# Unnamed lead characters in movies. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930 "2007-12-22T13:45:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/1 "2007-12-22T13:45:56Z")
I have just finished watching a terrific Scottish movie _Dear Frankie_ on TV and it stimulated 3 threads. This is one of them. The adult male lead is billed as _The Stranger_. Any other examples of unnamed leads?? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/2 "2007-12-22T13:54:05Z")
Edward Norton’s Character in _Fight Club._ ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/3 "2007-12-22T14:01:30Z")
I believe there was some Clint Eastwood flick or two from way back, where he played a man whose name was never revealed. Anyone know what they were called? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/4 "2007-12-22T14:03:30Z")
Clint Eastwood’s character in _A Fistful of Dollars_, _For a Few Dollars More_, and (I believe) _The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly_ is referred to as “The Man With No Name”, although IMDB does list the character name as, respectively, Joe, Monco, & Blondie. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen any of them, so I can’t recall any details of how the character is referred to in the movies. ETA…nice timing! ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/5 "2007-12-22T14:06:54Z")
🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/6 "2007-12-22T14:15:36Z")
In the new movie Once the lead male is named guy, and the lead female is named gal. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/7 "2007-12-22T14:24:24Z")
**Clint Eastwood** was also a man with no name (“The Stranger”) in [High Plains Drifter](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068699/). In the recent film [Once](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0907657/), the lead characters are “guy” and “girl.” _ETA: Damn! Simulpost!_ ---
**Author:** ![Galwegian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galwegian/32/3426_2.png) [@Galwegian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galwegian)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/8 "2007-12-22T14:31:55Z")
_Kill Bill_: \*\*Uma Thurman \*\* was only referred to as “The Bride” ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/9 "2007-12-22T14:38:30Z")
_El Mariachi_, _Desperado_, and _Once Upon A Time In Mexico_ all have the same lead character who just goes by El Mariachi (the guitar player). ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/10 "2007-12-22T15:05:45Z")
Marilyn Monroe’s character in ‘The Seven Year Itch’ is referred to only as ‘The Girl’ Paul McGann’s character in ‘Withnail & I’ is never named in the film itself, although he’s called Marwood in the script ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/11 "2007-12-22T15:12:25Z")
[QUOTE=Galwegian] _Kill Bill_: \*\*Uma Thurman \*\* was only referred to as “The Bride” [/QUOTE] I thought her name was Beatrix Kiddo? At least, that’s what the overly dramatic bit in Kill Bill 2 where they revealed her name told me. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/12 "2007-12-22T16:16:46Z")
Chiwetel Ejiofor’s character is only called The Operative in Serenity. StG ---
**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:** [December 22, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/13 "2007-12-22T17:53:22Z")
Although obviously she takes on a new last name, the femaie lead in [Rebecca](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/) is never given a first name (or maiden name), and is listed in the credits only as “the 2nd Mrs. de Winter”. I don’t think anyone actually _calls_ her Mrs. de Winter, though; she’s just referred to as variations of “Darling,” “Madam,” etc. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/14 "2007-12-22T17:54:54Z")
_American Graffiti_. Suzanne Somers ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/15 "2007-12-22T18:09:11Z")
From Halloween “The Shape.” ---
**Author:** ![BlackNGold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BlackNGold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackNGold)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/16 "2007-12-22T18:11:30Z")
_ **They Live** _ Starring Rowdy Roddy Piper, the character is in the credits as “Nada” ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/17 "2007-12-22T19:09:16Z")
In _That Thing You Do!_, the bass player is never given a name, and is listed in the credits as “T. B. Player”. ---
**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:** [December 22, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/18 "2007-12-22T19:35:48Z")
In **Modern Times** , the character played by Paulette Goddard is referred to in the credits as “A Gamin.” Though if you look closely, you’ll see her name is Ellen Peterson (but no one ever knows that). Of course, Charlie Chaplin’s character hardly ever had a name. He’s billed as “A factory worker,” “A tramp,” “The Lone Prospector,” “A father,” “A recruit,” “The Convict,” “Immigrant,” “The Inebriate,” “The Derelict,” and “Pawnshop Assistant,” among others. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/19 "2007-12-22T20:42:02Z")
Daniel Craig’s protagonist in [_Layer Cake_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layer_Cake_(film)). ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930/20 "2007-12-22T20:45:36Z")
IIRC, Michael Douglas’s character in _Falling Down_ was not named in the movie. IMDB lists the character name as William Foster, but I don’t remember him being called that during the film. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unnamed-lead-characters-in-movies/430930.md?page=2)