# when there's no actor photo on imdb

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-theres-no-actor-photo-on-imdb/229941>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 19, 2004, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-theres-no-actor-photo-on-imdb/229941 "2004-02-19T03:57:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-theres-no-actor-photo-on-imdb/229941/1 "2004-02-19T03:57:13Z")

</div>

Does anybody else find that shadow-face thing kind of creepy?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-theres-no-actor-photo-on-imdb/229941/2 "2004-02-19T04:41:39Z")

</div>

I am just baffled by it. I can understand why no one has put up a picture for some long dead actor from the 30s, but jeez, I see it all the time for people who’ve made 10 pictures in recent years. Don’t these people’s press agents know about the Internet???

In my family we are always going “Hey, isn’t that That Guy from That Other Movie” and we hit IMDB to check on it all the time. Pictures help alot.

It’s all about publicity, how can they not know this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-theres-no-actor-photo-on-imdb/229941/3 "2004-02-19T11:16:17Z")

</div>

It doesn’t bother me. What freaks me out is that people like Hitler and Stalin are listed as well. My mind boggles.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-theres-no-actor-photo-on-imdb/229941/4 "2004-02-19T13:36:57Z")

</div>

Yes, I DO find it creepy. Like some obsessed understudy waiting in the wings.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-theres-no-actor-photo-on-imdb/229941/5 "2004-02-19T19:53:26Z")

</div>

> [@Aesiron](#):
>
> It doesn’t bother me. What freaks me out is that people like Hitler and Stalin are listed as well. My mind boggles.

You’re right, that is weird!

I don’t understand the obsession on imdb with listing people playing themselves. It just doesn’t seem that useful. They even have talk-show appearances listed.