# Celebrities whose names confuse you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638 "2016-02-09T19:00:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/61 "2016-02-11T12:14:28Z")
This is kind of interesting. [Recently](https://twitter.com/tyrabanks/status/694912540652863488) actress Elizabeth Banks was confused with host Tyra Banks. They do not look alike. I get Kate Beckinsale mixed up with Helen Baxendale, but nobody really knows the latter so I’m probably alone in that. Helen Baxendale actually looks a bit like Emily Mortimer, which adds to my confusion visually. Bob Odenkirk is not Steve Odekerk. Julie Benz is not Julie Bowen. Though she could easily be if she wanted. And on a related note, I’ve seen at least one instance of someone mixing up Vera Farmiga with Sofia Vergara. On a recent episode of _Limitless_, regular Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was on alongside guest Catherine Mary Stewart. I have to pause and think through both to get their names right. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/62 "2016-02-11T13:26:19Z")
In hockey I could never keep straight the six Sutter brothers who played in the 1980s, let alone their children or their coaching careers. Also the various generations of the Patrick family. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/63 "2016-02-11T14:24:23Z")
I can never get M Emmit Walsh and J T Walsh apart in my head. I used to think I had Ryan Gosling and Ryan Reynolds finally figured out when I see someone upthread throw in Ryan Philippe. Back to trying to separate them. Same with Julie Bowen and Julia Benz. Has anyone mentioned the two Julie Browns that were on MTV at the same time? One of them was “downtown” the other a redhead? Or was that kennedy? ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/64 "2016-02-11T15:57:21Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > I can never remember whether the actor’s name is Channing Tatum or Tatum Channing. It is the first one, but then I get confused because of Tatum O’Neal and Stockard Channing, each of whom have the opposite of the first name and the surname. Yes! Jennifer Garner and Jennifer Lawrence. And for some stupid stupid reason I have trouble with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Lea Thompson. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/65 "2016-02-11T16:02:00Z")
Seth Morris Seth Meyers Seth Green Seth Rogen ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/66 "2016-02-11T16:11:38Z")
Apparently I’ve been confusing Jennifer Garner with Jennifer Garner. I was just thinking “I always confuse that lady who was in ‘Alias’ with Ben Affleck’s wife.” After a quick Googling, apparently I was more confused than I thought. ---
**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:** [February 11, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/67 "2016-02-11T16:18:48Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I just discovered recently that Helen Reddy and Anne Murray are two different people. The names aren’t so similar, but they occupied the same neurons in my brain. I completely understand that situation. I’m the same way with Glenn Close and Meryl Streep - two pretty good but not so attractive actresses with men’s first names. Do we really need both of them? One would suffice. As for names/faces that I can’t keep straight, there are Chris O’Donnell (NCIS:LA) and Jerry O’Connell (Sliders). ---
**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:** [February 11, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/68 "2016-02-11T16:35:14Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Also single-worded songstresses Rhianna and Beyonce. Don’t even get me started on [Rhianna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhianna_(singer)) and [Rihanna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihanna). Rihanna has now become the famous one but when they were both starting out I wasn’t sure if they were two different singers or a spelling error. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/69 "2016-02-11T16:51:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Don’t even get me started on [Rhianna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhianna_(singer)) and [Rihanna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rihanna). Rihanna has now become the famous one but when they were both starting out I wasn’t sure if they were two different singers or a spelling error. In the same vein, there’s the famous Kesha (or Ke$ha if one prefers) but also the somewhat-famous [Kiesza](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESXgJ9-H-2U). ---
**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:** [February 11, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/70 "2016-02-11T16:59:19Z")
Way back in the day, I had a hard time with [Tom Jones](http://www.bicoastalproductions.com/Art/HarmikTomJones.jpg) and [Englebert Humperdinck](http://s4.evcdn.com/images/edpborder500/I0-001/004/212/015-4.jpeg_/engelbert-humperdinck-15.jpeg). While their names are nothing alike, they had a similarity in appearance. I even remember EH on some TV variety show introducing himself as “the other Tom Jones”. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/71 "2016-02-11T19:04:24Z")
When it comes to celebrity look-a-likes, it doesn’t get much worse than [Katy Perry](https://www.google.com/search?q=katy+perry+zooey+deschanel&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=799&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjDv6SysvDKAhXJFz4KHWKzBNwQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=pXIfbPxAU_0UoM%3A) and [Zooey Deschanel](http://www.instyle.co.uk/celebrity/pictures/celebrity-lookalikes/zooey-deschanel-and-katy-perry-celebrity-lookalikes). ---
**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:** [February 11, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/72 "2016-02-11T19:42:37Z")
Billy West and Stephen Fry. I can’t imagine why. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/73 "2016-02-11T20:26:27Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > When it comes to celebrity look-a-likes, it doesn’t get much worse than [Katy Perry](https://www.google.com/search?q=katy+perry+zooey+deschanel&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=799&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjDv6SysvDKAhXJFz4KHWKzBNwQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=pXIfbPxAU_0UoM%3A) and [Zooey Deschanel](http://www.instyle.co.uk/celebrity/pictures/celebrity-lookalikes/zooey-deschanel-and-katy-perry-celebrity-lookalikes). But that’s only from the neck up. There are (to be tacky) a noticeable differences between the two below once you get below their necks. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/74 "2016-02-11T20:31:58Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Billy West and Stephen Fry. I can’t imagine why. HA!! That is pretty funny 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zoltar7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b38774/32.png) [@zoltar7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoltar7)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/75 "2016-02-11T21:04:21Z")
[Amanda Seyfried](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1086543/) and [Amanda Freitag](http://amandafreitag.com) ---
**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:** [February 11, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/76 "2016-02-11T21:05:12Z")
Remember Claudia Whats-her-name? She played that pretty dark-haired lady on that science fiction show. But am I thinking of Christian or Black? And it doesn’t help that the one named Christian played a Jewish character. Speaking of Black, when I heard that Lewis Black was playing Anger in _Inside Out_, I pictured Jack Black. Who would also do a pretty good job playing Anger. Oh, and I don’t know Jack. One of them is the actor from _The Shining_ and _Six Easy Pieces_, and the other is a golfer, and I still can’t remember which was which. I think Nicklaus was the golfer and Nicholson is the actor? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/77 "2016-02-11T22:12:59Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > But that’s only from the neck up. There are (to be tacky) a noticeable differences between the two below once you get below their necks. Very true. I was hoping for a wardrobe malfunction during Katy’s Super Bowl performance. But Zooey has quite a nice figure, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/78 "2016-02-11T22:42:04Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Do politicians count? > > I get Rand Paul, Paul Ryan, and Ron Paul all confused. Same here. Also, it turns out that [Matt Dillon](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000369/) isn’t the character played by [James Arness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Arness) 😃 For a while I thought that [Morton Downey Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton_Downey,_Jr.) and [Robert Downey Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Downey_Jr.) were related. And finally, [Jessica Biel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Biel) and [Jennifer Beals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Beals) ---
**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:** [February 11, 2016, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/79 "2016-02-11T23:03:10Z")
I always confuse [Edgar Wright](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Wright) (writer/director of movies like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) with [Nick Frost](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Frost) (co-star of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz). Mainly because whenever one of these movies comes out you’ll hear it as “the new movie from Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright,” or “the new movie from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638/80 "2016-02-11T23:17:14Z")
There was a comedian from around the 90’s named Steve O. One of his jokes about his name. “I was on ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ I bought a vowel, and I kept it.” I can’t find any of his clips on-line. But he’s miles away from [this](https://www.google.com/search?q=steve+o&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=799&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiiscO07PDKAhXDWz4KHR6kDz0Q_AUIBygC) Steve O. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-whose-names-confuse-you/745638.md?page=5)