# Character nods to the actor's former character **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 7, 2009, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657 "2009-03-07T16:13:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/81 "2009-03-09T23:09:52Z")
On the BBC show, Kingdom, starring Stephen Fry, there’s an episode where a father is telling his daughter to go off to college and that he’ll be okay without her. He says something like, “Maybe I’ll get a butler” and then the camera focuses on Stephen Fry for no reason (reference to Fry’s character in Jeeves and Wooster who was a butler). ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/82 "2009-03-09T23:25:25Z")
In \*Epic Movie \*(not that I’ve, uh, seen it), Edward says “White Castle? I feel like I’ve been there before.” in response to the White Bitch showing him her white castle, which is an actual White Castle restaurant (in case you’re really too stupid to catch the reference). Edward is played by Kal Penn, who was Kumar in _Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle_. ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/83 "2009-03-10T00:29:39Z")
I seem to remember a scene in the new _Battlestar Galactica_ where someone calls out “Apollo” and Richard Hatch (Apollo from the original series, now playing a different character) turns in recognition. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/84 "2009-03-10T00:46:26Z")
> [@Euryphaessa](#): > > In \*Epic Movie \*(not that I’ve, uh, seen it), Edward says “White Castle? I feel like I’ve been there before.” in response to the White Bitch showing him her white castle, which is an actual White Castle restaurant (in case you’re really too stupid to catch the reference). Edward is played by Kal Penn, who was Kumar in _Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle_. Nothing about _Epic Movie_ should be considered witty or clever. ---
**Author:** ![DaphneBlack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daphneblack/32/5389_2.png) [@DaphneBlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaphneBlack)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/85 "2009-03-10T00:59:12Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > The terrible horror movie **Valentine** featured two of the cannon fodder females discussing their boyfriends and the possibility that either could be the murderer. One says to the other: “He’s no angel, but he’s not a killer.” > > Said boyfriend was played by David Boreanez. In a recent episode of Bones (starring David Boreanaz, although he is offscreen at this point), one of the characters admits to being a big geek, and being into ‘you know, Star Trek, Buffy etc.’ ---
**Author:** ![Yeeter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/96bed5/32.png) [@Yeeter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeeter)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/86 "2009-03-10T03:07:15Z")
In the movie “Drillbit Taylor” the children of the movie are interviewing people to become their bodyguards. One of the interviewees is Adam Baldwin, and his line is something like, “Kids hiring a bodyguard to take care of a bully? Stupidest thing I ever heard.” He is wearing the army jacket he wore in the movie “My Bodyguard.” Clip here: [http://www.casttv.com/video/8s84j8/drillbit-taylor-drillbit-taylor-clip-interviewing-bodyguards-video](http://www.casttv.com/video/8s84j8/drillbit-taylor-drillbit-taylor-clip-interviewing-bodyguards-video) ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/87 "2009-03-10T03:51:28Z")
Boston Legal had lots of these. Denny Crane (William Shatner)'s cell phone chirps like an old-school communicator. Denny also announces “I had my own spaceship!” Denny tells Paul (Rene Auberjonois) “I’m the captain!” during an argument. Denny’s new wife wants him to move to Hawaii with her. He asks “What am I supposed to do, beam to Boston every morning?” Alan describes sea lice as “cling-ons” and Denny, looking surly repeats “Klingons?!” Denny tells a crowd that he has an Emmy. Denny responds to a question from John Laroquette by telling him “I lied.” This is a reference to the same response to Laroquette’s character Maltz in Star Trek: The Search for Spock. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/88 "2009-03-10T04:12:39Z")
I remember seeing a couple Blackadder references in House but the only specific one I can remember is House saying something about a cunning plan. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/89 "2009-03-10T12:44:32Z")
House also had Blackadder in his Tivo queue. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/90 "2009-03-10T13:53:39Z")
I as just watching **Thunderball** , which brought another to mind. As Sean Connery, as Bond, is leabving the Heath Retreat at Shrublands, the nurse he’s seduced says, “Can we meet again, sometime, someplace?” To which Connery responds,“Another Time. Another Place.” **Another Time, Another Place** was a 1958 film in which Connery starred as a BBC war correspondent: > **[Another Time, Another Place (1958) ⭐ 5.8 | Drama, Romance, War](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051364/)** > > 1h 31m | Approved ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/91 "2009-03-10T14:07:37Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > After Stargate: SG1 became a haven for former Farscape actors, there’s a one-off joke when Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black) meets Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchel (Ben Browder). IIRC, her first words to him are a dismissive “I don’t know you” before turning to the next person in the room. > \ The SG-1 episode “200” has a brilliant parody of [Farscape](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycRl7AaOMfk) in it, Claudia Black played Aeryn Sun in 'Scape, and Ben Browder played John Crichton (in the 200 'Scape parody clip Browder played Stark though) Vala-Aeryn Sun Jackson- John Crichton Mitchell- Stark Teal’c- D’argo Carter- Chiana Thor- Rygel It’s an even better reference when you realize that Aeryn and John were romantically entangled in 'Scape, and Vala and Jackson appear to be in SG1 …and the “I have no idea what that is” comment at the end of the clip plays off the “poor ratings” 'Scape was getting near the end of Season 4 because Bonnie Hammer (BOO!!) and her brainless Sci-Fi channel minions were frelling around with 'Scape’s time slot the entire 200 episode is a hilarious send-up of Sci-Fi and fantasy ---
**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:** [March 10, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/92 "2009-03-10T14:34:52Z")
In an all time great missed opportunity to do this, someone mentioned Ted Bundy to Agent Gibbs (Mark Harmon) who played Bundy in a TV movie. Gibbs did not say “You cannot tell _me_ anything about Bundy that I don’t know” or some such comment. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/93 "2009-03-10T14:46:51Z")
> [@](#): > > In an all time great missed opportunity to do this, someone mentioned Ted Bundy to Agent Gibbs (Mark Harmon) who played Bundy in a TV movie. Gibbs did not say “You cannot tell me anything about Bundy that I don’t know” or some such comment. Another great missed opportunity: Pepper Mill is a BIG fan of Scott Bakula in anything, but especially **Quantum Leap**. Of course, she loved him as Jonathan Archer in **Enterprise** as well. At the end of the pilot episode of Enterprise, Captain Archer is finally rescued by the not-operating-until-then Transporter.As she pointed out, it would’ve been perfect if he’d then sighed heavily and emitted a Sam Beckett-ish “Oh, boy!” But, of course, they didn’t. Probably didn’t want to pollute the series with references to other stuff. But all the fans were _thinking_ it. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/94 "2009-03-10T14:48:23Z")
In the movie Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, Neal Patrick Harris plays himself. There are several moments where other characters, and he himself, confuse him with other characters he’s played. (For most of his appearance he’s blitzed out on whiskey, acid, mushrooms or all three) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/95 "2009-03-10T14:57:49Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > But, of course, they didn’t. Probably didn’t want to pollute the series with references to other stuff. I’m watching Enterprise now, about halfway through the third season, and I keep my fingers crossed every single episode for an “oh, boy.” Don’t harsh my hopes. 🙂 I was tickled in the episode I cited above to hear references both to Ceti Alpha V and the Mutara sector. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/96 "2009-03-10T14:59:30Z")
Speaking of **Enterprise** and **Quantum Leap** , Dean Stockwell appeared in one episode, and he apparently carried a handheld computer that looked and sounded like the one he carried in QL: > [@](#): > > Scott Bakula’s co-star Dean Stockwell from “Quantum Leap” (1989) guest-starred in episode #1.21, “Detained”. Stockwell’s Enterprise character carried a hand-held computing device similar in appearance and sound effects to the one his Quantum Leap character did throughout the series. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0572202/trivia](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0572202/trivia) ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/97 "2009-03-10T15:09:03Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Another great missed opportunity: Pepper Mill is a BIG fan of Scott Bakula in anything, but especially **Quantum Leap**. Of course, she loved him as Jonathan Archer in **Enterprise** as well. > > At the end of the pilot episode of Enterprise, Captain Archer is finally rescued by the not-operating-until-then Transporter.As she pointed out, it would’ve been perfect if he’d then sighed heavily and emitted a Sam Beckett-ish “Oh, boy!” > > But, of course, they didn’t. Probably didn’t want to pollute the series with references to other stuff. > But all the fans were _thinking_ it. I was very upset that not _once_ during the entire series did they have him say “Oh, boy.” It just wasn’t right. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/98 "2009-03-10T15:42:50Z")
There was an episode of Married with Children with two scenes of teople following Jefferson D’Arcy (Ted McGinley) around and screaming. The first group was screaming about “Happy Days” and the second about “The Love Boat.” ---
**Author:** ![dubs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dubs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dubs)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/99 "2009-03-10T23:22:16Z")
NCIS Season 4 episode called Escape, Mcgee remarks that the character played by Hal Holbrook has a first edition of Huckleberry Finn–a reference to Holbrook’s one-man show where he plays Mark Twain. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2009, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657/100 "2009-03-12T12:32:16Z")
The Nanny had an episode where Mr. Sheffield (Charles Shannessey) was trying to get a soap star (Steve Nichols) to do his new show. The star agreed provided he could go on a date with the Nanny. The star starts to get fresh with her in the limo. Fran says she’s going to report him to Soap Opera Digest. The guy puts on a black eye patch and announces he is really his character’s evil twin. Nichols played Steven “Patch” Johnson on Days our Lives opposite Shannesey’s Shane Donovan for years. The Nanny also brought back Bobbie Flechman, Fran’s role from the movie “This is Spinal Tap.” Not a stretch, sinch Sheffield is a Brit in musical theatre. When Fran thinks their relationship might have been romantic, she kidnaps Fleckman and then impersonates her. So Fran Drescher played Fran Fine imitating Bobbie Fleckman. Did a good job too. In the short lived TV series Harper Valley PTA, Stella Johnson (Barbara Eden) wore a Jeannie outfit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/character-nods-to-the-actors-former-character/488657.md?page=6)