# Actors who played characters with their own last name **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 21, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925 "2007-05-21T14:34:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [May 21, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/1 "2007-05-21T14:34:13Z")
In **The Color Purple** , Margaret Avery played Shug Avery In **The Pretender** , Andrea Parker played Catherine Elaine Parker. In **Chaplin** , Geraldine Chaplin played Hannah Chaplin (her own real-life grandmother). No counting people playing themselves. What else? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/2 "2007-05-21T15:21:35Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] In **The Pretender** , Andrea Parker played Catherine Elaine Parker. [/QUOTE] Technically this was a two-fer, as she played the main villain (Miss Parker) and also her mother (named above). ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/3 "2007-05-21T18:36:24Z")
I suppose in a weird sort of way Redd Foxx did in _Sanford and Son_. Foxx’s real name was Sanford after all. I always assumed that he requested that the character be named Sanford as something of a joke, but about a year ago, someone told me that the character name came with the show. I have never checked it out though. In the old days, in the silents and early talkies the characters used to use their own name regularly, Remember _Elmo of the Jungle_ staring Elmo Lincoln. And Harry Houdini played detective Harry Houdini in a silent cliff hanger if I remember correctly. I seem to remember Buster Keaton referred to as “Buster” and “Mr. Keaton” in some of his silents. In both Keaton and Abbot and Costello’s television shows they kept their own names but cavorted around in their characters. that could be said of Roy Rogers and his minions also. I guess you could argue they were playing themselves, but not really, I mean how many times did “the real” Roy Rogers chase guys over the range firing six shooters. I seem to remember a couple of Rex Allen “B” Westerns where he played “Rex Allen”. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2007, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/4 "2007-05-22T10:42:52Z")
In _Heaven’s Gate_, Jeff Bridges plays John L. Bridges. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/5 "2007-05-22T10:57:22Z")
Jason Scott Lee portrayed Bruce Lee (no relation) in \*\*Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. \*\* John Malkovitch played John Horatio Malkovitch in **Being John Malkovitch**. His middle name is not Horatio. Eric Bana played Bruce Banner, which is close. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/6 "2007-05-22T11:08:47Z")
[QUOTE=Krokodil] John Malkovitch played John Horatio Malkovitch in **Being John Malkovitch**. His middle name is not Horatio. [/QUOTE] But apart from that, wasn’t he playing himself? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/7 "2007-05-22T11:26:00Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] But apart from that, wasn’t he playing himself? [/QUOTE] I don’t think so - it was more like a grotesque caricature of himself. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2007, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/8 "2007-05-22T12:43:00Z")
One more: Diane Keaton – real name Diane Hall – played **Annie Hall**. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2007, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/9 "2007-05-22T12:46:12Z")
Slight hijack: For the movie “John & Yoko: A Love Story” an actor named Mark Lyndsey was set to play John Lennon. He was let go after it was revealed his full name was Mark Lyndsey Chapman, Lennon having been murdered by Mark David Chapman. I personally would have cast him as the killer. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/10 "2007-05-22T12:47:38Z")
There’s probably no truth to it, but I heard that the character named Johnny in _The Wild One_ was really named Ralph Brando. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/11 "2007-05-22T15:04:40Z")
[QUOTE=TV time] I suppose in a weird sort of way Redd Foxx did in _Sanford and Son_. Foxx’s real name was Sanford after all. I always assumed that he requested that the character be named Sanford as something of a joke, but about a year ago, someone told me that the character name came with the show. I have never checked it out though. [/QUOTE] The British series that it was based on was called “Steptoe and Son”, so they came up with the name for the American version. Whether they came up with the name before or after they cast Redd Foxx, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/12 "2007-05-22T16:54:38Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] The British series that it was based on was called “Steptoe and Son”, so they came up with the name for the American version. Whether they came up with the name before or after they cast Redd Foxx, I don’t know. [/QUOTE] Fred G. Sanford was the name of Redd Foxx’s brother, and the name doesn’t appear anywhere in _Steptoe_… 's credits. I’d say the name came after. ---
**Author:** ![CeilingWhacks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CeilingWhacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CeilingWhacks)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/13 "2007-05-22T16:56:25Z")
Do cartoons count? There’s a character named Bill Dautreive (spelling?) on King of the Hill, which has a Dautrieve in the credits. Daughtrieve? Dautreve? Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/14 "2007-05-22T17:43:16Z")
[QUOTE=CeilingWhacks] Do cartoons count? There’s a character named Bill Dautreive (spelling?) on King of the Hill, which has a Dautrieve in the credits. Daughtrieve? Dautreve? Hmmm… [/QUOTE] The character Bill Dauterive is voiced by actor Stephen Root. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/15 "2007-05-22T20:33:18Z")
[QUOTE=Krokodil] Eric Bana played Bruce Banner, which is close. [/QUOTE] Especially with Bana’s aussie accent. John Wayne played Lt. Tom Wayne in _The Three Musketeers_ (1933) Tommy Lee Jones played Samuel Jones in _The Missing_ Will Smith played Will Smith (not himself) in _The Fresh Prince of Bel Air_ Maggie Smith played Patty Terwilliger Smith in _Hot Millions_ ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/16 "2007-05-22T21:18:51Z")
Didn’t Cary Grant sign (or pretend to) in at a hotel or something like that as Archie Leach (his real name) one time? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/17 "2007-05-22T21:29:40Z")
**Bud Abbott** and **Lou Costello** frequenmtly played characters with their own _first_ names, but in their first ( **One Night in the Tropics** ) and last ([Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy\*\*) films for Universal they played characters named “Abbott” and Costello". > **[One Night in the Tropics (1940) ⭐ 6.3 | Comedy, Musical, Romance](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032873/)** > > 1h 22m | Passed > **[Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) ⭐ 6.2 | Action, Adventure, Comedy](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047795/)** > > 1h 19m | Passed (Actually, their characters in A&CMtM were _supposed_ to be Peter Patterson and Freddy Franklin, but they called each other “Abbott” and “Costello” throughout.) Lou Costello really was from Paterson, N.J., but the part of “Patterson” was played by Bud Abbott. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/18 "2007-05-22T21:33:11Z")
**Karl Malden** ’s real name was Mladen Sekulovich. according to the SDMB: > [@](#): > > Born Mladen Sekulovich, he always regretted that in order to become an actor, he had to change his name. Since he was proud of his heritage, when he starred in a movie or on TV, he insisted that a character carry his family name: In “On The Waterfront”, Fred Gwynne’s character was named “Sekulovich”. Looking over his credits, I find that he played Marko Sekulovic in 1982’s **Twilight Time** ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/19 "2007-05-22T22:06:46Z")
[QUOTE=TV time] Didn’t Cary Grant sign (or pretend to) in at a hotel or something like that as Archie Leach (his real name) one time? [/QUOTE] Dunno about that, but in _His Girl Friday_ Grant’s character talked about a scoundrel he’d once known named Archie Leach. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925/20 "2007-05-22T22:21:33Z")
[QUOTE=Krokodil] John Malkovitch played John Horatio Malkovitch in **Being John Malkovitch**. His middle name is not Horatio. [/QUOTE] Not to seem pedantic, but it’s Malkov **ich** (no T). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-characters-with-their-own-last-name/404925.md?page=2)