# Ever confuse one actor for another? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757 "2026-07-18T01:25:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/61 "2026-07-19T02:19:25Z")
Did Jeff Daniels ever play a President? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/62 "2026-07-19T02:23:50Z")
George Washington in _[The Crossing](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0218094/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_accord_2_cdt_c_53)_, though that was set during the Revolutionary War, and thus, before Washington became president. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2026, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/63 "2026-07-19T02:30:54Z")
There was also Kevin Kline in _Dave_, where he played both a president and someone hired as his double. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/64 "2026-07-19T03:45:46Z")
> [@Galactus](#): > > Did Jeff Daniels ever play a President? I get William Hurt and Jeff Daniels mixed up. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/65 "2026-07-19T05:09:00Z")
I’m more likely to confuse Jeff Daniels with Jeff Bridges. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/66 "2026-07-19T08:06:11Z")
Recently, I watched _The Misfits_ featuring Marilyn Monroe and Cary Grant both in their final film roles. But for some reason, my brain read Cary Grant and still was expecting to see John Wayne. (I don’t recommend the movie for modern audiences, too much rodeo violence (it’s mostly the people who get hurt) and too much discussion of the ethics of rounding up horses to be sold at slaughter for dogmeat. But cowobying’s better than wages. right? ) ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/67 "2026-07-19T09:30:47Z")
In the _Westworld_ series, I kept confusing Rodrigo Santoro and Ben Barnes. Waitaminute, why is he shooting robots in the shootout recreation when he’s a robot who escaped with the other robots? Doyeeeee ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/68 "2026-07-19T10:43:47Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > confuse Jeff Daniels with Jeff Bridges. Sure, add him to the mix. ---
**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:** [July 19, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/69 "2026-07-19T12:28:22Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > Recently, I watched _The Misfits_ featuring Marilyn Monroe and Cary Grant both in their final film roles. > > But for some reason, my brain read Cary Grant and still was expecting to see John Wayne. Is this a roundabout way to say you confuse Cary Grant and Clark Gable? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/70 "2026-07-19T13:48:10Z")
When I saw Guy Siner on Seinfeld I thought he was Roy Brocksmith from Total Recall. I think it was the smirk they shared. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/71 "2026-07-19T14:05:56Z")
I sorta kinda get Sam Neill and Hugo Weaving mixed up sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/72 "2026-07-19T14:27:51Z")
Brian Keith and Brian Dennehy sure seem cut from the same cloth. Rachel Ward is a respected Australian actress. Kelly LeBrock is a tabloid-y mess who married Steven Seagal. Show me a photo of either from the 80s and I will think it is the other. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/73 "2026-07-19T14:50:49Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > George Kennedy is _sui generis_. I wouldn’t think it possible to confuse him for someone else. Ken Howard? ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/74 "2026-07-19T14:51:54Z")
Not intentionally, but they both are stars I feel like I should recognize but probably can’t. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/75 "2026-07-19T15:09:26Z")
In the 1980s, it was Michael Keaton and Kevin Costner. Then it was Jason Segal and Seth Rogen. Now it’s Emily Blunt and Emma Stone. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/76 "2026-07-19T15:39:49Z")
My brain is aware that there is a Ryan Reynolds and a Ryan Gosling, but, for my purposes, they may as well just meld into a single entity. I suppose if I dedicated about 20 minutes every day to study, I could reach a point where I have a solid grasp of which is which, but I don’t have any plans at this time to do so. mmm ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/77 "2026-07-19T17:33:03Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I found it a little odd that Brent Spiner was playing the role of an Italian mafioso. While we’re at it, the guy on _Mozart in the Jungle_ wasn’t Spiner, either, as I initially thought; he’s [Brennan Brown](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1000502/?ref_=mv_close). ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/78 "2026-07-19T18:23:22Z")
The more I think about it, the less convinced I am that I usually confuse Cary Grant and Clark Gable, but I may have that evening, and when the one I expected to see didn’t as how up, I decided that I was it as should h as be been looking for John Wayne instead. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/79 "2026-07-19T20:04:17Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > I’m more likely to confuse Jeff Daniels with Jeff Bridges. I came in here to say the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757/80 "2026-07-19T20:06:08Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > My brain is aware that there is a Ryan Reynolds and a Ryan Gosling, but, for my purposes, they may as well just meld into a single entity. It took me a few weeks to realize _The Fall Guy_ wasn’t a sequel to _Free Guy_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-confuse-one-actor-for-another/1031757.md?page=5)