# Any Professions NOT Used In Films/TV Shows For Lead Characters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 20, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442 "2011-08-20T17:18:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [August 21, 2011, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/61 "2011-08-21T03:51:16Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > I think Engineers of all sorts are underrepresented - Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil etc. Dilbert! ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/62 "2011-08-21T03:51:24Z")
Wow, y’all are good at this! Hmm… A church organist? ---
**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:** [August 21, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/63 "2011-08-21T03:52:29Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Statistical analysis and data reconfiguration. I’ll concede that, since he was your roommate and all. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/64 "2011-08-21T03:56:04Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Wasn’t Chandler Bing an actuary? Before he went into advertising, I mean. > [@Joey\_P](#): > > Statistical analysis and data reconfiguration. I believe the title you are looking for is “Transponster.” ---
**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:** [August 21, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/65 "2011-08-21T03:56:56Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > Wow, y’all are good at this! > > Hmm… > > A church organist? \*\* The Commitments\*\*. Their keyboardist played organ at his church. Also, **Angel In My Pocket**. Andy Griffith was a minister, but also played the organ. There was one memorable scene where he was buying a used organ from a bump-and-grind establishment and while he was playing an aspiring stripper used his music to demonstrate her moves… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/66 "2011-08-21T04:00:05Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Industrial Engineer. How about an efficiency expert, like Anthony Hopkins in The Efficiency Expert? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/67 "2011-08-21T04:01:03Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > i believe the title you are looking for is “transponster.” THAT’S NOT EVEN A WORD (all caps now) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/68 "2011-08-21T04:03:35Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Agronomist Does “farmer” count? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/69 "2011-08-21T04:20:46Z")
There have been a few in supporting roles, but Librarians are pretty sparse when it comes to lead roles. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/70 "2011-08-21T04:22:36Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Does “farmer” count? How about Matt Damon in _The Informant_. The guy he played in the movie was president of the BioProducts Division at Archer Daniels Midland in real life. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/71 "2011-08-21T04:24:17Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > Wow, y’all are good at this! > > Hmm… > > A church organist? That’s the job the main character of **Carnival of Souls** was hired for…admittedly she didn’t seem to get into work much, though. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/72 "2011-08-21T04:25:09Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > There have been a few in supporting roles, but Librarians are pretty sparse when it comes to lead roles. Desk Set ---
**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:** [August 21, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/73 "2011-08-21T04:39:41Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > There have been a few in supporting roles, but Librarians are pretty sparse when it comes to lead roles. Marian the Librarian was the female lead in **The Music Man**. Noah Wyle starred in a series of TV movies known collectively as “The Librarian.” And while **Buffy the Vampire Slayer** ’s Rupert Giles was a supporting character, he was the only member of that ensemble with a steady job most seasons… ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/74 "2011-08-21T04:52:57Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Marian the Librarian was the female lead in **The Music Man**. Noah Wyle starred in a series of TV movies known collectively as “The Librarian.” And while **Buffy the Vampire Slayer** ’s Rupert Giles was a supporting character, he was the only member of that ensemble with a steady job most seasons… Wasn’t the female lead in the first Mummy movie a librarian too? Now, the people who reshelf books, they get no movie/tv respect. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/75 "2011-08-21T05:09:02Z")
How about archivists? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/76 "2011-08-21T05:21:54Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Now, the people who reshelf books, they get no movie/tv respect. Parker Posey in Party Girl. I remembered her but forgot all about those librarians. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/77 "2011-08-21T05:57:09Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > He was an insurance salesman, not an actuary. > . Fred MacMurray was a salesmen. Edward G. Robinson was an actuary. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2011, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/78 "2011-08-21T11:22:10Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > How about archivists? Warehouse 13? ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/79 "2011-08-21T11:32:44Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Warehouse 13? Nicely done. Lab technicians? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-professions-not-used-in-films-tv-shows-for-lead-characters/593442/80 "2011-08-21T11:54:17Z")
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