History Main / ActorRoleConfusion

* In Robert [=McCloskey=]'s ''Literature/HomerPrice'' the actor who plays the "Super-Duper" in movie serials makes an appearance at the Centerburg theater and Freddy asks if he could do some horseshoe bending or flying for them. Disillusionment sets in later when the actor's car ends up in a ditch and needs to be towed to Homer's father's filling station.

* ''ComicBook/ThePowerpuffGirls'': The Powerpuff Girls go into squee mode when they hear their favorite TV heroine Tess Turbine will be appearing at Townsville Mall ("To Be Or Not TV," DC issue #38). When a monster invades and takes this Tess captive, the girls are devastated when she turns out to be an actress ''playing'' Tess for this live appearance and cannot defend herself or fight the monster. When the girls renounce their fandom of Tess, the Professor gives them a little lesson in what really matters.

* In Creator/PhilipRoth's novel ''Zuckerman Unbound'', writer Nathan Zuckerman encounters fans who call him "Carnovsky," mistaking him for the title character of his book.

* In the ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' episode "Cover Story", a LoonyFan of [=McGee's=] books thinks that they're true stories, and goes on a rampage killing the people that [=McGee=] based his villains on. He eventually tries to kill Abby because "Amy" broke up with "[=McGregor=]," but is stopped (and then arrested) when [=McGee=] tells him that "Amy" and "[=McGregor=]" are getting married.

* In the ''Series/QuantumLeap'' episode "Moments to Live," Sam leaps into the star of a medical soap opera, and is kidnapped by a fan who wants the fictional doctor to be the father of her child.

* In an episode of ''Series/{{QI}}'' with Creator/DavidTennant as a guest (during his time as The Doctor on ''Series/DoctorWho''), after David gives some facts about history, fellow panellist Creator/BillBailey says "It's all the time travelling he does, he knows something about every era!" Host Creator/StephenFry responds (with a CoughSnarkCough) "He's acting," causing Bill to (jokingly) act shocked and horrified. David then "reassures" him by claiming it's all real and saying "Don't listen to the bad man."

** Of course when Creator/MarkHamill reminds everyone that ''he'' blew up the Death Star with his eyes closed, he's told "That was just a movie, dude", by the exact same Star Wars fanboy.

** It extends to those who became internet memes. Blake Boston, better known as "Scumbag Steve," discovered his memedom and openly embraced it, even reaching out to the girl behind "Annoying Facebook Girl" when she discovered she was also a meme, and gave her the following advice.
-->"But here’s what I need you to know. When you go off to college, and you’re walking down the hall and a group of kids see you and scream, “Oh my god it’s Annoying Facebook Girl,” don’t cry. You see. Some people can’t distinguish the internet from real life. There are people who refuse to believe my name isn’t Steve and that I am not really the scumbag (well not all the time, that is). Just remember who you are. And that you know you’re a decent kid."

* Creator/LouisDeFunes and Creator/ClaudeGensac were paired in several films as husband and wife. Many French people thought or (still think) they were married in real life, but this wasn't the case.

* PlayedForDrama in ''Film/{{Nope}}''. A chimpanzee that played the titular character in ''[[ShowWithinAShow Gordy's Home]]'' is commonly called "Gordy", even though Jupe explains that he's actually one of the chimps who played Gordy. But from then on, Jupe describes him solely through the lens of the SNL sketch, which also called him "Gordy", and the audience never learns the chimp's real name; even the credits list Creator/TerryNotary as such. As he's trying to stare the chimp down, Tom Bogan yells, "N-n-no, Gordy, no, STOP!" seconds before the chimp beats him to death. All of this perfectly illustrates how the sitcom treated the chimpanzee: as an unpaid actor or a LivingProp they could use as they saw fit, rather than a dangerous wild animal that posed a threat to other people's safety if placed in that setting.

** In one episode, Joey does a print PSA for STD awareness, and then has trouble getting dates afterwards, while his own family bans him from coming home for Thanksgiving dinner for fear of getting sick.
** In another episode, Brooke Shields portrayed a LoonyFan stalking Joey, convinced that he really was Dr. Drake Ramoray, the character he plays on ''Series/DaysOfOurLives''. After failing to explain the difference between the show and reality to her, the friends got rid of her by convincing her that Joey was really Drake Ramoray's EvilTwin, Hans Ramoray, instead.

* In the ''Series/{{Monk}}'' episode "Mr. Monk and the Actor", Adrian Monk gets shadowed by stage actor David Ruskin (played by Creator/StanleyTucci). Ruskin immerses himself so much in the role that he has a nervous breakdown after he takes a car dealership owner hostage, thinking the guy is Trudy's killer.

[[folder: Radio]]

* In 2006, when Creator/MichaelRichards got in trouble for a racist tirade towards some black hecklers, many news outlets referred to Richards as [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} Kramer]], with some headlines like "[=KKKramer=]". It reached the point that the Kramer character's namesake, Kenny Kramer, had to issue a public statement saying he himself wasn't racist.
* Creator/MichaelJFox did this to ''himself'' during the making of ''Film/TheFrighteners''. According to director Creator/PeterJackson, whenever Michael [[SayMyName tried to shout "Judge!"]], he'd shout [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture "Doc!"]] instead. Some instances were shown in its HilariousOuttakes.

* One ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' story featured Mitch Goodman, an actor who plays a superhero on television. By chance, one night he happened to stop a convenience store robbery while in his costume. This inspired a number of villains to come after him in order to make sure he doesn't decide to become a superhero for real.
* Leads to trouble in one ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'' album which involves a troupe of actors. Lucky is accused of a crime, and when the actor of a DastardlyWhiplash-like villain defends Luke, the settlers only get angrier.
* ComicBook/SpiderMan's former wife Mary Jane met ''two'' fans like this on two separate occasions when she was an actress for [[ShowWithinAShow the soap opera]] ''[[ShowWithinAShow Secret Hospital]]'':
** The first was an old woman who, confusing her for her vixen character on the show, slapped her and called her a tramp. While the old woman was no threat to Mary Jane, the fan was, minutes later, run down and killed by a hit-and-run driver, later revealed to be a {{Yandere}} pursuing MJ and trying to "protect" her.
** The second time was more dangerous. This time a mentally unbalanced woman who mistook her for her character (and who was apparently in love with "Troy" the male character who had been jilted by MJ's character) actually tried to shoot MJ. She missed and was subdued by a police officer, but MJ was frightened for a while, wondering if this was what Peter had to go through every day.
* ComicBook/ThePowerpuffGirls go into squee mode when they hear their favorite TV heroine Tess Turbine will be appearing at Townsville Mall ("To Be Or Not TV," DC issue #38). When a monster invades and takes this Tess captive, the girls are devastated when she turns out to be an actress ''playing'' Tess for this live appearance and cannot defend herself or fight the monster. When the girls renounce their fandom of Tess, the Professor gives them a little lesson in what really matters.
* Subverted in ''Comicbook/AmericanFlagg'', where Reuben Flagg, famous for playing a Plexus Ranger on TV, actually becomes a real one (though not by choice).
* In ''ComicBook/{{Wanted}}'', the supervillains of the world basically rewrote history, not by killing off the superheroes but by turning them into {{Muggles}} via brainwashing. Two Franchise/{{Batman}} and ComicBook/{{Robin}} analogues were killed by their nemesis by being lowered into an acid vat, [[Series/Batman1966 still screaming that it was only a role they had played on TV.]]
* In ''ComicBook/{{Robin}}'', a fan of the fictional soap opera ''Calistoga'' shoots at one of the actors because she believes that his character was "cheating" on her.

* One time, the actress Collin Wilcox, who played Mayella Ewell in ''Film/ToKillAMockingbird'', attended an NAACP conference. She received "unfriendly looks" because of her character falsely accusing Tom Robinson, a black man, of raping her. An official had to remind the participants, "Collin is here at this conference because she believes in the cause. She is not the character in the film."

* One ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' story featured an actor who played the superhero "Crimson Cougar" on a soap opera. After he foils a convenience-store robbery while in costume, people start treating him like a real superhero... including supervillains out to kill him.

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' has William Zabka AdamWesting himself in a recurring role, as all the jerk and villain roles he's played (primarily the main bully in ''Film/TheKarateKid'') has resulted in every single person he's met confusing him for his roles and will automatically boo him on sight, ''even his own mother''. He's touched that Barney sees him as a hero, though admittedly that's because Barney has a case of RootingForTheEmpire and always feels the villain roles were the real protagonists and the heroes [[RonTheDeathEater are actually villains]].

* IAmNotShazam, which refers to the confusion of a character with the ''title'' of a work or with the character's CatchPhrase.

* ''Series/JasonKing'': Jason is frequently mistaken for Mark Caine, the hero of his adventure novels. It doesn't help that Jason is pictured on the covers.

* ''VideoGame/GenshimImpact'':

* Creator/LouisDeFunes and Claude Gensac were paired in several films as husband and wife. Many French people thought or (still think) they were married in real life, but this wasn't the case.

** Inverted in "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore", when Patty and Selma kidnap Richard Dean Anderson due to their obsession with ''Series/{{MacGyver|1985}}''. After he [[{{Macgyvering}} macgyvers]] an escape from the room they've locked him in, he gets such a kick that [[StockholmSyndrome he stays with them in spite of the kidnapping]], eventually calling himself [=MacGyver=] and trying to imitate his fictional persona. He ends up becoming so annoying that they drive him off with boring vacation slides.

''How the [[PrecisionFStrike FUCK]] can I raise a little girl?''