# Didn't expect to see THAT name in the credits! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 1, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107 "2017-03-01T15:27:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/61 "2017-03-02T21:11:43Z")
Star of Dexter , Michael C. Hall , was the narrator of a history channel documentary named Hitler’s War. He did it in 2005 and Dexter started in 2006. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/62 "2017-03-02T21:34:47Z")
I’ve been rewatching all of the David Suchet **Poirot** episodes, and there’s tons of actors in there from when they were quite young. Most I recognized right away, like Michael Fassbender, Damian Lewis, Joely Richardson, Emily Blunt doing a [hilariously terrible American accent](https://youtu.be/uzEHLBhXG-g), and Christopher Eccleston. But there was one episode where I just could not place the actor, so afterwards read the credits to see who it was. It was [Peter Capaldi](http://68.media.tumblr.com/66a38c311582247cffadc6a7bb313da1/tumblr_mgvvm6Cic01qmnzllo3_1280.jpg). Even more irritating was that I had just seen the Christopher Eccleston episode. ---
**Author:** ![Srsly\_Dad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Srsly\_Dad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Srsly_Dad)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/63 "2017-03-02T21:36:23Z")
Fred Stoller made a career out of being a character actor When you see him you will probably recognize him. He was also a Seinfeld staff writer for one season and was credited for two shows. [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831550/?ref\_=nv\_sr\_1](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0831550/?ref_=nv_sr_1) He wrote a book “Maybe We’ll Have You Back: The Life of a Perennial TV Guest Star” that I liked. Amazon also has"My Seinfeld Year" available as a Kindle single. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/64 "2017-03-02T21:43:29Z")
The animated series _Robot Chicken_ once did a rather vicious parody of _A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila_. When the credits rolled, it seems that Tila Tequila did the voice for it. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/65 "2017-03-02T21:44:58Z")
I was watching an ep of “Soap” on one of the oldies channels. There’s a quick scene with a hot chick playing a hooker. When the credits ran, I was really surprised to see that the hot chick hooker was played by. . . “Soap” producer Susan Harris. ---
**Author:** ![Annoying\_Buzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Annoying\_Buzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annoying_Buzz)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/66 "2017-03-03T08:43:21Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I had seen the Mel Brooks movie High Anxiety many times before I realized the Bellboy (Here’s your paper! Here’s your paper!) is played by academy award winning director Barry Levinson. He was also one of the writers. He deliberately kept his name out of the credits so people wouldn’t think the film was a comedy, but I was surprised to learn of Mel Brooks’ extensive involvement (as an executive producer) in _The Elephant Man_. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2017, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/67 "2017-03-03T10:29:32Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Star of Dexter , Michael C. Hall , was the narrator of a history channel documentary named Hitler’s War. He did it in 2005 and Dexter started in 2006. He’d already been starring in _Six Feet Under_ for four years by that point. I understand narration work is a solid earner as a sideline for a lot of “name” actors - it always amazes me who crops up in these documentaries. ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/68 "2017-03-04T19:31:53Z")
Nancy Walker, Rhoda’s mom and the Bounty quicker picker upper spokes person wrote, “Can’t Stop The Music”, the Village People’s movie. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/69 "2017-03-04T19:48:36Z")
The DC Animated movie _Batman vs Robin_ has Al Yankovic (yes, the “Weird” one) as the voice of the Dollmaker (a dark villain even by Batman standards). ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/70 "2017-03-04T21:16:02Z")
I watch a lot of crime documentaries. One that aired on the ID channel recently was called “Betrayed.” One of the producers: Kevin Spacey. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/71 "2017-03-04T21:48:04Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > I’ve been rewatching all of the David Suchet **Poirot** episodes, and there’s tons of actors in there from when they were quite young. Most I recognized right away, like Michael Fassbender, Damian Lewis, Joely Richardson, Emily Blunt doing a [hilariously terrible American accent](https://youtu.be/uzEHLBhXG-g), and Christopher Eccleston. > > But there was one episode where I just could not place the actor, so afterwards read the credits to see who it was. It was [Peter Capaldi](http://68.media.tumblr.com/66a38c311582247cffadc6a7bb313da1/tumblr_mgvvm6Cic01qmnzllo3_1280.jpg). Even more irritating was that I had just seen the Christopher Eccleston episode. Similarly, I watched the BBC Miniseries (shown here on PBS) _I, Claudius_ when it first aired in 1976. Years later, in the 1990’s I watched it when PBS ran it again. Now, I knew that John Hurt played Caligula and that even “Sallah”, John Rhys-Davies had a small part as Macro, but was surprised to see that **Patrick Stewart** played Sejanus! Sure, I didn’t know who Patrick Stewart was in 1976, but even if I did, I wouldn’t have recognized him with his full head of hair 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/72 "2017-03-04T21:56:21Z")
Robby Benson was something of a punchline in the 1970s for starring in sappy treacle such as _Ode to Billy Joe_, _One on One_, and _Ice Castles_. To this day, whenever I see his name pop up on one of the 6 _Friends_ episodes he directed, I chuckle a little inside. (To be fair, he’s a pretty accomplished TV director; I just have trouble separating the name from his earlier schmaltzy acting work.) ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/73 "2017-03-04T22:11:51Z")
When I saw Richard Harris in the first Harry Potter movie, I thought “Huh: dude has the same name as the guy who sung that stupid song ‘MacArthur Park.’ Oh well, it’s a pretty common name.” I guess that song did sorta redeem itself when it supplied the background for a great line in _Priscilla, Queen of the Desert_. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/74 "2017-03-04T22:50:54Z")
> [@rock\_party](#): > > Nancy Walker, Rhoda’s mom and the Bounty quicker picker upper spokes person wrote, “Can’t Stop The Music”, the Village People’s movie. The actress who played Sgt Dori Doreau in the TV series _Sledge Hammer_, Anne-Marie Martin, wrote the movie _Twister_. That’s probably because she was married to the writer Michael Crichton. But still. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/75 "2017-03-05T00:18:04Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > Similarly, I watched the BBC Miniseries (shown here on PBS) _I, Claudius_ when it first aired in 1976. Years later, in the 1990’s I watched it when PBS ran it again. Now, I knew that John Hurt played Caligula and that even “Sallah”, John Rhys-Davies had a small part as Macro, but was surprised to see that **Patrick Stewart** played Sejanus! Sure, I didn’t know who Patrick Stewart was in 1976, but even if I did, I wouldn’t have recognized him with his full head of hair 😃 I think anyone alive in England during the 70s that ever carried a spear in a Shakespeare play was in I, Claudius. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/76 "2017-03-05T00:33:50Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > Similarly, I watched the BBC Miniseries (shown here on PBS) _I, Claudius_ when it first aired in 1976. Years later, in the 1990’s I watched it when PBS ran it again. Now, I knew that John Hurt played Caligula and that even “Sallah”, John Rhys-Davies had a small part as Macro, but was surprised to see that **Patrick Stewart** played Sejanus! Sure, I didn’t know who Patrick Stewart was in 1976, but even if I did, I wouldn’t have recognized him with his full head of hair 😃 Anyone besides me think he’s actually better-looking without hair? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/77 "2017-03-05T00:38:09Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I think anyone alive in England during the 70s that ever carried a spear in a Shakespeare play was in I, Claudius. Ain’t that the truth! 😛 Hell, even Ian Ogilvy who starred as Simon Templar in that lousy remake of _The Saint_ was in it. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/78 "2017-03-05T00:57:23Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Anyone besides me think he’s actually better-looking without hair? Do an image search for “Patrick Stewart Midsummer Night’s Dream” and get back to us. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/79 "2017-03-05T19:22:38Z")
Although Al Yankovich is fairly well known for doing cartoon voice cameos I was surprised to see him doing the voice of the main character in Milo Murphy’s Law. The first time I saw Tony Dow’s name as a producer was on Babylon 5. Kind of funny if you think about it. Charles Nelson Reilly and Jackie Mason doing voices on Spongebob Squarepants. Adam West and Burt Ward as the young Mermaid man and Barnacle Boy on Spongebob Squarepants. I had never even heard of Micheal Crichton before Jurrasic Park so I was surprised to find out he wrote the book Adromedia Strain is based on. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107/80 "2017-03-05T19:55:23Z")
MrAtoz writes: \> Peter Weller, surprisingly enough, has a Ph.D. in Art History from UCLA, focusing on \> the Italian Renaissance. He’s also taught history courses at Syracuse. Imagine taking \> a history class and having Robocop as your professor! And if that would be weird, how about the fact that while she was working on her Ph.D. and just after getting it, Mayim Bialik taught a few classes about neuroscience to her home school community at the junior high and high school level? (I’m not sure what a home school community is, but I’ll pass on that for the moment.) This was just before getting cast as Amy Farrah Fowler. Probably the students in those few classes knew that she’d been an actress, but she’d been out of it for a while. Imagine watching _The Big Band Theory_ for the first time and noticing that the woman playing a neuroscientist was the one who had taught you something about the field several years before: > **[Q&A: Life before 'The Big Bang Theory' with actress and former...](https://dailybruin.com/2012/05/06/4fa6bf4551df5)** > > On Wednesday, "The Big Bang Theory" actress Mayim Bialik came to campus to give a talk about academia and her academic life at UCLA for the Regents Scholar Speaker Series. She spoke to Daily Bruin's Laurie Allred about her hectic life, filming "The... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/didnt-expect-to-see-that-name-in-the-credits/781107.md?page=5)