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| 4 | [[quoteright:275:[[Film/InglouriousBasterds https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_basterds.jpg]]]] |
| 5 | |
| 6 | A common turn of phrase on film posters is to have it stated that an actor ''is'' the main character. Sometimes, the poster designer wants to convey that the actor is so much like the character that he ''is'' the character (or that a certain actor is playing ''as'' the title character). It's a slightly odd expression, even with DyeingForYourArt in play. Often used when the character's name is also the movie's title. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | A fairly common parody form, when describing an actor who is both known for always playing the same kind of character to the extent that it qualifies as being AsHimself, and is also a big enough star to be starring in a self-centered vanity piece of a film, is to give it as "Actor Name '''IS''' Actor Name '''IN''' ''Actor Name!''" |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Likely to overlap with BilledAboveTheTitle. |
| 11 | ---- |
| 12 | !!Examples: |
| 13 | |
| 14 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 15 | |
| 16 | [[folder:Advertising]] |
| 17 | * Parodied by Lee Jeans in 1998: "[[{{Mascot}} Buddy Lee]] IS [[AsHimself Buddy Lee]] IN [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Buddy Lee]]: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA9N01N_dmA Man of Action!"]] Bonus points for using Creator/DonLafontaine himself instead of a cheap sound-alike. |
| 18 | * Variant from a television ad: "Music/{{Madonna}} gets to play Susan. And Susan gets to play around." |
| 19 | [[/folder]] |
| 20 | |
| 21 | [[folder:Films -- Animated]] |
| 22 | * Three posters of this type were released featuring characters from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017'': "Zoe Saldana is Captain Celaeno," "Cathy Weseluck is Spike the Dragon" and "Andrea Libman is Fluttershy." |
| 23 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Smallfoot}}'' was advertised this way, inspiring the [[MemeticMutation memetic]] "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx5YqFKjTCY Zendaya is Meechee]]" song. |
| 24 | * Creator/JohnnyDepp IS ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}''. Rather ironic given that Rango is a pseudonym. |
| 25 | * Disney released a line of posters for ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2019'' stating that "[=JD McCrary=] is Simba," Creator/JamesEarlJones is Mufasa," "Creator/JohnKani is Rafiki," "Creator/DonaldGlover is Simba," "Music/{{Beyonce}} Knowles-Carter is Nala," "Creator/SethRogen is Pumbaa" and "Creator/BillyEichner is Timon." |
| 26 | * The many character posters for ''WesternAnimation/TrollsWorldTour'' featured a variant that didn't only apply to main characters, but rather all of them, reading "(actor name) is (character name)". |
| 27 | [[/folder]] |
| 28 | |
| 29 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 30 | * ''Film/AngelsAndDemons'': "Creator/TomHanks is Robert Langdon". |
| 31 | * ''Film/AirForceOne'': Creator/HarrisonFord IS the President of the United States. |
| 32 | * Nearly imperceptible, but on the poster it says clear as day "Harrison Ford is ''Film/BladeRunner''" |
| 33 | * ''Film/{{Blonde}}'': "Creator/AnaDeArmas is Creator/MarilynMonroe". |
| 34 | * Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger IS Film/TheTerminator. |
| 35 | * On the poster for ''[[Film/TheBourneSeries The Bourne Identity]]'': Creator/MattDamon is Jason Bourne. |
| 36 | * Creator/HarrisonFord is ''Film/TheFugitive''. |
| 37 | * "Creator/JimCarrey is Creator/AndyKaufman in ''Film/ManOnTheMoon''." |
| 38 | * Creator/JuliaRoberts IS Film/ErinBrockovich. |
| 39 | * Creator/KevinCostner is ''[[Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves Robin Hood]]''. |
| 40 | * In ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'', the Pythons wanted Creator/GeorgeLazenby to play Jesus as a cameo, purely so they could say "George Lazenby ''is'' Jesus Christ!" They couldn't get him, so it didn't pan out. |
| 41 | * Creator/MichaelKeaton IS Film/{{Beetlejuice}}. (Funny when you consider the correct spelling is Betelgeuse.) |
| 42 | * One poster design for ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'', which was [[DuelingMovies competing with]] the ''Film/{{Casino Royale|1967}}'' spoof, had "Creator/SeanConnery IS Film/JamesBond." Ironically, it was after this movie that Connery quit the role partially because [[IAmNotSpock he wanted to be known as something other than Bond]]. |
| 43 | * Speaking of the ''Casino Royale'' spoof, which was "too much ... for one James Bond!", Creator/UrsulaAndress IS James Bond. |
| 44 | * Parodied in the trailer for ''Film/PeeWeesBigAdventure'': [[ShapedLikeItself "Pee-Wee Herman is Pee-Wee Herman."]] |
| 45 | * The teaser trailer for ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'' did this with the whole cast. With Creator/OrsonWelles narrating. See [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwivz3gECus here]]. |
| 46 | * Creator/StevenSeagal films traditionally have a descriptor of his character as the title so that the movie trailer announcer can say "Steven Seagal IS..." ''Film/OutForJustice / Film/HardToKill / Film/OnDeadlyGround''," etc. |
| 47 | * ''Film/TheStupids'': "Tom Arnold is Stupid" ''*lower down the poster*'' (Stanley Stupid) |
| 48 | * Creator/TomHanks IS ''Film/ForrestGump''...and ''Film/AManCalledOtto''. |
| 49 | * A variation on ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'', almost all the principal characters had "X is a Basterd" on their character posters. "Brad Pitt IS a Basterd", and so on. |
| 50 | * Creator/DavidHydePierce IS ''Film/ThePerfectHost''. |
| 51 | * In the Podcast/RiffTrax of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' lampshading the Captain's movie serials "Captain America ''is'' Captain America ''in'' ''Captain America''." Which is how it happens in the movie except we're never shown for sure that the movie serial is actually called ''Captain America.'' |
| 52 | * [[Series/TheIncredibleHulk1977 The Incredible]] Creator/LouFerrigno is ''Film/{{Hercules|1983}}''. |
| 53 | * Creator/AngelinaJolie IS Film/{{Maleficent}}. |
| 54 | * "Creator/PaulNewman is Film/{{Harper}}." |
| 55 | * ''Film/{{Malavita}}'' has four (five if you include the dog...) poster slogans that read: "Creator/RobertDeNiro is one Killer Dad", "Creator/MichellePfeiffer is one Bad Mother", "Creator/DiannaAgron is the Mobgirl Next Door" and "John D'Leo is the Young Gun". The dogs is "Hitman's Best Friend". |
| 56 | * ''Magazine/StarWarsInsider'' published an issue based around ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' with a number of individual articles about the characters of the film and the actors playing them, titled variously "Creator/AdamDriver is Kylo Ren," "Creator/CarrieFisher is Princess Leia," "Creator/HarrisonFord is Han Solo," etc. |
| 57 | * "Creator/KathyIreland is the Film/AlienFromLA." |
| 58 | * Creator/HalleBerry [-IS-] ''Film/{{Catwoman|2004}}''. |
| 59 | * The film ''Icarus'' is also known as "The Killing Machine". However, some sources actually title it as "Creator/DolphLundgren is The Killing Machine". |
| 60 | * ''Film/TombRaider2018'': Creator/AliciaVikander is Lara Croft. |
| 61 | * ''Film/{{Darkest Hour|2017}}'': Creator/GaryOldman ''is'' UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill. |
| 62 | * "Creator/DudleyMoore is ''Film/{{Arthur|1981}}''". |
| 63 | * The poster for ''Film/PeterRabbit'' states that Creator/JamesCorden is PETER RABBIT. |
| 64 | * Creator/TomCruise is ''Film/JackReacher'' and ''Film/JackReacherNeverGoBack''. At least on some of the posters and [=DVD=] covers anyway. |
| 65 | * Author Creator/MickeySpillaine played his own creation, detective Literature/MikeHammer, in the 1963 movie of "The Girl Hunters". The movie's opening credits declare, "Mickey Spillaine is Literature/MikeHammer", while the closing credits list it as, "Literature/MikeHammer is Mickey Spillaine". |
| 66 | * Creator/RichardHarris is the Film/ManInTheWilderness. |
| 67 | * "Creator/RobertoBenigni is Film/{{Pinocchio|2002}}."[[note]]Even though the American version of the movie, which the phrase appeared in advertisements for, featured Creator/BreckinMeyer dubbing over Benigni as the character.[[/note]] |
| 68 | * "Creator/JoeyKing IS ''Film/{{The Princess|2022}}''" |
| 69 | * ''Film/{{The Three Musketeers|2023}}'' (2023): The trailer has "Creator/FrancoisCivil is D'Artagnan", "Creator/VincentCassel is Athos", "Creator/RomainDuris is Aramis", "Creator/PioMarmai is Porthos" and "Creator/EvaGreen is Milady". |
| 70 | * One of the posters for ''Film/WeirdTheAlYankovicStory'' features Daniel Radcliffe as Al wearing a t-shirt that states that Daniel Radcliffe is ''Weird: The Al Yankovic Story''.[[note]]The humor here, of course, being that it states essentially that "Daniel Radcliffe is weird."[[/note]] |
| 71 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtQbeuMxh1E&t=232 This promo]] for Film/TheWizardOfOz inverts it with "Dorothy is Judy Garland". |
| 72 | * ''Film/TheGirlInTheSpidersWeb'' had on home media Lisbeth Salander's sobriquet, if only as a ContinuityNod: Creator/ClaireFoy IS Film/{{The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo|2011}}. |
| 73 | * ''Film/ImNotThere'' - "Creator/ChristianBale, Creator/CateBlanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Creator/RichardGere, Creator/HeathLedger, Creator/BenWhishaw are all Music/BobDylan." |
| 74 | [[/folder]] |
| 75 | |
| 76 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 77 | * ''Series/AwkwafinaIsNoraFromQueens'', starring Creator/{{Awkwafina}} as a woman named Nora, has this in the ''title''. Also counts as a DoubleMeaningTitle, since her real name is Nora Lum, and she really was raised in Queens. |
| 78 | * ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' often spoofs this with their films, such as "[[Film/{{Mitchell}} Joe Don Baker]] IS [[Film/SantaClaus1959 Santa Claus]]". They spoof it even more if the actor on-screen bears similarity to more than one celebrity: "Creator/JaneCurtin IS Kate Moss AS Isadora Duncan!" |
| 79 | * For ''Series/DoctorWho'''s 50th Anniversary, the Magazine/RadioTimes released [[http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2013/11/radio-times-covers.html twelve special edition covers]], one for each actor to take the title role: Creator/WilliamHartnell IS the Doctor. Articles announcing the next Doctor often run with this format. |
| 80 | ** ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'' uses this phrase on the front cover every time a new Doctor is announced. When Creator/PeterDavison was announced, they famously spelled his name wrong. |
| 81 | * A ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' [[http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/the-story-of-frank-sinatra/n12799 sketch]] featured a play about Music/FrankSinatra performed by Danish actors. The announcer proclaims that "Aki Hanenrud is Frank Sinatra", which is then followed up with a review that states "Aki Hanenrud is not Frank Sinatra". |
| 82 | * Later episodes of ''Series/TheHitchhiker'' bill the title character this way in the credits ("Page Fletcher is The Hitchhiker"). |
| 83 | * Creator/{{CBS}} liked using this for some of their dramas during UsefulNotes/TheNineties; often featuring their stars billed in the manner of "Jane Seymour is Series/DrQuinnMedicineWoman" or "Creator/ChuckNorris is Series/WalkerTexasRanger". |
| 84 | * "Jack Lord as Stoney Burke," in that 1962-63 ABC Western/rodeo series. |
| 85 | [[/folder]] |
| 86 | |
| 87 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 88 | * Emphasizing its ConceptAlbum and stage persona nature, ''Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars'' was promoted with an ad proclaiming "Music/DavidBowie is Ziggy Stardust"; at the bottom, in smaller type, it read "Ziggy Stardust is David Bowie". |
| 89 | * Music/PaulMcCartney IS [[https://www.discogs.com/The-Fireman-Electric-Arguments/release/7689859 The Fireman.]] |
| 90 | [[/folder]] |
| 91 | |
| 92 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 93 | * On Broadway and on tour, in many productions across more than 40 years, Cathy Rigby WAS ''Theatre/{{Peter Pan|1954}}''. |
| 94 | [[/folder]] |
| 95 | |
| 96 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 97 | * On Radio/GTARadio, the [[ShowWithinAShow radio program within a video game]] of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'', the above-mentioned exaggerated version of the trope is used with ''Jack Howitzer is Jack Howitzer in Jack Howitzer''. It's a Reality TV fame vehicle for the eponymous washed-up celebrity, and the game's resident [[TheAhnold Ahnold]]. |
| 98 | * A [[ShowWithinAShow film within a game]] example: One of Johnny Cage's intros with Kitana in ''Videogame/MortalKombat11'' plays this straight with "Johnny Cage. Is. 'The Edenian Candidate'." |
| 99 | [[/folder]] |
| 100 | |
| 101 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 102 | * ''WebVideo/AshensAndTheQuestForTheGameChild'': Stuart Ashen IS Ashens (but he's still Stuart Ashen). |
| 103 | * Website/TheAgonyBooth [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Toomorrow_1970.aspx?Page=9 recap]] making fun of the fashions in ''Toomorrow'': "Timothy Dalton ''is'' Severus Snape in ''Harry Potter and the Brownies of Hash''!" |
| 104 | [[/folder]] |
| 105 | |
| 106 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 107 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS10E9MayoredToTheMob Mayored to the Mob]]", guest-starring Creator/MarkHamill played with this, with two posters in the DinnerTheater performing ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls'': "Mark Hamill IS Nathan Detroit" and "Pepper Steak IS the Entree". |
| 108 | * In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "[[Recap/SouthParkS6E15TheBiggestDoucheInTheUniverse The Biggest Douche in the Universe]]", all the parody trailers close with: "Creator/RobSchneider is ''The Stapler''/''A Carrot''/''Da Derp De Derp Da Teetily Derp Da Derpee Dumb''/''Kenny''! Rated PG-13." |
| 109 | * The poster for ''WesternAnimation/TucaAndBertie'' states that Tiffany Haddish is Tuca and that Ali Wong is Bertie. |
| 110 | [[/folder]] |
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