Real names used

[KeithE4]

How about one we have all overlooked---Mister Ed?

Mister Ed's real name was Bamboo Harvester.

I think I did read that----sorry! How about Lassie, then? :-X

One of the dogs was called Lassie - almost; there was a Lassie Jr. The other dogs, who were all descendants of the original movie Lassie, who's real name was Pal, were Spook, Baby, Mire, Hey Hey, Howard, The Old Man, Boy, & Hey Hey II. All were male dogs.

 

[cd637299]

^ You win!

 

[FredLeonard]

On The Lucy Show, Vivian Vance played "Viv." Reportedly, she had it written into her contract that her character would have her name. She was sick of people calling her "Ethel."

Andy Griffith played "Andy Taylor."

Joey Bishop played "Joey Barnes"

Mary Tyler Moore played "Mary Richards"

Dick Van Dyke played "Dick Preston"

Bob Cummings played "Bob Collins"

Doris Day played "Doris Martin"

Bob Crane played "Col. Robert Hogan"

Donna Reed played "Donna Stone"

Joan Davis played "Joan Stevens"

John Laroquette played "John Hemmingway"

Karen Valentine played "Karen Angelo"

Mickey Rooney played "Mickey Mulligan"

Stu Erwin played "Stu Erwin"

Ellen DeGeneres played "Ellen Morgan"

If the show is named after the star, the odds are the lead character will be, too.

 

[firepoint525]

James Van Der Beek (is that last name one word, or three?) played himself on Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23. Busy Phillips, Frankie Muniz, and the kid from Saved by the Bell (sorry, don't know his real name) all guest-starred as themselves in one episode of Don't Trust the B, so that's four in one show right there.

Nell Carter played Nell Harper on Gimme A Break.

Reba McEntire played Reba Hart on Reba.

To me, when an actor plays a character having (at least) the same first name as his/her own real name, it gives me the impression that they somehow can't answer to any name other than their own! :

 

[johnbasalla]

As I said at the top, I'm not looking for people who played themselves for one episode of a show. That's for another thread, which will be equally as fun. So, hold on to your "Saved By The Bell"/"Don't Trust..." because that doesn't count here.

 

[BD Sullivan]

If the show is named after the star, the odds are the lead character will be, too.

Which explains why Bing Crosby's 1964-65 creatively titled sitcom, "The Bing Crosby Show," had him playing the role of Bing Collins.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

Back to Tony Danza, that was one of the funnier urban myths out there, the idea that his characters all had to be named Tony because he was too dumb to respond to any other name.

 

[Tim-In-Houston]

To me, when an actor plays a character having (at least) the same first name as his/her own real name, it gives me the impression that they somehow can't answer to any name other than their own! :

But, to me, it would seem awkward to have a show named "Reba" without a character named "Reba." First names, I guess, seem much more straight-forward in that regard versus using a starring actor's full name in the title - The Dick Van Dyke Show - but having a different name altogether for the his or her character (i.e Rob Petrie) or (for giggles, if anyone remembers this) The Betty White Show where she plays Joyce Whitman.

 

[ShawnHill1]

On Punky Brewster, co-star Cherie Johnson used her real name as her character's name on the show. Of course, there was Bernie Mac on his sitcom.

What's Happening? had an interesting dynamic as far as the lead characters' names went; nearly all of the actors/actresses used either their first or last names for their characters' names...

Ernest Thomas as Roger Thomas
Haywood Nelson as Dwayne Nelson
Fred Berry as Fred "Rerun" Stubbs
Mabel King as Mabel Thomas, Roger and Dee's mother
Shirley Hemphill as Shirley Wilson

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

How about one we have all overlooked---Mister Ed?

Mister Ed's real name was Bamboo Harvester.

I think I did read that----sorry! How about Lassie, then? :-X
cd

Never mind Lassie, how about Snoopy?

 

[BD Sullivan]

A number of characters from The Office have the same first name in real life--Creed Bratton has already been mentioned:

Angela Kinsey plays Angela Martin
Phyllis Smith plays Phyllis Vance
Oscar Nunez plays Oscar Martinez

 

[sshuffield70]

Two that come to mind....

Will Smith - Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Jennifer Grey (yes, of Dirty Dancing) - the short-lived It's Like, You Know.

 

[firepoint525]

As I said at the top, I'm not looking for people who played themselves for one episode of a show. That's for another thread, which will be equally as fun. So, hold on to your "Saved By The Bell"/"Don't Trust..." because that doesn't count here.

VanDerBeek played himself for the entire run of that show. He was not a guest star.

 

[firepoint525]

To me, when an actor plays a character having (at least) the same first name as his/her own real name, it gives me the impression that they somehow can't answer to any name other than their own! :

But, to me, it would seem awkward to have a show named "Reba" without a character named "Reba." First names, I guess, seem much more straight-forward in that regard versus using a starring actor's full name in the title - The Dick Van Dyke Show - but having a different name altogether for the his or her character (i.e Rob Petrie) or (for giggles, if anyone remembers this) The Betty White Show where she plays Joyce Whitman.

See Cosby Show, in which there was no character named "Cosby" or even Bill!

 

[dave73]

How about Valerie Harper in Valerie (before she got fired from her own show, character killed off, & renamed The Hogan Family).

 

[jwk1979]

But, to me, it would seem awkward to have a show named "Reba" without a character named "Reba."

Reba's character is also named Reba in her latest show "Malibu Country".

CHarlie Sheen's character on "Anger Management" on FX is also named Charlie.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

(for giggles, if anyone remembers this) The Betty White Show where she plays Joyce Whitman.

You gotta be 105-years old!

 

[anotherguyTN]

Bob Newhart went back and forth with using his own name on his shows. He was Bob Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show, Dick Loudon on Newhart, and Bob McKay on Bob. But then in George and Leo his character was named George (which is his real first name) Stoody.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

As I said at the top, I'm not looking for people who played themselves for one episode of a show. That's for another thread, which will be equally as fun. So, hold on to your "Saved By The Bell"/"Don't Trust..." because that doesn't count here.

You're right, we've taken a little bit of license with this thread, but isn't that how it usually works? In this case though I think it helped. I.E: we've spiced up the chat by sub-categorizing performers using their real 1st names, if not also their surnames. Doing so has expanded the interest, while breathing even more life into Real Names Used. And, I want to say thanks for a great thread!