# Names of Two Actresses That Are Mistaken For Each Other **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669 "2006-10-24T03:03:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/21 "2006-10-24T15:46:28Z")
Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. Oh, wait. You said _actresses_, not vocalists. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/22 "2006-10-24T15:48:48Z")
I always get Tiffany Thiessen and Yasmine Bleeth mixed up. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/23 "2006-10-24T16:16:12Z")
Zsa Zsa Gabor and Ava Gabor ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/24 "2006-10-24T16:44:13Z")
Richard Harris and Ian McKellen. Enough so that after Harris died it was reported several times that McKellen was the one to have passed on. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/25 "2006-10-24T16:44:57Z")
Heather Locklear and Heather Thomas! ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/26 "2006-10-24T16:50:37Z")
Since actors are OK, how about Charles Durning and Brian Dennehy? ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/27 "2006-10-24T16:58:09Z")
Leelee Sobieski & Helen Hunt. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/28 "2006-10-24T17:15:28Z")
Christine Lahti and Allison Janney ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/29 "2006-10-24T17:27:16Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] Jeff Daniels and Bill Pullman. Heck, throw in Bill Paxton. [/QUOTE] And Michael Douglas ---
**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:** [October 24, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/30 "2006-10-24T17:28:21Z")
Robin Tunney and Zooey Deschanel Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinson Sophia Myles and Kate Winslet ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/31 "2006-10-24T17:29:34Z")
Dick York and Dick Sargent. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/32 "2006-10-24T17:48:18Z")
**Looked But Didn’t Act Alike:** Margaret Sullavan and June Allyson Barbara Stanwyck and Paulette Goddard Wendell Corey and Tom Ewell **Look and Act Exactly Alike:** James and Edward Fox **Never Could Keep Them Straight:** Stewart Granger and Farley Granger Thomas Mitchell and Grant Mitchell ---
**Author:** ![Bobalude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bobalude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobalude)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/33 "2006-10-24T17:52:50Z")
Ron Livingston [![](http://image.com.com/tv/images/processed/thumb/3c/66/48587.jpg) ](http://image.com.com/tv/images/processed/thumb/3c/66/48587.jpg) and Kyle Chandler [![](http://image.com.com/tv/images/processed/thumb/0c/28/45324.jpg) ](http://image.com.com/tv/images/processed/thumb/0c/28/45324.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/34 "2006-10-24T18:49:12Z")
Lara Flynn Boyle and a broomstick. Seriously, though, I can’t tell the difference between [Naomi Watts](http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/3187/Events/3187/NaomiWatts_Kambo_5191631_400.jpg.html?path=pgallery&path_key=Watts,%20Naomi%20(I)) and and [Scarlett Johansson](http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/2545/Events/2545/ScarlettJo_Vespa_3295673_400.jpg.html?path=pgallery&path_key=Johansson,%20Scarlett) ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/35 "2006-10-24T19:02:57Z")
Kim Catrall and Theresa Russell? ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/36 "2006-10-24T21:51:31Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] If it’s a straight name confusion, I always have to stop and think about the difference between Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchard. [/QUOTE] Do you mean Cate **Blanchett**? The recent death of Jane Wyatt reminded me of how similar her name is to that of the apparently still-living [Jane Wyman.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0943837/) Then there’s the Vanessa Williams [who was Miss America](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001853/) and [the one who wasn’t.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004539/) ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/37 "2006-10-24T21:57:54Z")
It took me a long time to figure out that Laurie Holden was not Lauren Holly. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/38 "2006-10-24T22:05:37Z")
Tom Sizemore and Michael Madsen ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/39 "2006-10-24T22:43:16Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Joey Lauren Adams and Renee Zellwegger. [/QUOTE] One or both of them are often confused with the singer Jewel, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669/40 "2006-10-24T23:17:26Z")
Many years ago, before _Mad About You_ turned [Helen Hunt](http://images.absolutenow.com/rp/Hunt_JS881788175838.jpg) into a household name, she and [Ellen Barkin](http://www.hecklerspray.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/img_news_27032006ellenbarkin.jpg) were frequently confused for one another (I recall at least one interview with Ellen where she said it was a common occurrence in her life). Now, as she’s aged, [Ellen looks a lot more](http://www.bookofjoe.com/images/ellen_barkin_1.jpg) like [Angie Dickinson](http://www.biography.com/biography/images/episode_images/Angie_Dickinson_320X240.jpg) to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-of-two-actresses-that-are-mistaken-for-each-other/377669.md?page=3)