# Actors who died before people they played **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 21, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309 "2017-08-21T21:37:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [August 22, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/21 "2017-08-22T15:51:32Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Do parodists count? Phil Hartman (d. 1998) played Ronald Reagan (d. 2004), Bill Clinton (living), Charlton Heston (d. 2008), Jack Nicholson (living), and many others on _Saturday Night Live_. John Belushi (died 1982) parodied Joe Cocker (died 2014). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZsOyO\_lXD8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZsOyO_lXD8) ---
**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:** [August 22, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/22 "2017-08-22T15:59:45Z")
Cliff Robertson (died in 2011) played Hugh Hefner (still alive) in _Star 80_. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2017, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/23 "2017-08-23T05:01:15Z")
I’m going to make an OP call, and say parodists don’t count. As I expected, you all came up with a ton of examples, even though I couldn’t think of any. I’m sort of surprised how lopsided the male / female ratio is. Ruby Dee and Brittany Murphy are the only examples on the distaff side? ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2017, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/24 "2017-08-23T07:15:24Z")
Everybody in the Star Trek movies. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2017, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/25 "2017-08-23T07:25:36Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m sort of surprised how lopsided the male / female ratio is. Ruby Dee and Brittany Murphy are the only examples on the distaff side? Found another: Janet Brown (d. 2011) played Margaret Thatcher (d. 2013) in _For Your Eyes Only_ (1981). ---
**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:** [August 23, 2017, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/26 "2017-08-23T07:39:49Z")
Philip Seymour Hoffman (died 2014) played Art Howe (still alive) in _Moneyball_. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/27 "2017-08-26T02:31:08Z")
Not sure if this counts, but in “Boys From Brazil,” the Laurence Olivier character is clearly supposed to be Simon Wiesenthal, who outlived Sir Larry. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/28 "2017-08-26T02:32:42Z")
One to keep an eye on: Frank Serpico may yet outlive Al Pacino. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/29 "2017-08-26T02:38:01Z")
Lindy “Dingos ate My Baby” Chamertlain is about the same age as Meryl Streep, and u but outlive her. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/30 "2017-08-26T02:46:27Z")
Lee Strasberg died a year before mobster Meyer Lansky, whom he sort of played in “Godfather Part 2.” ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/31 "2017-08-26T03:25:16Z")
From _All the President’s Men_: Ben Bradlee (d.2014) outlived Jason Robards (d.2000) However, Hal Holbrook (alive) did outlive Mark “Deep Throat” Felt (d.2008), and Redford/Hoffman vs. Woodward/Bernstein is still up for grabs. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/32 "2017-08-26T14:26:32Z")
A Farrah Fawcett two-fer: She died on June 25, 2009, eight years before Francine Hughes, whom she portrayed in the TV movie The Burning Bed. She also played the still living Elizabeth Diane Downes in the TV movie Small Sacrifices. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/33 "2017-08-26T15:08:00Z")
Brad Davis is dead, but Billy Hayes,the convict he played in the Turkish prison movie “Midnight Express,” is still alive. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/34 "2017-08-26T15:14:26Z")
American General “Jumping Jim” Gavin lived 17 years after the death of Robert Ryan, who played him in “The Longest Day.” And Lieutenant Colonel Ben Vandervoort outlived John Wayne, who played him in that same movie. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/35 "2017-08-26T15:17:41Z")
Joseph Schildkraut died 16 years before Otto Frank (Anne’s father), whom he played in “The Diary of Anne Frank.” ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/36 "2017-08-26T16:47:22Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > American General “Jumping Jim” Gavin lived 17 years after the death of Robert Ryan, who played him in “The Longest Day.” > > And Lieutenant Colonel Ben Vandervoort outlived John Wayne, who played him in that same movie. Well, Vandervoort cheated by being born 10 years after Wayne, taking an unfair advantage! Sidetrack: Really irks me when age-inappropriate actors are chosen for historical roles: Gavin was 37 on D-Day, Ryan was 53 in the film; Vandervoort was 27 on D-Day, Wayne was 55 in the film. Side-sidetrack: Although I guess I’ll give 30-year-old Audie Murphy a pass on portraying 19-year-old Audie Murphy in _To Hell and Back_ (1955). ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/37 "2017-08-26T17:16:33Z")
George Burns played the title role in “Oh God”. (Nietzsche might object). ---
**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:** [August 26, 2017, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/38 "2017-08-26T17:21:53Z")
And ever actor who ever played Jesus who died and stayed dead (though a lot of non-Christians might object). ---
**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:** [August 26, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/39 "2017-08-26T17:28:08Z")
George DiCertzo played Vincent Bugliosi in the TV movie Helter Skelter. DiCertzo died in 2010; Bugliosi in 2015. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2017, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309/40 "2017-08-26T19:41:52Z")
> [@UncaStuart](#): > > Well, Vandervoort cheated by being born 10 years after Wayne, taking an unfair advantage! > > Sidetrack: Really irks me when age-inappropriate actors are chosen for historical roles: Gavin was 37 on D-Day, Ryan was 53 in the film; Vandervoort was 27 on D-Day, Wayne was 55 in the film. Side-sidetrack: Although I guess I’ll give 30-year-old Audie Murphy a pass on portraying 19-year-old Audie Murphy in _To Hell and Back_ (1955). A Bridge Too Far got it right with Gavin (Ryan O’Neal was 36) but went horribly wrong with others like 41 year ol Redford playing a 28 year old. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-died-before-people-they-played/794309.md?page=3)