# Who's the most famous person whose face is unknown? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 26, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688 "2002-08-26T21:32:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Neil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/839c29/32.png) [@Neil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neil)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/61 "2002-08-29T05:12:19Z")
James Jamerson- Amazing bassist on dozens of popular Motown records; most people have probably heard him, but have no idea who he was. Don’t know if he counts if most people wouldn’t recognize his name, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/62 "2002-08-29T13:19:29Z")
Yeardley Smith is the voice behind Bart (and Lisa, too, IIRC). Short, blonde woman. Fairly non-descript. Julie Kavner, who played Rhoda’s sister, is Marge. Hank Azaria, Mr. Helen Hunt and the houseboy in Birdcage, playes many of the other characters. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/63 "2002-08-29T16:29:53Z")
Nancy Cartwright is the voice of Bart Simpson. Yeardley Smith is the voice of Lisa. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/64 "2002-08-29T16:33:01Z")
Oh, and I should mention that Yeardley was fabulous in “The Legend of Billie Jean” as Putter, and “City Slickers” as the checker who gets knocked up by Daniel Stern’s character. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/65 "2002-08-29T21:07:54Z")
And Nancy Cartwright was Ethel in **Twilight Zone: The Movie**. The sister of Anthony, the kid who could make any wish come true. She got wished into cartoon-land. “Tha-tha-tha-that’s all, Ethel!” ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/66 "2002-08-29T23:48:45Z")
I’d like to second the movie trailer guy. Everybody knows his voice, but you’d pass him on the street. **One desperate man. A cop gone bad. In a world where fear reigns, and justice is obscured, his lone crusade is all that can save us. THIS SUMMER, get ready for _The Annihilator_.** You know the drill. 🙂 ---
**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:** [August 30, 2002, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/67 "2002-08-30T13:06:48Z")
Simpsons notes: Yeardley Smith was Greg’s secretary Marlene on Dharma & Greg. Took me over a year to make the connection, and I nearly passed out when I did. Dan Castellena made two appearances on Married with Chldren. Once he was a really weird funeral director, and the other time a gay guy whose husband was stepping out with Peg. One of their best episodes ever. I can think of two time when Matt Groening has put himself into the Simpson: once as a court reporter, and the other aired last night in syndication: In the opening scene, Marge erases his signature on the carpet and he runs in again and signs it. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/68 "2002-08-30T13:17:09Z")
You’d recognize Ed Herlihy’s voice if you heard it (newsreel announcer), but I’ve never seen a picture of him. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/69 "2002-08-30T13:29:37Z")
[Dan Castellaneta](http://uk.imdb.com/Name?Castellaneta,+Dan) appears to have several non-voice TV and film appearances, as does [Julie Kavner](http://uk.imdb.com/Name?Kavner,+Julie) (Marge Simpson) and [Yeardley Smith](http://uk.imdb.com/Name?Smith,+Yeardley). Both Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson) and Hank Azaria were in **Godzilla** , the latter in a fairly prominent role, and he was also one of the main cast members in **Mystery Men**. He’s got an interesting pedigree, with appearances in **Grosse Point Blank** and **Heat** in addition (and apparently **Pretty Woman** ). ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/70 "2002-09-03T06:15:39Z")
Well, since cartoonist Bill Amend’s name got tossed up, I should point out I’ve NEVER, EVER seen a picture (other than a caricature) of CALVIN & HOBBES’ Bill Watterson. He once spoke here in Columbus at the Festival of Cartoon Art and specifically requested no photos or videotapes be taken. Sadly, I couldn’t attend… Was there ever a portrait of Shakespeare painted in his lifetime? I liked the Tienneman Square student suggestion, the one who stopped all those rolling tanks. How about the sailor and nurse kissing on the cover of LIFE (or was it TIME?) at the end of WWII – I’ve seen at least one TV interview with the movie trailer guy. Heavyset older Italian dude. I forget his name. Yeardly Smith also had a memorable stint in the short-lived, fondly recalled Fox show, Herman’s Head. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/71 "2002-09-03T06:22:02Z")
Rilchiam: COMPLETELY overlooked your post. Thank you for the link; now I can scratch off #113 of ‘Thing’s I’ve Vaguely Been Wondering About’… ---
**Author:** ![Daylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/45deac/32.png) [@Daylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/72 "2002-09-03T09:25:24Z")
Not sure if it fits, but… Jack the Ripper ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/73 "2002-09-03T09:33:54Z")
Quite all right, **Askia**! ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/74 "2002-09-03T09:36:41Z")
Oh, and the kissing sailor and the nurse were in Life magazine. The staff announced several years ago that they had given up trying to track them down, because too many people were claiming to be them. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688/75 "2002-09-04T04:42:17Z")
I’ll go with Buckethead [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-most-famous-person-whose-face-is-unknown/125688.md?page=3)