# Anyone else get celebrities confused? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183 "2010-06-14T19:12:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/1 "2010-06-14T19:12:45Z")
I was perusing the “Jimmy Dean is dead” thread, which by the way has the best pun ever in it… > [@](#): > > So, what _are_ they doing with the body? > > Anyone got a link? … and someone made the reference: > [@](#): > > He’s gone back to the five and dime. which applies to the OTHER James Dean. It WAS confusing having two celebs with the same name. And, as I look it up, two celebs who did movies-- imdb says The Sausage JD was in a James Bond movie?? If no one had ever called the hipster-er Dean “Jimmy” it would’ve been easier to tell them apart. I mean, even David Bowie changed his name-- to avoid being confused with a Monkee. (Cue _Office Space_ quote in 3-2-1…) So, if you’re an aspiring actor from Akron named William Shatner, it’s already taken. Try using your middle name. Are there other celebrities with the same or similar names that confound you? Should they be forced to change their name or hair color so we can distinguish tham from each other? Why don’t all those “Michael Jacksons” (like the beer authority guy) at least go by Mike? If I was an MJ, I’d start going by M. Shirley Jackson, preferring to be confused with an old lady than with _that_ MJ. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/2 "2010-06-14T19:20:33Z")
There’s Vanessa Williams, the former Miss America who was most recently on “Ugly Betty” and Vanessa Williams who was on “Melrose Place” and a few other TV shows. They also both happen to be African-American. There’s also Michael Douglas the actor and Mike Douglas the talk show host. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/3 "2010-06-14T19:33:32Z")
I’m embarrased to admit that for a long time I thought James “JB” Brown, the announcer on _The NFL Today_, was James “Jim” Brown, the former player for Cleveland. I figured he had retired from football, made a few movies, and now he was announcing games. In my defense I never thought he sang “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/4 "2010-06-14T19:41:25Z")
Although it’s never happened to me, I’ve heard that some people confuse Jerry Lee Lewis, rock musician, with Jerry Lewis, comedian. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/5 "2010-06-14T19:43:19Z")
The careers of comedienne [Julie Brown](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Brown) and TV host [Julie Brown](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_Julie_Brown) peaked at around the same time in the 1980s. Though you can easily tell them apart by sight, I always forgot which one was “Downtown.” ---
**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:** [June 14, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/6 "2010-06-14T19:53:18Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > Although it’s never happened to me, I’ve heard that some people confuse Jerry Lee Lewis, rock musician, with Jerry Lewis, comedian. [My rage burns with the fire of a million suns](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=62082) Best. OP. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/7 "2010-06-14T20:01:36Z")
Apparently, there are two Kenneth Starrs. One is the dean of a law school and former special prosecutor, the other is a “financial adviser to the stars” who was just arrested for embezzling some $30 million. Amusingly, The Atlantic magazine got the two confused when reporting the latter story. ---
**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:** [June 14, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/8 "2010-06-14T20:03:54Z")
Warren Buffet & Jimmy Buffet tend to be confused. One is worth a buttload of money, and the other doesn’t sing Margaritaville.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/9 "2010-06-14T20:22:15Z")
Well if they are going to join the Screen Actor’s Guild, they have to have unique names. Hence we get people using a seemingly-superfluous middle initial (e.g., Michael J. Fox). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/10 "2010-06-14T21:03:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Well if they are going to join the Screen Actor’s Guild, they have to have unique names. Hence we get people using a seemingly-superfluous middle initial (e.g., Michael J. Fox). The weird part is that the actor’s full name is Michael Andrew Fox. But he didn’t like the sound of Michael A. Fox so he picked a different initial for his professional name. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/11 "2010-06-14T21:07:33Z")
**Anyone else get celebrities confused?** Every time I talk to them. ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/12 "2010-06-14T21:55:15Z")
I always get Eric Bana and Christian Bale mixed up. And in the 80s I could never remember which Lynn was Amber and which was Ginger. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/13 "2010-06-14T23:05:10Z")
Cate Blanchett and Kate Winslett. And they look nothing alike. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/14 "2010-06-14T23:08:33Z")
Jennifer Beals and Jessica Biel. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/15 "2010-06-14T23:21:42Z")
Two Dave Matthews who are musicians. But I don’t get them mixed up. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/16 "2010-06-14T23:34:06Z")
Gracie Allen would always confuse Betty Grable with Clark Gable 🙂 Outside of Rita Hayworth, I always mix up those 40s bombshell movie stars, like Marie McDonald, Ann Sheridan, Veronica Lake, Betty Grable etc etc. They don’t look alike but they all served pretty much the same function ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/17 "2010-06-14T23:50:17Z")
Very different actors but when I was younger the similar sounding names of Dirk Bogarde and Humphrey Bogart confused me a little (in the spelling of the former usually thinking him Dirk Bogart) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/18 "2010-06-14T23:51:28Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Gracie Allen would always confuse Betty Grable with Clark Gable 🙂 > > Outside of Rita Hayworth, I always mix up those 40s bombshell movie stars, like Marie McDonald, Ann Sheridan, Veronica Lake, Betty Grable etc etc. > > They don’t look alike but they all served pretty much the same function Inside of Rita Hayworth, it’s too dark to read. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/19 "2010-06-15T01:13:47Z")
Dylan McDermott and Dermot Mulroney. Sid Caesar and Milton Berle. And on a very vaguely creepy note, last year I was watching [Dogfight](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101748/), and kept having to remind myself that the guy playing Birdlace was not Leo DiCaprio. They don’t even look **that** much alike; they have very different bone structure, for one thing. It’s mostly a similarity in style. And I may be the only one who sees it, but I do see it. It’s even more VVC when I remember that Leo was just starting to get noticed a year or so before River died, like he took over his spot. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183/20 "2010-06-15T01:36:04Z")
Peter Davison and Bruce Davison (one of which was in the X-Men films and the other once played Dr. Who, and my current computer problems means a trip to Imdb to find out who is who would take 5 minutes, so the heck with it). Despite the very close physical similarity between the two men, they aren’t related. Likewise Karl Urban and Keith Urban (didn’t we do a “they aren’t related but should be” thread awhile back?). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-get-celebrities-confused/543183.md?page=2)