# Larry Sanders question (stars playing themselves for laughs) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133 "2016-03-25T16:01:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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 25, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/1 "2016-03-25T16:01:00Z")
With the death of Garry Shandling it got me thinking. One big part of the show had various celebrities often acting like awful versions of themselves for laughs. It’s something that many other shows used later such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and Gervais in Extras and Life’s Too Short. Was the Larry Sanders show the first one to do this? Celebrity cameos in the past always showed the star in the best possible light. Stars were very guarded about their reputation. Then in Larry Sanders you have [David Duchovny](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfNHX_gVKJ0) falling in love with Shandling’s character. Brilliantly awkward. Prior to Larry Sanders are there other examples of stars playing unflattering versions of themselves for laughs? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/2 "2016-03-25T17:00:54Z")
I think that was Jack Benny’s whole act. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/3 "2016-03-25T17:08:21Z")
Some of the entertainers who played themselves on _I Love Lucy_ and _The Desi Lucy Comedy Hour_ exaggerated themselves a bit. Tallulah Bankhead played a version of herself who has drunk-like allergic reactions to strawberries, William Holden (?- I think it was him) stares at Lucy while she’s eating to pay her back for staring at him, Cesar Romero plays himself as an old Cuban drinking buddy of Ricky’s, Tennessee Ernie Ford played a more rube version of himself, etc… Though obviously the rules in force in the '50s forbade too much; Cesar couldn’t have flashed himself at Desi and Tallulah couldn’t [self medicate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxm4O-BICWI) in the Babaloo powder room or whatever. John Wayne played a more misogynistic version of himself on _Maude_. The episode was of Maude discussing how much she loathes John Wayne for his views on politics and women and looking forward to telling him off when she meets him in person. When she does meet him he basically tells her he doesn’t care what women think and yet she’s too starstruck to say anything back to him. They end up dancing. But that was the only celebrity who played their “worst self” on the show- it wasn’t a regular thing by any means. (Henry Fonda also played himself on an episode, but it wasn’t as exaggerated; Maude was trying to make him run for president.) ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/4 "2016-03-25T17:23:54Z")
Several NY Yankees played themselves in the Gary Cooper movie Pride of the Yankees. I thought Babe Ruth in particular played himself as a bit of a heel. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/5 "2016-03-25T17:39:52Z")
I remember listening to a replay of an old star studded radio show from the 50’s. Playing himself, Humphrey Bogart was in some sticky situation and he was asking Don Knotts to come along for protection. Something about “you wirey types are tough”. That is an old memory so sorry if it’s a little off. Lol. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/6 "2016-03-25T17:41:27Z")
John Barrymore used to kid his image all the time. His character in **Dinner at Eight** was based strongly on his public image. He was known as “The Great Profile”; in **Twentieth Century** , he uses a putty noise to make his profile look ridiculous. ---
**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 25, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/7 "2016-03-25T18:34:39Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > I think that was Jack Benny’s whole act. Yes the Jack Benny character was different than Jack Benny the person. That’s kind of the opposite of what I’m talking about. The public perception of Benny was the character and he continued to play that. In Larry Sanders many guest stars went totally against their public perception and played themselves as douchebags. Other than being cheap the character Jack Benny was not played as a bad person. > [@Sampiro](#): > > Some of the entertainers who played themselves on _I Love Lucy_ and _The Desi Lucy Comedy Hour_ exaggerated themselves a bit. Tallulah Bankhead played a version of herself who has drunk-like allergic reactions to strawberries, William Holden (?- I think it was him) stares at Lucy while she’s eating to pay her back for staring at him, Cesar Romero plays himself as an old Cuban drinking buddy of Ricky’s, Tennessee Ernie Ford played a more rube version of himself, etc… Though obviously the rules in force in the '50s forbade too much; Cesar couldn’t have flashed himself at Desi and Tallulah couldn’t [self medicate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxm4O-BICWI) in the Babaloo powder room or whatever. > > John Wayne played a more misogynistic version of himself on _Maude_. The episode was of Maude discussing how much she loathes John Wayne for his views on politics and women and looking forward to telling him off when she meets him in person. When she does meet him he basically tells her he doesn’t care what women think and yet she’s too starstruck to say anything back to him. They end up dancing. > But that was the only celebrity who played their “worst self” on the show- it wasn’t a regular thing by any means. (Henry Fonda also played himself on an episode, but it wasn’t as exaggerated; Maude was trying to make him run for president.) Lucy was what I was thinking of as an example of what was normal in the past. Those guests may not have been playing themselves exactly as reality but they weren’t making themselves into the bad guy. I doubt their studios would allow it. The John Wayne is closer to what I was talking about. I watched Maude and have absolutely no recollection of that. What I’m looking for are examples of stars who played themselves in a very negative light for laughs. It was one of the staples of the Larry Sanders show and of other shows after that but rare if not unheard of before. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/8 "2016-03-25T19:00:08Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Was the Larry Sanders show the first one to do this? Celebrity cameos in the past always showed the star in the best possible light. Stars were very guarded about their reputation. Then in Larry Sanders you have [David Duchovny](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfNHX_gVKJ0) falling in love with Shandling’s character. Brilliantly awkward. I found it surprising that Ellen was willing to do a storyline in where, when everyone was wondering if she was gay, she slept with Larry. I find it cool she was able to separate the two universes and it was very funny. ---
**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:** [March 25, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/9 "2016-03-25T19:02:07Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > What I’m looking for are examples of stars who played themselves in a very negative light for laughs. It was one of the staples of the Larry Sanders show and of other shows after that but rare if not unheard of before. I think there were elements of it in the Beatles movies. I may not have been very negative but they were willing to play within their personas: John was judgmental; Paul was a girl chaser who wanted popular approval; George was obsessed with Indian culture; and Ringo was naive. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/10 "2016-03-25T19:03:33Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] The John Wayne is closer to what I was talking about. I watched Maude and have absolutely no recollection of that. [/QUOTE] [Picture of Maude and John Wayne dancing](http://insidepulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/vlcsnap-2015-11-10-00h51m35s556.png) from that episode (“Maude Meets The Duke”, 3:1). I think Donald Trump now has the Duke’s hair from that episode. > [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > I found it surprising that Ellen was willing to do a storyline in where, when everyone was wondering if she was gay, she slept with Larry. I find it cool she was able to separate the two universes and it was very funny. Emma Thompson played herself as gay (and a lush, and another secret) on an episode of _Ellen_. Sean Penn as himself “came out” on the same episode. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/11 "2016-03-25T19:21:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Emma Thompson played herself as gay (and a lush, and another secret) on an episode of _Ellen_. Sean Penn as himself “came out” on the same episode. Was this the “coming out” episode? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/12 "2016-03-25T20:34:50Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Was this the “coming out” episode? No. Ms. Thompson’s third secret was that she was actually from Ohio, and her refined British was all an act. Laura Dern was in the coming out episode. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/13 "2016-03-25T23:59:29Z")
Matt LeBlanc does a fantastic job of this in Episodes, although that’s obviously very recent. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2016, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/14 "2016-03-26T01:09:29Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > With the death of Garry Shandling it got me thinking. One big part of the show had various celebrities often acting like awful versions of themselves for laughs. It’s something that many other shows used later such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and Gervais in Extras and Life’s Too Short. > > Was the Larry Sanders show the first one to do this? Celebrity cameos in the past always showed the star in the best possible light. Stars were very guarded about their reputation. Then in Larry Sanders you have [David Duchovny](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfNHX_gVKJ0) falling in love with Shandling’s character. Brilliantly awkward. > > Prior to Larry Sanders are there other examples of stars playing unflattering versions of themselves for laughs? One of my favorites from Larry Sanders was an ep where John Ritter (as John Ritter) screamed at Gene Siskel (as Gene Siskel). Ritter screamed about how rude and mean Gene had been in a review. And Gene stopped him and said “Wow. You’ve basically just quoted my entire review.” (i’m paraphrasing, but it was funny as HELL" ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2016, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/15 "2016-03-26T01:44:26Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > No. Ms. Thompson’s third secret was that she was actually from Ohio, and her refined British was all an act. > > Laura Dern was in the coming out episode. That’s right. Thanks. 🙂 AND thanks for telling me the third secret. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/16 "2016-05-05T10:35:50Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Matt LeBlanc does a fantastic job of this in Episodes, although that’s obviously very recent. Just started watching _Episodes_. LeBlanc is great. I have seen only one episode of _Friends_ but do understand the joke of him being identified as Joey from that show all the time. Just out of curiosity, does he really have an enormous, arm-sized penis as is claimed in _Episodes_? ---
**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:** [May 5, 2016, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/17 "2016-05-05T10:55:24Z")
In the 1970s in the UK, guests to the Morecambe and Wise show were often played against type for laughs. But a better example is Gary Lineker and his long-running Walker’s Crisps ads (Walker’s is the UK version of Lay’s, owned by PepsiCo). Lineker had a long career as a professional footballer (that’s soccer, for American viewers) during which he had a reputation for fair play and good conduct, never once receiving a yellow or red card. When he retired from playing, Walker’s thought it would be funny to play on his image with a campaign in which he is so unable to resist the lure of their potato chips that he was willing to openly steal them from children. That was 1995; the “No More Mr Nice Guy” campaign continues to this day in various forms. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/18 "2016-05-05T16:32:24Z")
James Van Der Beek played himself on the short-lived sitcom, _Don’t Trust the B_\*\*\* in Apt. 23\*, as a self-absorbed former star obsessed with keeping himself in the public eye. It was brilliant and hilarious. ---
**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, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/19 "2016-05-05T16:41:04Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > But a better example is Gary Lineker and his long-running Walker’s Crisps ads (Walker’s is the UK version of Lay’s, owned by PepsiCo). Lineker had a long career as a professional footballer (that’s soccer, for American viewers) during which he had a reputation for fair play and good conduct, never once receiving a yellow or red card. When he retired from playing, Walker’s thought it would be funny to play on his image with a campaign in which he is so unable to resist the lure of their potato chips that he was willing to openly steal them from children. That was 1995; the “No More Mr Nice Guy” campaign continues to this day in various forms. That reminds me of the Peyton Manning fake commercial for United Way that they did on Saturday Night Live. [https://video.yahoo.com/snl-digital-short-united-way-000000258.html](https://video.yahoo.com/snl-digital-short-united-way-000000258.html) > [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > James Van Der Beek played himself on the short-lived sitcom, _Don’t Trust the B_\*\*\* in Apt. 23\*, as a self-absorbed former star obsessed with keeping himself in the public eye. It was brilliant and hilarious. That is one of the examples I thought of. Definitely in the same vein as what was on the Larry Sanders Show. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133/20 "2016-05-05T16:47:57Z")
The king of such things is Neil Patrick Harris, who in the “Harold and Kumar” films plays himself as a sex addict, drug fiend, criminal and all-around lunatic. Oh, and he’s pretending to be gay because it gets him more chicks. Many stars did this on he Ricky Gervais show “Extras.” Patrick Stewart’s turn as himself is particularly hilarious. Kate Winslet also did a pretty good turn as a foul-mouthed, Oscar-obsessed twit who is doing a Holocaust movie solely to win an Oscar. A few years later, Kate Winslet finally won her Oscar in a Holocaust movie. Daniel Radcliffe played himself as a sex maniac in a later episode. Basketball star LeBron James put in a shockingly skilled performance in “Trainwreck” as himself, except in the movie he is afflicted with pathological cheapness, frequently played for laughs. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/larry-sanders-question-stars-playing-themselves-for-laughs/750133.md?page=2)