# What iconic characters are linked to a specific portrayal by a specific actor in your mind? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2020, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530 "2020-10-21T19:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/81 "2020-10-24T19:03:13Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > I’d like to see a brooding Fonz played by James Dean Going up against an all-new Mork from Ork! ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/82 "2020-10-24T19:05:08Z")
Only if Mork was played by Marlon Brando. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/83 "2020-10-24T19:06:34Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > But Brian Cox did it better. It’s funny, I was just watching _Manhunter_ last night - an amazing example of 80s New Wave style thriller. It’s directed by Michael Mann, so it shares a lot in common with _Heat_, both in terms of its cinematography, and its storytelling. And I thought, in the initial encounter between Graham and Lecktor (it’s spelled that way in the movie), Cox’s version did seem more intimidating. For one, he simply _looked_ more intimidating. For another, the way he started out calm in the conversation and gradually became more agitated and angry until you actually realize how insane he is - and then in the next scene with him, he’s talking to a receptionist on the phone to get Graham’s home address, and suddenly sounds so charming and authoritative that it’s totally believable that he would get the information out of her - there’s no hint of his previous menace at all. He actually reads really well as a manipulative sociopath. Hopkins’ portrayal is more broad and over-the-top. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/84 "2020-10-24T19:07:23Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > Only if Mork was played by Marlon Brando. Sal Mineo. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/85 "2020-10-24T19:09:46Z")
Jeremy Brett and Sherlock Holmes was the first to come to my mind. I admit I haven’t seen any of of the Rathbone films. I agree he was the iconic Holmes once but I wonder if today he is much watched even by Holmes fans. I am guessing that most of them would consider Brett to be the iconic Holmes. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/86 "2020-10-24T19:10:18Z")
Sal wasn’t kooky enough to play Mork. Marlon had kookiness to spare. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/87 "2020-10-24T19:17:40Z")
He’d just have to give the Mork character his _Island of Doctor Moreau_ _treatment._ ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/88 "2020-10-24T19:40:19Z")
It’s a character in video game, not a movie or show, but Snake from the Metal Gear Solid game series was voiced by David Hayter for a very long time and since the game contained a LOT of dialog and cutscenes, his voice became very emblematical of the character. Definitely the first, and maybe still the only, video game character to be so linked with a particular voice actor. Nevertheless, David Hayter was replaced by Kiefer Sutherland for the last two Metal Gear Solid games. While the games themselves are great, it’s definitely VERY noticeably lacking the original Snake voice. Sutherland’s portrayal is extremely dry and totally lacking in the signature inflection of Hayter’s delivery, and I think the game developers ultimately realized this and so deliberately gave Snake way LESS dialog compared to other games, so it wouldn’t be as jarring that they switched voice actors. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/89 "2020-10-24T20:06:42Z")
Definitive portrayals, imo: Clayton Moore as The Lone Ranger Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates Bruce Lee as Kato Janos Prohaska as the Horta Bolaji Badejo as the Alien Herbert Marshall as W. Somerset Maugham - _The Razor’s Edge_ (1946) and _The Moon and the Sixpence_ (1942 as “Geoffrey Wolfe”); he was arguably better than Mr. Maugham himself Robert Newton as _Blackbeard the Pirate_ (1952) and as Long John Silver – _Treasure Island_ (1950) and _Long John Silver_ (1954) Norm Grabowski as Woo-Woo – _Sex Kittens go to College_ (1960) Terence Stamp as _Billy Budd_ (1962), Willie Garvin (_Modesty Blaise_, 1966) and Toby Damnit (_Spirits of the Dead_, 1968) Marlon Brando as Jor-El – _Superman_ (1978) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/90 "2020-10-24T20:12:25Z")
… and Jay Silverheels as Tonto. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/91 "2020-10-24T20:34:09Z")
I think Curly Howard could play that role well, too. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/92 "2020-10-24T20:35:47Z")
I’m picturing that in my mind right now. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/93 "2020-10-24T20:43:33Z")
Instead of the Lone Ranger catch-phrase, " _Kimosabe_", we’d have, “_woo woo woo_.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/94 "2020-10-24T20:45:30Z")
“Tonto have better idea. Tonto stay here, set up camp. Kemo Sabe go into town, buy supplies.” ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/95 "2020-10-24T20:50:49Z")
Reminds me of the old Mad Magazine Lone Ranger bit: Lone Ranger and Tonto are surrounded by marauding native Americans… Lone Ranger: _Looks like we’re in trouble now, Tonto!_ Tonto: _What you mean “we”, paleface?_ ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/96 "2020-10-24T20:52:17Z")
**Lone Ranger:** Shaddup, you moron! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/97 "2020-10-24T21:06:34Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > Reminds me of the old Mad Magazine Lone Ranger bit: > > Lone Ranger and Tonto are surrounded by marauding native Americans… > > Lone Ranger: _Looks like we’re in trouble now, Tonto!_ > > Tonto: _What you mean “we”, paleface?_ There was a commercial that played off this joke. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pjPTn44ibRM/hqdefault.jpg "1989 "The Lone Ranger" Weetabix Commercial") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjPTn44ibRM) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/98 "2020-10-24T21:09:41Z")
How about Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper on TBBT? The role was originally suppposed to go to Johnnie Galecki, with Parsons as Leonard Hoffstadter. That truly would have sucked. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/99 "2020-10-24T21:24:17Z")
Good find! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/100 "2020-10-24T22:38:02Z")
Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck! 😁 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530.md?page=6)