# Celebrities who always appear as a fictional alter-ego
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 31, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435 "2009-03-31T15:07:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/21 "2009-03-31T23:06:32Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> Penn & Teller come to mind.
Penn, maybe, but Teller’s not shy about breaking character, when he’s not specifically doing P&T related stuff.
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### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/22 "2009-03-31T23:25:17Z")
But is it really a “character” to just not speak on stage? He’s got a “schtick” but he doesn’t play a character named “Teller”. He doesn’t speak onstage because that’s a way to focus everyone’s attention on his partner. Classic magician’s trick, it’s just that instead of a beautiful girl in a feathered bikini he’s got a gigantic loudmouth in a suit.
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### Author:  [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/23 "2009-03-31T23:48:18Z")
I’ve never seen Bob Einstein on TV, but I’ve seen Super Dave Osborne plenty of times.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/24 "2009-03-31T23:51:09Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#):
>
> I’ve never seen Bob Einstein on TV, but I’ve seen Super Dave Osborne plenty of times.
Hes a regular on _Curb Your Enthusiasm_ playing a different character.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/25 "2009-04-01T00:00:05Z")
Dame Edna?
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/26 "2009-04-01T00:18:13Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#):
>
> I’ve never seen Bob Einstein on TV, but I’ve seen Super Dave Osborne plenty of times.
He played himself on Bizarre, where he also played Super Dave.
Which, granted, is another fictional alter ego (while he was playing Bob Einstein, he was playing a Bob Einstein who was a humourless prig), it’s a different fictional alter ego, and, it was two on the same show.
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### Author:  [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/27 "2009-04-01T00:42:37Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> Hes a regular on _Curb Your Enthusiasm_ playing a different character.
And _Arrested Development_, as well, playing a sort of proxy for a man under house arrest.
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### Author:  [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/28 "2009-04-01T01:25:56Z")
> [@astorian](#):
>
> I don’t THINK I’ve ever seen RuPaul out of character, or in men’s clothing.
RuPaul was in ‘But I’m a Cheerleader’ in a male role and also was in an episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (both in and out of drag). But most of his public work is in drag.
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### Author:  [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/29 "2009-04-01T01:27:55Z")
Minnie Pearl
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/30 "2009-04-01T01:40:21Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> Penn & Teller come to mind.
What alter-ego would they be playing? They are themselves, just with Ray Teller being quiet during shows.
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### Author:  [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/31 "2009-04-01T01:49:35Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#):
>
> Before his arrest, Paul Reubens always appeared as Pee Wee Herman.
He appeared in a couple of Cheech and Chong movies as “Hamburger Howie”. IMDB shows him as playing [several non-Pee Wee roles prior to 1981 or so.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000607/)
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### Author:  [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/32 "2009-04-01T02:25:19Z")
I think John Bloom pretty much always appears in public as Joe Bob Briggs.
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### Author:  [@InkBlot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InkBlot)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/33 "2009-04-01T02:36:43Z")
> [@Avarie537](#):
>
> Is Sacha Baron Cohen ever “himself” in public?
Cohen is kind of the middle ground in this discussion. He develops characters, not unlike Dan Whitney/Larry the Cable Guy, and will fill that role for months or even years at a time. However, he will continue to do acting or voice overs in animated features all the time, and usually retires his characters after a time.
Prior to Borat, was Ali G, and another named Bruno. I even remember hearing he’s retiring Borat, and developing something new.
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### Author:  [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/34 "2009-04-01T02:40:11Z")
Guitarist [Buckethead](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckethead) always appears wearing a white mask, and usually also a bucket on top of his head. He has a bizarre backstory about being raised in a chicken coop. He’s had the same persona going since he was a teenager.
It’s now accepted that he is a guy named Brian Carroll, based on an interview Kurt Loder did with him that wasn’t videotaped. There’s only one known unmasked picture of Brian Carroll, from an old guitar magazine about 20 years ago. Buckethead doesn’t speak very often, and when he does he alters his voice and usually uses a puppet.
(For anyone who’s curious, here’s [Buckethead videos on Youtube.](http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=buckethead&aq=f))
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/35 "2009-04-01T02:45:15Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> What alter-ego would they be playing? They are themselves, just with Ray Teller being quiet during shows.
Minor nitpick: He legally changed his name to just “Teller” (he has one of only a few one-name U.S. passports).
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/36 "2009-04-01T03:14:34Z")
> [@audit1](#):
>
> Minnie Pearl
Good one (though she did use the name Linda Lovelace when doing porn).
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### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/37 "2009-04-01T04:35:32Z")
Thank you for that image.
No, really. Thank you.
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/38 "2009-04-01T08:35:28Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#):
>
> A lot of professional wrestlers try to stay in character in public.
Not like it used to be. That changed in the 90s or so. Mick Foley, Dwayne Johnson and others would go on talk shows and be themselves. I think it is more the norm now.
> [@astorian](#):
>
> I don’t THINK I’ve ever seen RuPaul out of character, or in men’s clothing.
Look at the [IMDB](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0750412/) page and there is a picture right there with him in male clothing. He has done multiple things as male characters.
> [@Annie-Xmas](#):
>
> Penn & Teller come to mind.
When I saw him Teller seemed amused that people would assume he stayed in character off stage. Typical fan comment, “You talk!” Teller, “So do you!”
> [@InkBlot](#):
>
> Cohen is kind of the middle ground in this discussion. He develops characters, not unlike Dan Whitney/Larry the Cable Guy, and will fill that role for months or even years at a time. However, he will continue to do acting or voice overs in animated features all the time, and usually retires his characters after a time.
>
> Prior to Borat, was Ali G, and another named Bruno. I even remember hearing he’s retiring Borat, and developing something new.
Cohen is working on a Bruno movie right now.
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### Author:  [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/39 "2009-04-01T11:47:14Z")
> [@Wheelz](#):
>
> Bobcat Goldthwait
I just listened to [Adam Carolla’s podcast with Bobcat](http://carollaradio.com/podcasts/) (3/24), completely out of character, where he addresses this phenomena. It’s a fascinating interview, as are all of Carolla’s podcasts.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2009, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-who-always-appear-as-a-fictional-alter-ego/491435/40 "2009-04-01T11:57:22Z")
> [@singular1](#):
>
> I just listened to [Adam Carolla’s podcast with Bobcat](http://carollaradio.com/podcasts/) (3/24), completely out of character, where he addresses this phenomena. It’s a fascinating interview, as are all of Carolla’s podcasts.
I had no idea Bobcat Goldthwait was a “character”. I just thought that was him. A strange, crazy weird comedian.
Ahem.
A strange, crazy weird comedian who landed Nikki Cox.
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