon version of Jackson, thinks he is Michael Jackson. You can’t watch this episode anymore, since it’s been removed from any kind of access since 2019: [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701217/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701217/) ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/170 "2026-04-21T20:06:17Z")
I’m hearing it is still included in DVD box sets. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/171 "2026-04-21T20:08:34Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > One of the oddest is the 1991 “Stark Raving Dad” episode of _The Simpsons_ with Michael Jackson doing the voice for a character. This character, who doesn’t look remotely like a cartoon version of Jackson, thinks he is Michael Jackson. This is similar to the Roger Moore ‘Cannonball Run’ example from upthread. So sorry, this one doesn’t count either. > [@solost](#): > > > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > > > See, that’s the gimmick with Roger Moore in CANNONBALL RUN, which leaves me uncertain: yes, he gets referred to as “Roger Moore” — because the character, an obsessive fan who’s paid for surgery to help him look like Roger Moore, painstakingly introduces himself as “Roger Moore” — sure as he does his best to talk like Roger Moore while dressed like Roger Moore. > > Now that’s an interesting one. In that case, despite the fact that it’s Roger Moore playing a character named Roger Moore, it wouldn’t qualify for this thread because, within the fiction of the movie, he’s not supposed to be the actual Roger Moore. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/172 "2026-04-22T02:38:05Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > You can’t watch this episode anymore, since it’s been removed from any kind of access since 2019: Us luddites can still watch it on our DVD boxed sets. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2026, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/173 "2026-04-23T11:13:06Z")
I’ve was never a _Friends_ fan but have considered giving it a go after watching Matt Leblanc in _Episodes._ He manages making the lowest version of himself cringeworthy, hilarious and lovable. One of my favorite comedies. _Extras_ is another favorite that I’m constantly trying to get others to watch and probably has the most examples of this. I think Ben Stiller played the most despicable version of a famous actor/director. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2026, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/174 "2026-04-23T17:24:28Z")
Every Adam Sandler movie? ---
**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:** [April 23, 2026, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/175 "2026-04-23T17:34:43Z")
The only Sandler film I can think of that fits the OP is _Funny People_ - and even there, he’s not playing himself, but a thinly disguised version of himself named “George Simmons.” ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2026, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/176 "2026-04-23T19:47:38Z")
Opinions vary, you think more of Adam than I do, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2026, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/177 "2026-04-23T20:11:36Z")
Adam Sandler has a specific comedic persona that he uses in a lot of his film roles, but that’s not what the OP is asking about. They’re asking for movies where an actor plays a character that is explicitly a parody of their real selves, using their actual name, and either playing up their real life reputation, or deliberately playing _against_ their real life reputation. A movie where Adam Sandler plays yet another over grown man-child who throws tantrums in public would not count for this thread. A movie where Adam Sandler plays a character named “Adam Sandler,” who is known in the movie for his habit of making movie after movie where he plays an overgrown man-child who throws tantrums in public would count for this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2026, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/178 "2026-04-23T20:13:06Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Opinions vary, you think more of Adam than I do, I guess. There’s a difference between “That guy only plays himself” and actually being a version of yourself in a work. You might think Adam Sandler only plays a version of himself but the only time I remember him playing himself was on an episode of _Brooklyn 99._ ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2026, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/179 "2026-04-23T21:00:53Z")
Nevermind ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2026, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737/180 "2026-04-23T21:33:44Z")
Jean Claude van Damme played a fictionalized version of himself in the 2008 film _JCVD_. It is actually more dramatic than most of the examples here and he gives a very good performance. SO I am not surely it actually qualifies as a **worse** version of him but I thought it deserves some mention. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-comedians-who-played-a-worse-version-of-themselves/997737.md?page=10)