The first four images are of a bit-part actor that you’ve never heard of. Trust me. The last four images are of a (possibly) different bit-part actor with the same name.
I know that Group 1 is all the same person and Group 2 is all the same person. What I’d like is an opinion on whether or not the actor in Group 1 is the same as in Group 2.
In the second group (several years after the first), if it’s the same person, he is wearing a different hairpice, and a mustache. To me, there is a similarity in the eyes and the chin.
IIRC, there are union rules about professional actors having unique names. That is why you will see some actors include their middle names or middle initials in their professional names. So if these two actors have the same name, it’s probably the same guy.
Crude screen caps. Digital camera off a TV screen.
Pictures 1 and 2 are from a 1981 TV program.
Pictures 3 and 4 are from a 1977 TV program.
Pictures 5 and 6 are from a 1987 TV program.
Pictures 7 and 8 are from a 1986 low-budget movie.
That’s the rule so far as registering with the union, but the person doing the titles might not get the name exactly right. So, yeah, in a perfect world, as long as one person is registered, no one else should have that same name. As an example, there is a “Mark Margolis” in the 1982 movie “Diner.” which I expect was done under union rules. He is not the prolific character actor by that name.
For the record, the name of the actor(s) is John Allen. There have been a number of John Allens over the years. The most prolific one (aside from this one/these ones) is an Australian actor by that name (think a younger John Cleese with a bit more hair.) There was also a “John Allen” in the 1992 movie “Mo Money,” and he was most definitely none of the other ones who had gone by that name.
The credits for “John Allen” predating 1977 are for at least two different actors.