# Actors who are so strongly identified with a character that it is hard to dissociate the two. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101 "2010-02-15T19:04:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/101 "2010-02-17T20:20:46Z")
What about Brian Cox? ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/102 "2010-02-18T12:44:49Z")
> [@Leiko](#): > > Sex and the City is a way different show/movie from what’s intended if you grew up watching Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and think Valeris rather than Samantha whenever you see Kim Cattrall. No.. I don’t think so! Kim Cattrall will alway be Lassie from Porky’s!😃 ---
**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:** [February 18, 2010, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/103 "2010-02-18T13:16:47Z")
There is but one actor/character that came to my mind: **Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle.** Sha-zam! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/104 "2010-02-18T13:59:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What about Brian Cox? The pr0n star? ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/105 "2010-02-18T14:26:45Z")
Hugo Weaving as Mr. Smith. It was so bad that it almost derailed my enjoyment of LOTR. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/106 "2010-02-18T14:46:56Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Kelsey Grammer seems the most obvious, having been Frasier for about 20 years (and still, in reruns). Even as Sideshow Bob, hg’s still a cartoon version of Frasier with wild hair. His cameo in Star Trek Next Gen? Frasier in space. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/107 "2010-02-18T14:50:43Z")
His character in _Down Periscope_ was a bit different. Especially the part where he probably fucks Lauren Holly at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/108 "2010-02-18T15:24:51Z")
Arnold Schwarzenegger. I mean, they still call him “The Governator”. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/109 "2010-02-18T15:51:41Z")
Well, sure, but it’s not like he played a wide variety of characters before the T-800; he was either a police officer or retired soldier with an inexplicable Austrian accent, or Danny DeVito’s brother with an inexplicable Austrian accent. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/110 "2010-02-18T15:57:05Z")
> [@](#): > > His character in Down Periscope was a bit different. Especially the part where he probably fucks Lauren Holly at the end. I don’t know why but I really like that movie a lot, it’s stupid but there is someting there I can’t put a finger on that I enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/111 "2010-02-18T16:13:28Z")
Me too. I think it’s the fact that the villain is genuinely unlikeable. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/112 "2010-02-18T16:24:49Z")
Craig Charles will always be Dave “Chinzano Bianco” Lister to me, even in the old Robot Wars TV series, and the one episode of Lexx season 4, I still see him as “the last Human being alive” Matt Frewer will always be “Ma-ma-ma-Max Headroom” Robert Englund = Freddy Krueger All the Trek cast as their Trek characters Ben Browder = John Crichton Claudia Black = the radiant Aeryn Sun ---
**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, 2010, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/113 "2010-02-19T11:32:48Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, sure, but it’s not like he played a wide variety of characters before the T-800; he was either a police officer or retired soldier with an inexplicable Austrian accent, or Danny DeVito’s brother with an inexplicable Austrian accent. Slight nitpick, but that came _ **after** _ he played the T-800; before then, he was – Conan the Barbarian. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/114 "2010-02-19T11:45:06Z")
Steve Carell will always and forever be that guy from “The Office”. It didn’t have to be that way, he had some quirky roles in other films, but it seems like he’s put so much of himself into the Michael Scott role that it’s like the Pee Wee Herman of mockudrama. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2010, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/115 "2010-02-19T12:18:57Z")
> [@Cosmic Relief](#): > > Steve Carell will always and forever be that guy from “The Office”. It didn’t have to be that way, he had some quirky roles in other films, but it seems like he’s put so much of himself into the Michael Scott role that it’s like the Pee Wee Herman of mockudrama. He’ll always be Brick “I pooped a hammer” Tamland to me. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/116 "2010-02-19T12:38:26Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > Robert Englund = Freddy Krueger I’l alway remember him as Willie on the original “V”🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/117 "2010-02-19T13:37:29Z")
Has this been said? Mike Connors = Mannix. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/118 "2010-02-19T15:14:23Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Slight nitpick, but that came _ **after** _ he played the T-800; before then, he was – Conan the Barbarian. Also [Mickey Hargitay](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000216/) in _The Jayne Mansfield Story_ apparently. > [@](#): > > Steve Carell will always and forever be that guy from “The Office”. It didn’t have to be that way, he had some quirky roles in other films, but it seems like he’s put so much of himself into the Michael Scott role that it’s like the Pee Wee Herman of mockudrama. Never seen _The 40-Year-Old Virgin_, I take it? ---
**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:** [February 19, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/119 "2010-02-19T15:50:31Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Also [Mickey Hargitay](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000216/) in _The Jayne Mansfield Story_ apparently. I saw that. You have to admit that the role of a Central European bodybuilder who moves to Hollywood was not really a stretch for Ahnold. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101/120 "2010-02-19T22:45:05Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Never seen _The 40-Year-Old Virgin_, I take it? Of course I did. It’s that one with the guy from “The Office”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-are-so-strongly-identified-with-a-character-that-it-is-hard-to-dissociate-the-two/529101.md?page=7)