History Main / CharacterAsHimself

* The music video for the Music/BeastieBoys' "Sabotage" features Sir Stewart Wallace (played by MCA) guest-starring as himself.

* In the sound test section of ''VideoGame/BlazblueContinuumShift'''s Gallery, the lyricist for the introduction song Shinsou is credited to Tsubaki Yayoi [[SubvertedTrope followed by the name of her Japanese voice actor in brackets]]. The ''Central Fiction'' version of Stardust Memories and the ''Chronophantasma'' version of the Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan theme are credited to Noel Vermillion and Bang Shishigami in a similar way.

*** Ultimately averted, however. Per the GrandFinale, [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS4E13FamilyReunionAndFarewell "Family Reunion]] [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS4E14FamilyReunionAndFarewellPartII — and Farewell"]], Chopper was actually voiced by [[spoiler:Dave Filoni]].

* ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad'' ends its opening billings with "And Thomas The Tank Engine" (although voice actors are listed in the end credits). The same thing was done with in ''Series/ShiningTimeStation'', previously.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': Wookiees on the show don't have voice actors, but in [[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS3E22WookieeHunt "Wookiee Hunt"]], in which Chewbacca guest-starred, he was listed in the credits as himself.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'':
** Chopper, the ''Ghost'' crew's irascible astromech droid, is credited like this. He was the first astromech droid in any canon ''Franchise/StarWars'' media to be given such an honour. Then again, he ''was'' {{defictionaliz|ation}}ed later on, so the trope seems to be more literal.
*** Ultimately averted, however. Per the GrandFinale, [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS4E13FamilyReunionAndFarewell "Family Reunion]] [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS4E14FamilyReunionAndFarewellPartII — and Farewell"]], Chopper was actually voiced by [[spoiler:Dave Filoni]].
** In the final season, the white Lothwolf is credited for portraying "himself". And the [[spoiler:Dume Wolf (who may-or-may-not be Kanan's ghost)]] from [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS4E09DUME "DUME"]] is credited as being voiced by "the Force".
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsResistance'': Bucket, Team Fireball's ancient astromech droid, follows Chopper by being credited as himself. Whether or not Bucket secretly has a real voice actor is unknown.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': In the [[https://youtu.be/S7XCe2XorcY opening titles]] to the old 80s ''WesternAnimation/{{Droids}}'' cartoon, R2-D2 was ''also'' credited as himself.

* ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'' credited "Rizzo the Rat as Himself," partially because most of the other Muppets were playing characters in [[UniversalAdaptorCast the story]], while Rizzo just happened to be hanging around.
* ''Film/MuppetTreasureIsland'': The opening sequence credits ends with "The Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat as Themselves." Same reason--all other [[Franchise/TheMuppets Muppets]] (except Beaker) played the characters from the original story, while Gonzo and Rizzo were... well, themselves.

* ''Film/BackToTheFuture'': Creator/MichaelJFox's performance of "Johnny B. Goode" is listed in the credits as "Performed by Marty [=McFly=]". [[NonSingingVoice Probably because he wasn't actually singing.]]

* ''Film/{{S1m0ne}}'' goes one step further, giving the eponymous computerised actress the starring role in the credits "[[AndStarring And introducing]] Simone as herself". Interestingly, this PR move gave Rachel Roberts (who actually did play Simone) the world record for "most screentime by an uncredited actor/actress".

* Freddy Fruitcake (the CreepyDoll) is credited as "himself" in ''Series/{{Psychoville}}''.

* Haruhi Suzumiya is credited as the ''director'' of the ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' anime. And not just director, but '''[[LargeHamTitle Ultra]]''' Director, as in her ShowWithinAShow.
** The series composition of the anime is also credited to "Haruhi and her friends". In "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya VI", that credit shows ''right before'' [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall Kyon wonders if Haruhi "wrote this scenario"]].
** Also, the anime's copyright somehow belongs to Nagaru Tanigawa, Noizi Ito [[FamousFamousFictional and the SOS Brigade]] (or in the English dub, "a member of SOS").

* ''The Amateurs'' is framed as a movie in itself. When the credits start, it lists several people from the movie with the role they had in making the movie within the movie that...is the movie? Eh, something like that.

* In ''The Eyes Know'', the credits list Mr. Nibbles the mouse as playing himself. He's the director's pet mouse and was filmed running around the dirty hotel the film takes place in because they couldn't afford multiple rats or mice. His biggest scene is when he grooms himself for a minute and a half... And he gets top billing over the human stars anyway.

* * In ''Series/TheMillionaire'', EccentricMillionaire John Beresford Tipton acts as an AnonymousBenefactor changing the lives of people he's never met. To add to his mystique, Tipton is TheFaceless, and is billed in the credits as "and John Beresford Tipton".

When a TV show gives a fictional character billing in the credits as himself. Frequently done [[CreditsGag as a joke]] or [[DirectLineToTheAuthor to give additional verisimilitude to a "based on a(n) (un)true story"]], although it can also be used to hide a spoilerific cast change. Another reason this is done is if the "character" in question is an inanimate object, animal, or otherwise not actually played by an actor.

* In the sound test section of ''VideoGame/BlazblueContinuumShift'''s Gallery, the lyricist for the introduction song Shinsou is credited to Tsubaki Yayoi [[SubvertedTrope followed by the name of her Japanese voice actor in brackets]]. The ''Central Fiction'' version of Stardust Memories and the ''Chronophantasma'' version of the Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan theme are credited to Noel Vermilion and Bang Shishigami in a similar way.

* All six ''WesternAnimation/TheWackyAdventuresOfRonaldMcdonald'' credit Ronald [=McDonald=] as playing himself.

* ''Film/PeeweesBigAdventure'': Pee-wee Herman is credited as "Himself." This coincides with the actor Paul Reubens portraying the character as a real person and making media appearances in-character.

* In the sound test section of ''VideoGame/BlazblueContinuumShift'''s Gallery, the lyricist for the introduction song Shinsou is credited to Tsubaki Yayoi [[SubvertedTrope followed by the name of her Japanese voice actor in brackets]]. ''Central Fiction'''s version of Stardust Memories and the ''Chronophantasma'' version of the Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan theme are credited to Noel Vermilion and Bang Shishigami in a similar way.

* In the sound test section of ''VideoGame/BlazblueContinuumShift'''s Gallery, the lyricist for the introduction song Shinsou is credited to Tsubaki Yayoi [[SubvertedTrope followed by the name of her Japanese voice actor in brackets]].

* In ''Series/{{Atlanta}}'', Teddy Perkins is credited as himself. It's really just [[spoiler:[[Music/{{ChildishGambino}} Donald Glover]] (who also plays Earn) under a ton of makeup.]]

* In BBC's ''Series/TopGear'', The Stig is only ever listed in the credits as "and The Stig", even ''after'' supposedly unmasking.

** In VideoGame/Borderlands3, Zane is credited as '''himselves'''.
* An unusual zig-zagged version occurs like this: Some of the VideoGame/YouDontKnowJack games are hosted by Josh "Schmitty" Schmitstinstein, voiced by Phil Ridarelli. Ridarelli also voiced characters on several Franchise/MortalKombat games, but was credited there as "Josh 'Schmitty' Schmitstinstein."

* For ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'''s episode "The Howling Commandos", the end credits lists The Invisible Man's voice actor as "himself."

* In ''Series/{{ALF}}'', no one is credited as "ALF" or "ALF's voice", nor are the puppeteers listed as such. But the credits do list these people as "Personal assistants to ALF" (one of the series' creators, Paul Fusco, provided -- and ''still'' provides -- the voice).

[[caption-width-right:296:Sadly, [[IncrediblyLamePun his career never really took off.]]]]

** Jabba the Hutt is credited as Himself in ''Star Wars Episode I: Film/ThePhantomMenace''. Presumably partially done because Jabba was a purely CG character (so he didn't have a puppeteer) so there was no human being playing him. He did have lines, though, and ''some'' nonfictional person must have provided them.

When a TV show gives a fictional character billing in the credits as himself. Frequently done [[CreditsGag as a joke]] or [[DirectLineToTheAuthor to give additional verisimilitude to a "based on a/an (un)true story"]], although it can also be used to hide a spoilerific cast change. Another reason this is done is if the "character" in question is an inanimate object, animal, or otherwise not actually played by an actor.

** The opening to ''Film/TheStarWarsHolidaySpecial'' credits R2-D2 as R2-D2, as does the ''WesternAnimation/{{Droids}}'' animated series. The latter is understandable ([[TheUnintelligible he doesn't exactly have a voice actor]]), the former decidedly less so (the actual movies always made a point to credit Creator/KennyBaker).
* The mischievous gopher in {{Film/Caddyshack}} gets this treatment in the trailer.