Actor-Role Confusion: Difference between revisions

 

Not to be confused with [[I Am Not Shazam]], which refers to the confusion of a character with the ''title'' of a work or with the character's [[Catch Phrase]]. Also not to be confused with [[I Am Not Spock]], which refers to an actor who's unable to get any part other than the character for which he or she is known. See also [[But I Play One on TV]], which is when the same thing happens in [[Real Life]]. Contrast [[Your Costume Needs Work]]. Sometimes leads to [[Becoming the Mask]] in less cynical stories.

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== Anime and Manga ==

* In the second ''[[Sakura Taisen]]'' OAV, Kohran is mistaken by a group of kids for Shounen Red, a character she plays on a radio drama—and then attacked by the baddies-of-the-episode. The rest of the team has to come up with a way to rescue her without breaking the illusion and "shattering the children's dreams."

* In ''[[Super GALS!]]'' the main children characters (Sayo & co) mistake the actor from the series of Odaiba Shark as the real character, even when they see it filmed. Every time they meet he pretends to be the character to protect their dreams.

** Said actor was written out of the show {{spoiler|for one episode}} and appeared in a kid's show as an exercise coach. Sayo believes it's by chance they look similar.

 

== Comic Books ==

* One ''[[Astro City]]'' story featured an actor who played the superhero Crimson Cougar on a soap opera. After he foils a robbery while in costume, people start treating him like a real superhero. Including supervillains wanting to kill him.

 

== Film ==

'''Nesmith:''' "It's all real."

'''Brandon:''' "Oh my God, I knew it. I knew it! I knew it!" }}

* The basis of the plot of ''[[¡Three Amigos!|Three Amigos]]'' when some poor and desperate Mexican villagers mistake three (down on their luck) movie stars for the heroes they play on-screen and hire them to protect their town from ''real'' bandits.

* ''[[My Name Is Bruce]]'' mirrors the Three Amigos with a young man who thinks that [[Bruce Campbell]] really is as heroic and awesome as the characters he plays. Except [[Warts and All|he's a drunken lech, about to get evicted from his trailer home]] and not at all prepared to deal with the real murderous ghost that is plaguing the town.

* After seeing him cheated out of winning a fixed match in ''[[Ready To Rumble]]'', two unbelievably stupid wrestling fans track down (fictional) WCW wrestler "Jimmy King" and are shocked to find that he's a pathetic drunk and not a hero. Fortunately, over the course of the movie they manage to ''turn'' him into a hero.

 

== Literature ==

* In Philip Roth's novel ''Zuckerman Unbound'', writer Nathan Zuckerman encounters fans who call him "Carnovsky," mistaking him for the title character of his book.

 

== Live-Action TV ==

* [[William Shatner]]'s spoken-word song "Real" address this:

{{quote|"I have saved the world in the movies/So naturally there's folks who think I must know what to do"}}

 

== Video Games ==

* In ''[[Ratchet and Clank Up Your Arsenal]]'', both the President Of The Galaxy and [[Big Bad]] Dr. Nefarious apparently believe Clank's Secret Agent Clank holovid role to be real and that Ratchet is merely his valet.

** Somewhat justified in that they are both aware Clank was involved with actually saving the galaxy twice before, along with Ratchet, and assumed the guy they've seen being badass is the actual badass of the two.

 

== Western Animation ==

** Of course when [[Mark Hamill]] reminds everyone that ''he'' blew up the Death Star with his eyes closed, he's told "That was just a movie, Mr. Hamill" by the exact same Star Wars fanboy.

* Fanboy on ''[[Freakazoid!]]''. The minute he sees Mark Hamill, his delusion that he's Luke Skywalker gets turned up to 11.

 

== Real Life ==

* Sir [[Ian McKellen]] has stated that, outside of his native British Isles, most fans recognize him as characters such as [[The Lord of the Rings (film)|Gandalf]]. In fact, when he came to New York to lend support post-911, a policeman actually smiled at him and said, "Thanks for helping out, [[X-Men (film)|Magneto]]." Rather than be upset by it, he finds it an honor to be associated with such iconic characters.

** In fact, apparently when a reporter said "I don't know how to call you, [[Knight Fever|Sir, Sir Ian, Sir McKellen]]" his reply was "Call me Gandalf". (helps that he disencourages being called "Sir Ian")

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]

[[Category:Characters and Casting]]