# Movie Characters Cast in TV Roles inspired by Their Movie Role **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** actor-characters\ **Created:** [October 19, 2022, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467 "2022-10-19T04:11:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [October 19, 2022, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/21 "2022-10-19T18:28:09Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > If you ever watch _Forbidden Planet_ you’ll notice that Leslie Nielson’s character is a humourous version of the guy he plays in that movie. Part of what makes _Airplane!_ so funny is that they had a number of well-known, established “serious” actors – Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges – in an over-the-top comedy; most of them played to their serious personas through deadpan deliveries of their funny lines. Nielsen, in particular, relished being able to finally do comedy, and most of his roles from that point forward were in comedies. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/22 "2022-10-19T19:52:45Z")
Fess Parker: Davy Crockett (I know, it was a TV mini-series, but an abridged version was given a theatrical release), then Daniel Boone. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/23 "2022-10-19T19:56:40Z")
Yes, she did. Not exactly the same characters but pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/24 "2022-10-19T20:08:43Z")
I feel like I’ve seen Christopher Lloyd in a number of “eccentric egghead” cameos as nods to his Doc Brown character… I just can’t think of any specifics. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/25 "2022-10-19T20:10:49Z")
Neil Patrick Harris has said Barney Stinson is the result of him playing “Neil Patrick Harris” in _Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle_. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/26 "2022-10-19T20:15:15Z")
Well he did go from _One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest_ to Taxi without a huge change. And movie to movie, we have Robert Vaughn going from _Magnificent Seven_ to _Battle Beyond the Stars_ ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/27 "2022-10-19T20:29:36Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > Would Leslie Nielson fit? His character in Police Squad has a lot of similarities as his character in Airplane!. I don’t know if it counts, but I remember when he hosted SNL and he spoke about his career. “I used to be a dramatic actor who said unfunny things in an unfunny way. Now I’m a comedic actor who says unfunny things in an unfunny way.” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/28 "2022-10-19T20:36:58Z")
Joe Pesci in ‘Goodfellas’ is not much different than Joe Pesci in ‘Casino’. On TV he voiced ‘the Dogfather’ on a bunch of Pink Panther cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/29 "2022-10-19T20:52:17Z")
Wouldn’t the best example from _Happy Days_ be Henry Winkler’s casting to play a similar character to his Butchie from _Lords of Flatbush_? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/aGdZcQqj5ec/maxresdefault.jpg "The Fonz in Flatbush") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGdZcQqj5ec) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/30 "2022-10-20T02:35:13Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > I feel like I’ve seen Christopher Lloyd in a number of “eccentric egghead” cameos as nods to his Doc Brown character… I just can’t think of any specifics. Well, when they turned Doc Brown into a 2D character named Rick Sanchez, they certainly didn’t change much… [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpJXISWUNZE&t=76) ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/31 "2022-10-20T07:44:20Z")
Ok, to sum all that up…Happy Days started as a Love American Style skit…Fonzie, Shirley (sorta) and Richie were all inspired by movie characters and sort of ported over. And thats not even getting into how Mork was set in present time but initially was a dream (?) of Richies and what even happened to Chuck?? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/32 "2022-10-20T10:05:13Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > The movie was extremely successful, demonstrating an audience appetite for 1950s nostalgia. A bit later than the 50s. Miller shut off the radio when “that surfer shit” came on and they have _Where were you in '62?_ right on the poster. No disagreement about the similarities with _Happy Days_ though. [![](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/archivesE/upload/1121189/f_173010921652361311462/17301092_datamatics.jpg) ](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/archivesE/upload/1121189/f_173010921652361311462/17301092_datamatics.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/33 "2022-10-20T12:50:49Z")
Oh and i see to make things even weirder, the same artist, Mort Drucker, drew the American Graffiti poster AND the Mad Magazine parody American Confetti. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/34 "2022-10-20T14:57:00Z")
And Jack Davis did It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and It’s a World, World, World, World Mad. > **[Working with Jack Davis](https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/3033-working-with-jack-davis)** > > When it came time to assemble the Criterion release of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, using Jack’s classic art was a no-brainer, and we were thrilled to find the man himself willing to revisit the film and provide new illustrations for the menus... > **[Jack Davis, Cartoonist Who Helped Found 'Mad' Magazine, Dies At 91](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/28/487804779/jack-davis-cartoonist-who-helped-found-mad-magazine-dies)** > > Money from a job illustrating a Coca-Cola training manual became a springboard for him to move from Georgia to New York. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/35 "2022-10-20T16:49:43Z")
> [@Pavelb1](#): > > and what even happened to Chuck?? They said it was best left unsolved. Even the old man accepts that. He says the family has only two children. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2022, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/36 "2022-10-20T17:04:38Z")
> [@Pavelb1](#): > > And thats not even getting into how Mork was set in present time but initially was a dream (?) of Richies and what even happened to Chuck?? In the musical version (it was awful and never made it to Broadway), the point was brought up and Howard just said, “We don’t talk about him.” It was the funniest line in the show. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/37 "2022-10-20T18:15:50Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > They said it was best left unsolved. > > Even the old man accepts that. He says the family has only two children. I’m picturing him looking like Norman Bates’ mother only sitting on the toilet. They don’t use the upstairs bathroom. 🎶 _We don’t talk about Chuckie, no, no, no! We don’t talk bout Chuckie_ 🎶 ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/38 "2022-10-20T18:54:02Z")
He must have defected to the USSR ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/39 "2022-10-20T20:10:23Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Hq6t0iOcl5o/maxresdefault.jpg "Teresa Ganzel Tonight Show Tea Time Movie 1 22 88") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq6t0iOcl5o) “Diana” from [National Lampoon’s Movie Madness](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082799/) got a gig as a daytime movie co-host. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2022, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467/40 "2022-10-20T20:38:46Z")
How have I not even heard of _National Lampoons Movie Madness_?? And I’ve seen _Up the Creek_!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-characters-cast-in-tv-roles-inspired-by-their-movie-role/973467.md?page=3)