# Do actors ever use their own pictures in films? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447 "2004-12-18T00:05:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/22 "2004-12-19T05:07:37Z")
In The Black Stallion, in the scene where Alex gets into Henry’s barn, and finds the locked room with the pictures and trophies, there’s one picture of the young Henry that sure does look like Mickey Rooney(who played Henry.) Of course Rooney was a child actor, and there must be scads to choose from. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/23 "2004-12-19T05:09:38Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > But it’s always made me wonder: Do actors ever bring pictures of their own childhood to use in films? One the one hand, it seems impractical to ask Albert Finney to dig up pictures from his past. On the other hand, it seems cheaper than either faking the pictures now, or hiring younger lookalikes. Why would it be impractical? I suspect most actors would find it flattering…and additional rub to their ego. And, of course, a vindication of their younger selves who were picked on on school :D. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/24 "2004-12-19T12:06:59Z")
Similar to \*The Limey \* example, for a flashback scene in _Austin Powers: Goldmember_, shots of Michael Caine were used from his 1967 film, _Hurry Sundown_. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/25 "2004-12-19T14:49:43Z")
In _Stargate SG1_, the pictures in Sam Carter’s house are of Carmen Argenziano’s (Jacob Carter) real family. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/26 "2004-12-19T16:51:31Z")
I’ve always wondered about this sort of thing and have meant for _ages_ to post a thread about it someday! In **Finding Forrester** the dust jacket photo on the book written by Sean Connery’s character is a photo of Connery as a young man. Oddly, I remember my sister saying “That picture doesn’t look anything like him!” when we saw the movie. What I’m even more curious about is when they show photos from the past in a movie that is already set in the past. Say a movie is shot in 2000 but set in 1970, and they want to include pictures of the adult heroine as a little girl in the 1940s. Real photos of the actress at the proper age would have been taken decades later, so what do they do? I wonder if it’s easier to go through a bunch of old photos from the proper era and pick a kid that resembles the actress or to just hire a look-alike kid now and dress her up in period clothes for a photo shoot. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/27 "2004-12-19T16:56:33Z")
Well, nowadays (last ten years, say), it should be no problem to superimpose an actor’s face onto any period photograph through use of CGI, etc. In older films, I’m sure you’re right–they just found an old photo that looked even remotely like the actor and used it. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/28 "2004-12-19T16:59:11Z")
> [@Sir Rhosis](#): > > Well, nowadays (last ten years, say), it should be no problem to superimpose an actor’s face onto any period photograph through use of CGI, etc. You’re right – I should have used an older time for my example! ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/29 "2004-12-19T17:05:14Z")
I’ve never seen **Fnding Forrester** , but I can think of perhaps why they would not use a period photo of Connery as the bookjacket cover. That GODAWUL toupee he wore in the film! A photo of Connery from say 1965 would have at best shown him with his Bond toupee which looked nothing like that big floppy Shatnerian rug he sported in “Forrester.” And in public life, Connery has always eschewed the wearing of a hairpiece, so no photos to match there. Just a stupid theory. They really should have just used a photo of a younger Connerry, even if it needed to be doctored via computer. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/30 "2004-12-19T17:07:56Z")
**Lamia** , nevermind, I misread your post. I thought you said the photo was NOT of Connery. Sorry. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/31 "2004-12-19T18:54:37Z")
In their pathetic last films, John Barrymore (_Playmates_) and Tallulah Bankhead (_Die! Die! My Darling_) used photos of themselves in their prime as background, making it all the sadder. And of course _Sunset Boulevard_ was crammed with photos and film clips of Gloria Swanson from the 1920s. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/32 "2004-12-19T20:07:55Z")
At the beginning of _Bulworth_, there’s a scene of Warren Beatty’s character sitting in his office, which is filled with photos from his poltical career. Most of them are with recognizable politiciansnd public figures. Considering that Beatty has always been politically active, I suspect that many of them were real photos. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/33 "2004-12-19T20:46:34Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > At the beginning of _Bulworth_, there’s a scene of Warren Beatty’s character sitting in his office, which is filled with photos from his poltical career. Most of them are with recognizable politiciansnd public figures. Considering that Beatty has always been politically active, I suspect that many of them were real photos. That reminds me of the TV series **Murphy Brown**. The title character had a bunch of magazine covers with her picture on them posted on the walls of her office. I remember reading that early in the series these covers were all produced by the show’s art department, but later they were real magazines that had run cover stories about **Murphy Brown** or Candice Bergen. (I don’t think they had any old photos of Bergen from her previous modelling and acting work, but I’m not sure.) One episode of **Murphy Brown** dealt with Murphy’s response to having her status as an unwed mother criticized by VP Dan Quayle. It used real footage of Dan Quayle denouncing the character, which had been big news at the time. ---
**Author:** ![kka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@kka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kka)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/34 "2004-12-19T21:53:08Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > I’m sure most the pictures in ‘Being John Malkovich’ are young pictures of the actor, then again he was actually playing himself in the film. **Being John Malkovich** was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread. ---
**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:** [December 19, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/35 "2004-12-19T22:51:09Z")
Baker writes: \> In The Black Stallion, in the scene where Alex gets into Henry’s barn, and finds \> the locked room with the pictures and trophies, there’s one picture of the young \> Henry that sure does look like Mickey Rooney(who played Henry.) Of course \> Rooney was a child actor, and there must be scads to choose from. According to the IMDb page on _The Black Stallion_: \> There is a scene in which Alec opens the door of Henry Dailey’s office and looks \> around at all the old memorabilia Henry acquired as a winning jockey. One of \> the photos is a shot of a younger ‘Mickey Rooney’ a top the horse that looks to \> be the one featured in National Velvet (1944). Perhaps it was a promo shot \> from that movie because Rooney only rode the horse once in “National Velvet” \> and that scene took place at night. ---
**Author:** ![dancefan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@dancefan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dancefan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/36 "2004-12-19T23:42:37Z")
==On the “Fathers and Sons” episode from the television drama ER George Clooney’s Dr Ross’ father died. Ross & Dr Greene drove to the site of the man’s death to take care of details and collect his things. During the episode they showed real photos and home movies from Clooney’s youth. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/37 "2004-12-20T19:26:22Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > I have this vague memory of seeing a “making of” special for some movie where in passing the director mentioned that his production staff had used a de-aging program (like what cops do to predict what missing children look like when older but in reverse) and Photoshop to create pictures of the leads together as children and younger adults. Can’t remember the movie or the director, how’s that for vague? It may or may not be what you’re thinking of, but photos of several of the stars from _A Mighty Wind_ got the full Photoshop treatment to make them look considerably younger. A lot of these were used to create the phony circa-1961 album covers. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/38 "2004-12-20T21:55:30Z")
Another example from TV is the photo of Laura Palmer as homecoming queen from _Twin Peaks_. It’s a real photo of a tiara-wearing Sheryl Lee from high school. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/39 "2004-12-20T22:13:22Z")
> [@Sir Rhosis](#): > > Well, nowadays (last ten years, say), it should be no problem to superimpose an actor’s face onto any period photograph through use of CGI, etc. In older films, I’m sure you’re right–they just found an old photo that looked even remotely like the actor and used it. Even back in the days prior to Photoshop, I don’t think it would have been too hard for competent darkroom artist to come up with a photo-montage that would easily pass muster in a medium or long shot. I’ve always wondered about that final photograph in [_The Shining_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/). Was that a montage of a vintage photo and a picture of Nicholson? Or did Kubrick fill a whole room with costumed extras to get that photograph? The people in the background seem to be dressed differently from the extras in the ballroom scene where Grady spills advocaat on Jack, so I’m guessing that the photo was a montage–but with Kubrick’s obsessiveness, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447/40 "2004-12-27T10:59:48Z")
In **The Sixth Sense** , Toni Collette’s character looks at a collection of photos of herself and her son. At least two of them really are photos of Haley Osment; Collette is Photoshopped into one in place of Osment’s real mom. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-actors-ever-use-their-own-pictures-in-films/280447.md?page=1)