# Actors who imitate other actors **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248 "2006-01-23T15:28:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/1 "2006-01-23T15:28:02Z")
Just noticed a Yahoo! News item that the James Dean museum will stay open a while longer, thanks to donations and letters of support. Got me to thinking about how in the late 50’s and early 60’s so many young stars tried to copy James Dean’s mannerisms, slouch, way of speaking, even the way they tried to look. It may have just been how big a fan I myself was of Dean to notice the similarities, whether intended or not, in other actors. But over time it became obvious to me that there was some amount of emulating going on in: Steve McQueen Paul Newman Tony Perkins Martin Sheen Robert Culp Michael Parks Tommy Sands Robert Conrad Elvis most of the “heartthrobs” of the early years of Rock ‘n’ Roll. There were even references to Dean going on into the 70’s, and posters of Dean and Marilyn Monroe still seem to be selling well. Among the actors working today who are the ones being copied or emulated by others? Are there still some who’re copying Brando and Dean? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/2 "2006-01-23T15:36:10Z")
Christian Slater early in his career was accused of doing a Jack Nicholson impersonation. It got to the point that IIRC he went on SNL and did a sketch about it. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/3 "2006-01-23T15:36:32Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Among the actors working today who are the ones being copied or emulated by others? Are there still some who’re copying Brando and Dean? Jason Alexander did a straight ripoff of Woody Allen for a year or so before he figured out how to play George Costanza. Compare the first year of SEINFELD to any later year, and George is a completely different character–different mannerisms, different speech, different body language, and most of it was pure Woody Allen. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/4 "2006-01-23T15:36:58Z")
Christian Slater has made quite a career out of impersonating Jack Nicholson. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/5 "2006-01-23T15:37:10Z")
Christian Slater does a mighty fine Jack Nicholson. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/6 "2006-01-23T15:38:15Z")
Damn, I would have been first if an underling hadn’t come in and asked a question! ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/7 "2006-01-23T15:38:17Z")
Well, I guess he can’t deny it now… ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/8 "2006-01-23T15:40:27Z")
…and _I_ would’ve been first if I werent typing one-handed while feeding the baby with the other. 😛 (and no, “feeding the baby” is _not_ a euphimism) ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/9 "2006-01-23T15:45:38Z")
Skeet Ulrich seems like he’s doing Johnny Depp to me. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/10 "2006-01-23T15:53:36Z")
Good ones. Don Stroud’s actual resemblance to Brando always gave me the impression he knew that and worked on it. And I think Mark Ruffalo looks a lot like Brando, too. Michael Madsen was so much like Elvis in _Thelma and Louise_ that it was hard for me to pay attention. And I thought Brad Pitt was ripping off the Dean from _Giant_. Lately, with all his weight gain for the role, George Clooney has started looking like Orson Welles (the early version) to me. Now, if I could just place who it is that Christian Slater reminds me of… ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/11 "2006-01-23T16:02:49Z")
I just watched this movie called _One Cuckoo Fell Out of the Nest_, or something like that, and this guy starring in it was TOTALLY ripping off Christian Slater. It was so obvious. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/12 "2006-01-23T16:27:54Z")
I thought Slater was pretty good as the Joker in **Batman**. Even if Michael Keaton was better prepared. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/13 "2006-01-23T16:48:44Z")
Ryan Phillippe has the voice and mannerisms of John Malkovich. When I first noticed him in _Cruel Intentions_, I thought he was doing a direct impersonation of Malkovich in _Dangerous Liasons_ (same character, different scripts). But further viewing of different movies reveals that he’s just an awful lot like Malkovich in his elocution, diction and acting choices. Whether this is a studied and intentional thing, I cannot say. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/14 "2006-01-23T16:55:51Z")
I suppose it could be instructive if we expand the concept to list those actors who are very difficult to emulate. Here’s a start of such a list: Strother Martin Jack Elam Lee Van Cleef Robert Ryan Lee J. Cobb Edward G. Robinson Broderick Crawford Christopher Lloyd Burl Ives James Gandolfini Scott Glenn Laurence Olivier Anthony Hopkins Have you ever seen any of these guys copied? ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/15 "2006-01-23T18:02:47Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Christian Slater has made quite a career out of impersonating Jack Nicholson. > [@twickster](#): > > Christian Slater does a mighty fine Jack Nicholson. I’ll “fourth” that. I first noticed it in **Heathers** ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/16 "2006-01-23T18:04:45Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Now, if I could just place who it is that Christian Slater reminds me of… “Rio” by Duran Duran? ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/17 "2006-01-23T18:05:34Z")
Chris Evans in \*\*Not Another Teen Movie \*\* was doing a dead on Freddie Prinze Jr Debra Messing has definite \*\*Lucille Ball \*\* leanings ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/18 "2006-01-23T18:13:05Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > “Rio” by Duran Duran? Nah, that’s not it. But every time I see this suggestion it reminds me of the character Brando played in _One Eyed Jacks_. That’s not your fault, but it happens. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/19 "2006-01-23T18:40:50Z")
Jay Mohr does a good impersonation of Christopher Walken but I don’t think anyone imitates him full time. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248/20 "2006-01-23T19:11:51Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Ryan Phillippe has the voice and mannerisms of John Malkovich. When I first noticed him in _Cruel Intentions_, I thought he was doing a direct impersonation of Malkovich in _Dangerous Liasons_ (same character, different scripts). But further viewing of different movies reveals that he’s just an awful lot like Malkovich in his elocution, diction and acting choices. Whether this is a studied and intentional thing, I cannot say. I wasn’t aware that Ryan Phillippe has any diction. Seems like everything comes out in an affected mumble. I guess he’s considered a good actor but I put him right up there with Keanu Reeves; pretty boy with flat delivery. John Malkovich on the other hand I think is a fine actor; perhaps I am assuming that because he isn’t pretty that he must be a good actor…? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-imitate-other-actors/341248.md?page=2)