# Actors who got the part because of their names?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-the-part-because-of-their-names/970835>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** actor-characters\
**Created:** [September 2, 2022, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-the-part-because-of-their-names/970835 "2022-09-02T19:44:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-the-part-because-of-their-names/970835/21 "2022-09-03T19:29:59Z")

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> [@CaptMurdock](#):
>
> Tori Spelling in _Beverly Hills, 90210._

Sorry, the OP specified “actors”. 😛

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-the-part-because-of-their-names/970835/22 "2022-09-03T20:01:30Z")

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> [@Ziberian](#):
>
> > [@Kent\_Clark](#):
> >
> > Pretty sure this isn’t what the OP is looking for, but when thee producers of the _Mary Tyler Moore_ show were developing the character of Sue Ann Nivens, they had in mind “a Betty White type.” After considering various actresses, someone finally said, “How about Betty White?”
> 
> Similar situation in “Love Actually”. Director kept saying he wanted an actress like “Laura Linney” for the role of Sarah . Someone finally said, “Well, why not just get Laura Linney?” And they did.

Third example: The BBC was looking for a “Peter Jones type” as the voice of the Guide in _The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_. Jones was a successful radio actor. After a couple of people turned it down, they asked Jones and he agreed.

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**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:** [September 3, 2022, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-the-part-because-of-their-names/970835/23 "2022-09-03T20:16:55Z")

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> [@peccavi](#):
>
> 1. "We need a Quigley Edwards type for this part.”

The alternate version is 4. “We need a _young_ Quigley Edwards type”

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-got-the-part-because-of-their-names/970835/24 "2022-09-03T22:59:43Z")

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There’s always the example of the people making the Twisted Sister video for “We’re Not Gonna Take It” saying they want a Niedermeyer from _Animal House_ type guy to play the dad in the video, and someone saying “Well, why don’t we just get that guy?” and as a result they cast Mark Metcalf (the original Niedermeyer) as the dad in the video.

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