Drew Carey played Drew Carey on the Drew Carey Show.
At least in Creed’s case it appears to be a genuine joke. The character is supposed to be the real Creed Bratton and is a deliberate stereotype of the actor’s own life.
Ellen Degeneres has played Ellen Morgan on Ellen and Ellen Richmond on The Ellen Show. Lucille Ball pretty much played the same character with the same first name in all her sitcoms (I Love Lucy, Luci-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy, & Life with Lucy).
Yup. Harry Anderson was known as Harry the Hat, street-level confidence man. The kind of fella who would offer to play a game of chance with you and end up walking away with your money every time. Apparently he had his jaw broken by a man who found out he wasn’t playing a game a chance. That incident is what led Harry to quit the confidence game and go into acting. I had a book by him when I was a kid that explained a lot of the stuff con men do. Just remember kids: nobody beats the monte.
Tom Selleck played Thomas Magnum
Ricky Schroeder played Ricky Stratton (Silver Spoons)
Ron Glass played Detective Ron Harris (Barney Miller)
Nell Carter played Nell Harper (Gimme a Break)
Selma Diamond played Selma Hacker Night Court)
Paul Reiser played Paul Buchman (Mad About You
Dave Foley played Dave Nelson & Joe Rogan played Joe Garelli (NewsRadio)
plus Garry in The Garry Shandling Show
Although double checking some of these has illuminated how the TV function, which used to be very helpful, on IMDB has turned almost worthless now when dealing with episode citations and separating regular cast from guests.
In Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Matthew Perry’s character is named “Matt”, but Bradley Whitford’s is not named “Brad”. I suspect it might just be a coincidence.
In most of his TV and film roles from about 1961 onwards, Sid James played a character called Sid, as his IMDB listing shows.
Maybe he couldn’t cope with being called anything else.
TV can have a faster paced production cycle when they try to pump out all 13-20 something episodes per season. If the character(s) has the same first name, it eliminates having to reshoot for a flubbed name/line: “Hey Tim… awww shoot. I meant Bob…”
If this is true, it bespeaks an almost bottomless contempt for Danza’s mental faculties on the part of the producers. I mean, honestly: he’s an inexperienced actor, so we’re afraid he’ll forget to respond to people calling him Bob or Jeff? What the fuck?!? I can get my four year old son to pretend his name is Buzz Lightyear, but they had to give a grown man a role where he wouldn’t have to remember a different first name?
I’m baffled. 
:mad:
Maybe his mental capacities are around those of Homer Simpson’s level.
“All right. When I say ‘Hello Mr. Thompson’ and step on your foot, you say ‘Hello.’ Hello, Mr. Thompson.”
“I think he’s talking to you.”
Señor Arnaz might feel a bit typecast if he were alive to read this.
This is the first thing I thought of, too!
And even Seinfeld’s show-within-a-show was named “Jerry”.
Lucille Ball not only played Lucy Ricardo, but played Lucy Carmichael on “The Lucy Show” which ran from 1962-68, Lucille Carter on “Here’s Lucy” which was on from 1968-74, and Lucy Barker on 1986’s “Life With Lucy.”
Two who hasn’t been mentioned yet are Steve Harvey who played Steve Hightower on “The Steve Harvey Show” and Martin Lawrence who played Martin Payne on “Martin.” Lawrence’s show also represented another example of a disagreeable male character who got a beautiful woman (Tish Campbell-Martin) to love him for no discernable reason.
Alphaboi867, I apologize for overlooking your previous post about Lucille Ball. My bad.
A few more who have been overlooked:
Real life twin sisters Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry played twin sisters Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell, respectively, on “Sister, Sister.”
Cedric the Entertainer played Coach Cedric Robinson on “The Steve Harvey Show.”
Will Smith played a character named Will Smith on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
Raven Simone plays Raven Baxter on Disney Channel’s “That’s So Raven.”
John Larroquette played John Hemingway on “The John Larroquette Show.”
Actual title, “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show.”
In Family Guy, Adam West plays Mayor Adam West.
The creators say that the Mayor is not the actor Adam West, he’s a character with the same name.
Newhart also played Bob McKay on the short-lived sitcom titled Bob.
On The Bob Crane Show, Crane played Bob Wilcox, while Todd Susman reversed the usual eponymous practice by playing the part of Marvin Susman.
While Bob Newhart played Bobs twice (on The Bob Newhart Show and the short-lived Bob), he also played a character with his real given name on the very short-lived George & Leo. His real full name: George Robert Newhart.