# Can an actor become the character he is playing ( within reason)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-actor-become-the-character-he-is-playing-within-reason/629707>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 28, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-actor-become-the-character-he-is-playing-within-reason/629707 "2012-07-28T20:33:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**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 2, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-actor-become-the-character-he-is-playing-within-reason/629707/41 "2012-08-02T00:21:34Z")

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> [@Lasciel](#):
>
> I think that Patrick Stewart has expressed very similar feelings regarding Captain Picard, although he’s always been either more tactful or more resigned about it.

I don’t know if “proud” is the right word, but everything I’ve heard from Stewart in interviews over the years makes it sound like he is VERY aware of how many jobs he never would have gotten if it weren’t for Picard.

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-actor-become-the-character-he-is-playing-within-reason/629707/42 "2012-08-02T02:19:46Z")

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I’m not sure if this is the same thing, but I read an interview with Cary Grant once in which he said that early on, he had thought about how a well-mannered, upper-class Brit would appear and modeled himself accordingly on that. So the Cary Grant persona of each of his characters was what he was like in real life.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-actor-become-the-character-he-is-playing-within-reason/629707/43 "2012-08-02T17:55:27Z")

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What, all these posts, and no mention of Heinlein’s Hugo-winning novel _Double Star_, about an actor who does just that?

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**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-actor-become-the-character-he-is-playing-within-reason/629707/44 "2012-08-02T18:21:14Z")

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> [@astro](#):
>
> One example of this is Daniel Lawrence Whitney AKA Larry the Cable Guy who was a [pretty terrible stand up comic](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqm-vKWEkoU&feature=related) in his early career until he hit solid gold with the “Larry” character and it has become (AFAICT) the default 24/7 personality he presents to the public.

Presents to the public but not in real life. In real life he is still Dan Whitney. Lives in Nebraska. Has a Mid-West accent. Is Dan to his friends. In the Friars Club roast they had some backstage footage and his Blue Collar Comedy buddies were all calling him Dan. He has not become the character, its just an ongoing role.

> [@notfrommensa](#):
>
> How about Teller of Penn and Teller?

I will third or fouth. I met him after a show and someone said, “You really talk?” He looked at her like she was a small child and said, “Of course I talk.”

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