# Characters In Films/Television That Use All Or Parts Of Their Real Names **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2009, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269 "2009-05-04T09:58:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/41 "2009-05-05T02:58:30Z")
Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams played Heather Donahue, Josh Leonard, and Mike Williams in **The Blair Witch Project**. Penn Gillette and the mononymous Teller star in **Penn & Teller Get Killed**. Arguably, they are simply playing themselves, but just as arguably they must be playing fictional characters as neither Penn or Teller has yet, to my knowledge, gotten killed. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2009, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/42 "2009-05-05T12:10:10Z")
Fran Drescher played Fran Fine on The Nanny and Fran Reeves on Living with Fran. Reba McIntyre played Reba Hart on Reba. Bob Crane played Robert Hogan on Hogan’s Heroes. Two from real life: Susan Richardson played Susan Bradford on Eight is Enough. Jobeth Williams played surrogate mother Mary Beth Whitehead in the Baby M TV movie. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/43 "2009-05-05T13:20:17Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Also singer Bonnie Bramlett played her co-worker and friend Bonnie. I watched Rosanne. I know about Delaney and Bonnie. Until this moment I never connected the two. ---
**Author:** ![FalconFinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@FalconFinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FalconFinder)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/44 "2009-05-05T15:26:03Z")
Bonnie Hunt: Bonnie Hunt Show/Bonnie - Bonnie Kelly Life with Bonnie - Bonnie Malloy ---
**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:** [May 7, 2009, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/45 "2009-05-07T12:18:00Z")
Nell Carter played Nell Harper on Gimme A Break!, where she was friends with the cute kid next door Joey Donovan, played by Joey Lawrence, who later went on to play Joey Russo on Blossom. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/46 "2009-05-07T12:27:49Z")
Adam West plays Mayor Adam West in Family Guy ---
**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:** [May 7, 2009, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/47 "2009-05-07T12:32:44Z")
Danny Bonaduce as Danny Partridge ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/48 "2009-05-07T12:34:46Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Obviously, the film Being John Malkovich comes to mind. Potentially of interest, but probably not: in the movie, Malkovich is given the full name John Horatio Malkovich. (It shows up during that retrospective of his career before the big Swan Lake scene.) His real middle name is Gavin. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/49 "2009-05-07T13:04:56Z")
Jeff Foxworthy was Jeff Foxworthy in _The Jeff Foxworthy Show_. Bill Engvall was Jeff’s friend Bill Pelton in the same show. ---
**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:** [May 7, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/50 "2009-05-07T13:56:28Z")
On “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist”, Dr. Katz was played by Jonathan Katz, his son Ben was played by H. Jon Benjamin, his receptionist Laura was played by Laura Silverman, and all of his clients were comedians and actors playing versions of themselves. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/51 "2009-05-07T14:44:40Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Lucile (Lucy) Ball was Lucy Ricardo on “I Love Lucy” and Lucy plus a different surname on the post-divorce show with Vivian Vance… She played Lucy \_\_\_\_\_\_ on every one of her TV shows ( **I Love Lucy** , **The Lucy Show** , **Here’s Lucy** , & **Life with Lucy** ). Oh and let’s not forget about **Lucy Calls the President**. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/52 "2009-05-08T02:56:54Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Nell Carter played Nell Harper on Gimme A Break!, where she was friends with the cute kid next door Joey Donovan, played by Joey Lawrence, who later went on to play Joey Russo on Blossom. Whoa! They added one of his brothers, I forget which one, Matthew or Andrew, to Gimme A Break! near the end, also using his real first name as the character’s name. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/53 "2009-05-08T03:16:11Z")
Gabe Kaplan (another standup comic) played Gabe Kotter, on “Welcome Back, Kotter.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/54 "2009-05-08T03:18:04Z")
Marion Ross played Marion “Mrs. C.” Cunningham, on “Happy Days.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/55 "2009-05-08T03:19:55Z")
Larry David is himself (but not really) on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/56 "2009-05-08T03:27:00Z")
The cast of **Home Movies** : Brendon Small played Brendon Small. Paula Poundstone (originally) played Paula Small. Melissa Bardin-Galsky played Melissa Robbins. Jon Benjamin played John McGuirk. Ron Lynch played Mr. Lynch. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2009, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/57 "2009-05-08T12:27:34Z")
Twins Tia & Tamera Mowley played twins Tia Landry & Tamera Campbell in “Sister, Sister” Ron Glass played Det. Ron Harris on Barney Miller. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2009, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/58 "2009-05-09T12:02:47Z")
We’ve mentioned _Roseanne_ several times, but no mention of Arnie Thomas, played by Tom Arnold. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/59 "2009-05-09T12:39:17Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I watched Rosanne. I know about Delaney and Bonnie. Until this moment I never connected the two. My favoite moment in Roseanne was the informal Mother’s Day picnic they had. Dan was playing his guitar and the cast was singing “You Really Got a Hold on Me.” Bonnie joined it, and everyone stopped singing and just listened to her belt out that song. It was so true to life and wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269/60 "2009-05-09T17:42:12Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > My favoite moment in Roseanne was the informal Mother’s Day picnic they had. Dan was playing his guitar and the cast was singing “You Really Got a Hold on Me.” Bonnie joined it, and everyone stopped singing and just listened to her belt out that song. It was so true to life and wonderful. I loved that episode too. [Ain’t Youtube awesome?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qlocP12JAU) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-in-films-television-that-use-all-or-parts-of-their-real-names/495269.md?page=4)