# What real person has been portrayed the most in movies?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-person-has-been-portrayed-the-most-in-movies/522346
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 23, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-person-has-been-portrayed-the-most-in-movies/522346 "2009-12-23T18:09:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-person-has-been-portrayed-the-most-in-movies/522346/1 "2009-12-23T18:09:55Z")
In today’s CNN article on the latest [Sherlock Holmes movie](http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/23/sherlock.holmes.actors/index.html), it says that Sherlock Holmes holds the record for the most portrayals of a _fictional_ character:
> [@](#):
>
> Holmes, the 19th-century creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the crime-solver who employs wit and deductive reasoning, has been the most portrayed fictional character in film history: 75 actors have played him in 211 movies.
So the obvious question now is, which _real_ person has been portrayed the most in the movies?
---
### Author:  [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-person-has-been-portrayed-the-most-in-movies/522346/2 "2009-12-23T18:15:04Z")
Perhaps [Jesus](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0006201/) (303 hits on Imdb) or [Hitler](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0027857/) (264 results)? A bunch of those are TV movies/shows but it’s still a long list.
Actually [Napoleon](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0027456/)is up there too, with 323 hits. Again, several of those are from TV but it would take too long to go through them one by one.
---
### Author:  [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-person-has-been-portrayed-the-most-in-movies/522346/3 "2009-12-23T18:21:22Z")
JFK was the first name to pop into my head but IMDB says only 73
---
### Author:  [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-person-has-been-portrayed-the-most-in-movies/522346/4 "2009-12-23T18:27:43Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#):
>
> Actually [Napoleon](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0027456/)is up there too, with 323 hits. Again, several of those are from TV but it would take too long to go through them one by one.
And several of the entries on the list are for fictional characters named Napoleon, not the historical emperor of France.
---
### Author:  [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-real-person-has-been-portrayed-the-most-in-movies/522346/5 "2009-12-23T18:27:54Z")
I’ve heard numerous times that **Dracula** holds this record…although usually in his fictional undead form. NYU’s Film School even has an entire course dedicated to him.