History Main / MistakenForDestitute

[[quoteright:250:[[Creator/IanMcKellen https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sir_ian_the_homeless.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Thou shalt not pass...as some who can recognize a famous actor from a homeless man.]]
-> '''Walter:''' What the hell happened to your hair? It looks like you were in a freakin' car wreck.
-> '''Creator/JeffDunham:''' Well, they said it makes me look hip.
-> '''Walter:''' I think it makes you look homeless!

* ''ComicBook/ActsOfVengeance'': The Grey Hulk was hired to take out ComicBook/{{Spiderman}}. After the first fight, and the Hulk turns back into Bruce Banner, Bruce was afraid that the policeman would arrest him for vagrancy, due to being shirtless and having ragged pants due to having been the Hulk.

* In ''Film/TheTripAcrossParis'', Marcel Martin (Creator/{{Bourvil}}) thinks his temporary BlackMarket smuggling operation partner Grandgil (Creator/JeanGabin) is a humble painter as in "house painter". Turns out he's a well off artist.

* ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'': In [[Recap/TheBigBangTheoryS1E11ThePancakeBatterAnomaly "The Pancake Batter Anomaly"]], one of Penny's co-workers at the Cheesecake Factory warns her that a crazy homeless guy came in. She takes a look, and sees [[{{Hypochondria}} Sheldon]] dressed in multiple layers and blowing his nose.
-->'''Penny:''' "Not homeless, just crazy."

[[folder:Films - Live Action]]

This may result in other characters offering things such as money, food, or shelter to the character who is mistaken to be destitute. Depending on the circumstances, the character may accept these offers, or treat them as UnwantedAssistance. Of course, they could just be SecretlyWealthy and are simply SlummingIt. Simply [[LivesInAVan living in a van]] might makes others think the van dweller is poor.

* ''ComicBook/{{Tintin}}'': The story ''Flight 714'' has our protagonists meet a CorruptCorporateExecutive named Lazlo Carreidas, who is slovenly and rather sickly-looking. When he first appears in the story, Captain Haddock confuses him for a homeless man that managed to wander into the airport's lobby and sneaks some money into Carreidas' hat when a gust of wind takes it off his head. When Carreidas appears a couple of scenes later, Haddock confuses Carreidas' assistant for the man himself and thinks (but thankfully doesn't says aloud) that "Carreidas" must be quite the humanitarian if he decided to help that "helpless old man".

* ''Film/TheHappiestMillionaire'': During the ''Fortuosity'' number, John Lawless at on point extended his hat as a beggar would at the end of a songline; a prosperous man drops some money into it.

* ''Film/Sisters2015'': At the beginning of the movie, Maura is seen giving money to a man sitting outside of a building, believing he's homeless. He turns out to just be a construction worker, and promptly leaves with his coworkers moments later.

* In ''Literature/ALittlePrincess'', little Donald Carmichael gives Sara a sixpence, thinking she is a beggar, but his sisters convince him she isn't, since she [[RichLanguagePoorLanguage doesn't speak like someone from the streets]] and since she didn't react as a beggar would have. The Carmichael children end up nicknaming Sara "the-little-girl-who-is-not-a-beggar". Downplayed, since though Sara indeed isn't ''technically'' a beggar, she ''is'' [[RichesToRags utterly destitute and constantly hungry]]. In the ending, Mr. Carmichael outright says she would have been better off in the streets than at Miss Minchin's school.

%%* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' In "[[Recap/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphiaS03E01TheGangFindsADumpsterBaby The Gang Finds a Dumpster Baby]]", Charlie and Frank take to [[DumpsterDive dumpster diving]] in hopes of collecting something valuable, having found a scimitar in a landfill earlier in the episode. Naturally, they wind up taking it too far and start hoarding everything they can get their dirty mitts on. By the end of the episode, they both look like crazed homeless guys lugging around trash in massive trash bags. (Do not restore this examples without explaining WHO mistakes them for being destitute.)

* ''Series/ImpracticalJokers:'' PlayedWith. A RunningGag on the series is the other Jokers comparing Q's looks to that of a homeless person. There have been times where Q was unable to participate in a challenge, such as one of the House Sitters challenges (because no one answered his ad), and the other Jokers cited his appearance as the reason why. He has also used this to his advantage though, such as one challenge where he was told to fall asleep on someone in a park, and he was able to do so because he looked homeless so people left him alone.

'''Murr''': I mean, you're wearing the same outfit, you both have a beard, you both have a good head of hair, but somehow, you still look homeless.

* ''Series/TheRighteousGemstones'': When Peter believe his son Chuck died in an explosion, he slumps by the wall of a convenience store and cries to God for help. A passerby drops some change into his cup, ruining his coffee.

* ''Series/{{Victorious}}'': On her first day at Hollywood Arts, Tori decides to give who she thinks is a homeless man some money. This "homeless man" turns out to be her HippieTeacher, Mr. Sikowitz.

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' sees Meg take a job as a waitress while also having to babysit Stewie. The restaurant patrons all think she's a teenage mother and thus leave her bigger tips, and she tries to milk this for all it's worth, claiming that she's very poor and Stewie is a special-needs child. This ends up backfiring when Child Services decides to investigate Meg's family, at a time where they happen to be embroiled in a feud with the neighbors. The neighbors all paint the Griffins in a negative light, and consequently, Stewie is taken away.

* Creator/IanMcKellen was dressed as a homeless man while practicing for Waiting For Godot in Melbourne, Australia, when a lady gave him a coin as he was taking a break outside.

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%%* ''Series/{{Frasier}}'': Happens in two episodes

%%* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' In the episode "[[Recap/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphiaS03E01TheGangFindsADumpsterBaby The Gang Finds a Dumpster Baby]]", Charlie and Frank take to [[DumpsterDive dumpster diving]] in hopes of collecting something valuable, having found a scimitar in a landfill earlier in the episode. Naturally, they wind up taking it too far and start hoarding everything they can get their dirty mitts on. By the end of the episode, they both look like crazed homeless guys lugging around trash in massive trash bags.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' In the episode "Roadie to Nowhere"; Luna's roadie Chunk appears to [[LivesInAVan live in his van]], and upon seeing this Luna fears this might be her future too if she fails as a rock star and can't find another job. However, we find out later that Chunk does have a home and he only sleeps in his van the night before a big gig with his band.

* ''WesternAnimation/WallyGator'': In one episode, Wally tried to give a handful of money to a seemingly homeless man (due to his raggedy-looking clothes) in an attempt to get rid of it, only for the man to angrily point out that this is his "Sunday Best".

[[/folder]]

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!!Indices: MistakenForIndex PovertyTropes

--> ''Q is in a restaurant, holding a large bowl of mashed potatoes''
'''Joe''': You know, it's really nice of Redd's, with their Food for the Homeless program they're doing, with the big bowls of mashed potatoes...
'''Q''': I'm dressed exactly like Sal.