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Summary
Plenty of situation comedy characters apportion their names with the thespian who fiddle them . This go on a lot more oft in sitcoms than in many other musical genre , partly because sitcoms often have comedians play primal roles , rather than actors . But this is n’t the only reasonsitcoms use their worker ' tangible names . commonly , it ’s a safe room to tie an actor and a lineament nigher together . This can help to establish an thespian , but it also work on when an player is so well - known that audiences would n’t be able-bodied to opine of them as just another character .
Some sitcom present fictionalized versions of comic experience their life , likeSeinfeldorCurb Your Enthusiasm . In these cases , not only does it make sense to keep the same name , but it ’s central to the entire assumption of the show . The comedian is playing an exaggerated variation of themselves , so naturally they must have the same name . There are muckle of other reasons this happens in situation comedy , though , and sometimes it just makes things easier for product . Whatever the rationality , characters who share the same name as the actors who portray them are some of the most popular figures in sitcom .
10Jerry Seinfeld
Seinfeld (1989-1998)
Cast
Jerry Seinfeld ’s self - spoofing portrayal onSeinfeldis the blueprint which many other comedians continue to follow to this day when pee sitcoms .
Jerry Seinfeld ’s self - parody portrayal onSeinfeldis the design which many other comedians go along to follow to this day when making sitcom . The original concept forSeinfeldwas that the show would peek into Jerry ’s life and discover how he amount up with his material . The show strayed from this premise almost immediately , but Jerry Seinfeld still play himself , and some of the othercharacters from Seinfeld were ground on real peoplein his biography , although they were named differently . Seinfeldworks so well because Jerry is n’t afraid to limn himself as shallow and ego - engross , so he is often the hindquarters of the joke .
9Larry David
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000-2024)
Seinfeldco - creator Larry David appeared in a few episodes , most notably as George Steinbrenner and Frank ’s ness - wearing lawyer , but he did n’t become a adept of the show untilCurb Your Enthusiasm . Like Jerry inSeinfeld , Larry plays a fictionalize variant of himself . Curbalso features tons of great Edgar Albert Guest stars play ridiculous self - parodies , including Ben Stiller , Lin - Manuel Miranda and Jon Hamm . The upcomingseason 12 ofCurb Your Enthusiasmwill be the show ’s last , so Larry David has one last chance to put his fictionalise ego through some more topsy-turvyness . Hopefully , there will also be prison term for some more great guest stars .
8Roseanne
Roseanne (1988-2018)
Roseannefocuses on the position of a working - class female parent , which was a very strange premiss for a sitcom when it first aired . Roseanna Barr played the part of Roseanna Conner . Barr was one of many comic , much like Jerry Seinfeld , who were throw their own sitcom in the 1980s and 1990s . In late years , this has become a less unwashed practice , and sitcoms usually perplex to hire thespian instead . Roseannewas revive for a single season in 2018 , and its popularity carried over to the spinoff show , The Conners , which feature most of the same cast , but notably turf out Roseanne Barr .
7Angela
The Office (2005-2013)
The hypothesis is that the improvisational moments of the show will be easier if actors are less likely to slip up and call somebody by the awry name .
Angela is n’t the only character inThe Officewho is named after the histrion portraying her . While most of the more prominent character reference have dissimilar names , some of the less central figures at Dunder - Mifflin , such as Creed , Oscar , and Phyllis , share the same name as the worker playing them . The theory is that the improvisational moments of the show will be easier if actors are less probable to slip up and call somebody by the faulty name , although this dominion only applies to a blue-ribbon fewcharacters inThe Office . Angela started out as a fairly one - dimensional cat - lover , but her family relationship with Dwight helped her stand out eventually .
6Charlie
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005-)
The stars and creators ofIt ’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiatook a strange approach to naming their reference . Charlie Day ’s character is called Charlie Kelly , and Rob McElhenny ’s persona goes by Mac , but Glenn Howerton ’s fiber is called Dennis Reynolds . Dennis is a very saturnine character , so it bring in sense that Howerton would want to draw a stiff distinction between himself and his case . Charlie ’s character was originally suppose to be promise Phil , but Charlie Kelly found that it was comfortable to keep up with the tight - talking improvisational style of the show if the other actors just call him by his real name .
5Tracy
30 Rock (2006-2013)
Tracy Morgan ’s passing thinly veiled self - charade , Tracy Jordan , is the most outlandish reference in30 Rock . Within the show ’s risible entertainment industry irony , Tracy represents any volatile and unreliable celebrity . TGS ca n’t exist without him , but most of Liz ’s job consists of babysitting Tracy to verify he is n’t going to a strip club or endeavor to dig Conan O’Brien . Members of Tracy ’s entourage , Grizz and Dotcom , also share the same public figure as their actors.30 Rockhad plenty of invitee star recreate themselves , but they rarely pair Tracy ’s eccentric style . This just made his antics stand out even more .
4Miley
Hannah Montana (2006-2011)
Miley Cyrus plays Miley Stewart and her dad adept alter ego inHannah Montana . Her existent - life Father-God , Billy Ray Cyrus , plays her fabricated forefather , Robby Ray Stewart , too . motion-picture show and TV display with vernal actors often use the names of the actor to make things easier for them , like inDrake and Josh , for example . The reasoning behind using Miley Cyrus ' real first name inHannah Montanacould be a little dissimilar though . With the presence of her noted musician forefather , and plenty of opportunities for her to sing , Hannah Montanawas built to launch Miley Cyrus ' medicine career . She at last proved to be talented enough not to want help .
3Lucy
I Love Lucy (1951-1957)
One of the most influential sitcoms of all time , I Love Lucyalso open up the use of an doer ’s name as a character ’s name . Lucille Ball plays Lucy , a woman who urgently wants to break free from the tiresomeness of her duty as a woman of the house and get into show business enterprise . I fuck Lucypairs Ball with her husband Desi Arnanz on screen , so there is more than one parallel between her life and the fictional existence of the show . I bonk Lucywas the first written show to be shoot in front of a unrecorded studio audience , and the first situation comedy to use an ensemble cast .
2Bret & Jemaine
Flight of the Conchords (2007-2009)
The short - lived HBO sitcomFlight of the Conchordsis named after the band comprising the show ’s two superstar , Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement . The show follows their attempts to violate into the music industry despite having just one fan and a train of poorly look gigs in subroutine library and aquariums . Because the show is a fictional delegacy of a real band , the show ’s asterisk keep their own name . The end of the show did n’t spell the end for the ring , who go on to perform occasionally at much more telling venues than their fabricated similitude . All they require was a good manager than Murray .
1Will Smith
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996)
Will Smith had already extend to a sure level of fame as a rapper alongside DJ Jazzy Jeff , butThe Fresh Prince of Bel - Airgave him his first acting part . The fancied Will Smith share a few key trait with the actor , notably his West Philadelphia rearing and his cheeky , affable part . Will is an outsider inFresh Prince ’s Banks familyand their sumptuous surroundings , but his charms before long win them over . The Fresh Prince of Bel - Airhelped make Will Smith a household name , and he might not have become so popular had his type been named differently . The name choice tied Smith ’s public persona to the persona .
