I never knew that! Somehow, that makes me like Princess Bride even more.
Tony Hancock.
Lots of rock stars. I don’t think Ozzy ever really worshipped the devil.
I can’t believe that I didn’t think of that one. That is a perfect example of what the OP was asking.
And Dick Loudon. Don’t forget Dick (even if he wasjust a dream.)
What, nobody’s mentioned Drew Carey? Drew was born and raised in Cleveland, like his TV counterpart. The exterior of the Warsaw Bar, which TV Drew frequented is actually the exterior of Carey’s favorite bar in real life. Drew’s real mother is named Beulah, like his TV mom, played by Marion Ross, and his father was named Lewis, the same as his friend on the TV series. Like his TV character, Drew also bought the house where he was raised. There are undoubtedly many other autobiographical characteristics used in the Drew carey Show if one looks for them.
How about Ozzy and Harriet Nelson and their sons, Ricky and the other one?
:smack: David Nelson. My son, David, is not going to forgive me for that. If he ever hears of it.
Hand up, everyone who’s too young to know who these people are?
In Soviet Russia, Yakov Smirnoff plays you.
I’ve always suspected that pundit-blowhards like Bill O’Reilly and Rush Limbaugh hold less extreme opinions in private than they inflict on us in public; they know how showbiz works.
Will Rogers did a number of movies as “Will Rogers,” who wasn’t exactly like himself, IIRC.
If we are bringing in books, Stephen King writes a fictionalized version of Stephen King’s accident in the Dark Tower.
Bob Dole’s played Bob Dole in a number of ads.
In this comedy charity clip from the BBC, we have Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Andi Peters, Jamie Oliver, Bono, The Edge, and Bob Geldof - all playing alter egos of themselves, cashing in on African famine.
In his interview with (the other?) Steven Colbert, Bill O’Reilly admitted as much – that is, when Bill appeared on Steven’s show. Colbert’s interview on Fresh Air was not great, but the segment about his O’Reilly interview was fascinating. Since Colbert really plays an O’Reilly doppelganger, having O’Reilly (in or out of character) on the show was a brilliant move.
Many a person has played a Simpsons characature of themselves.
Speaking of Bob Newhart & Lucille Ball and first names, you can add Tony Danza to the list.
And The Monkees TV show! Davy Jones, Michael Nesbitt, Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork were playing characters with their names.
Bette Midler in her standup routines portrays Bette Midler, an outrageously bawdy ribald floozie who hints at a former career as whore.
I was going to mention Ricky Gervais. Before he made it big with The Office, he had a regular spot on The 11 O’Clock Show and later his own chat show where, as “Ricky Gervais”, he would display all sorts of ignorant, misogynistic and generally obnoxious opinions about all sorts of things… Pretty much the same character he always plays then, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that that’s just him. But he comes across as much more reasoned and intelligent in interviews (and sometimes his podcasts), which makes it obvious that it’s all an act.
Going back a ways… Foster Brooks used his real name as a performer, but his persona was always that of a belching drunk. I don’t think I evber saw him on TV out of character.
And Fran Drescher, Roseanne Barr and Reba McIntyre