# Portrayed/appeared in same film

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrayed-appeared-in-same-film/470123>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 29, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrayed-appeared-in-same-film/470123 "2008-10-29T18:14:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrayed-appeared-in-same-film/470123/81 "2009-02-16T07:46:51Z")

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In the movie _Dave_, lots of politicians - including Arnie before he became one - had cameos as themselves.

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**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:** [February 16, 2009, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrayed-appeared-in-same-film/470123/82 "2009-02-16T07:59:46Z")

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Kevin Costner plays Jim Garrison in _JFK_. Jim Garrison has a part as Earl Warren in the same movie.

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**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrayed-appeared-in-same-film/470123/83 "2009-02-16T10:19:24Z")

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> [@Small\_Hen](#):
>
> I’m not _positive_ about this one, but in the Andy Kaufman biopic **Man in the Moon** , Danny Devito plays Kaufman’s manager. At one point, they’re on the set of Taxi, but I can’t remember if a stand in for Devito (circa Taxi days) is used or not (I saw it a long time ago).

Should have gone the other way with your guess: Devito is not portrayed as a character, but the character played _by_ Devito- George Shapiro- appears (the real life guy) in the film playing the role of Mr. Besserman.

**Saint Cad** already pointed out that Zmuda, played by Paul Giamatti, appears (the real life guy) in the film playing Jack Burns during the _Fridays!_ staged fight.

I’m actually surprised this movie doesn’t have more examples (it does, but only if you count actors playing themselves).  
I thought [Confessions of a Dangerous Mind](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0270288/) would have a few, but other than a few people playing themselves- and Barris appearing at the end (but, as himself)- no examples to be found, except one point of confusion maybe another Doper can clear up:

Actor [Joe Cobden](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167859/) is credited as playing [The Unknown Comic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unknown_Comic). In real life The Unknown Comic was the stage persona of [Murray Langston](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0486717/). Langston, himself, does appear in the film- however, imdb lists his character as being “Actual Unknown Comic”. So, I’m confused on that one.

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**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/portrayed-appeared-in-same-film/470123/84 "2009-02-16T13:03:15Z")

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In **Beyond the Law** , Charlie Sheen plays Dan Saxon, a cop who went undercover in a motorcycle gang. The real Dan Saxon appears in a mob of bikers at one point in the movie.

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