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1[[quoteright:300:[[Film/ThisIsTheEnd https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/danny_mcbride_this_is_the_end_poster_2_764.jpg]]]]
2
3->''"Creator/MarioLopez? What's he doing here?"''
4-->-- '''Narrator''', ''Series/JaneTheVirgin''
5
6There are all kinds of fun ways to cast and credit celebrities.
7
8We've seen cases where a very famous actor plays [[CelebrityCameo an impossibly small part]] in a movie, either as themselves or as a character. We've seen cases when a fictional character [[CharacterAsHimself is listed in the credits as Himself or Herself.]] We've seen an actor [[TheDanza playing a character with the same name]] as themselves. We've seen a real celebrity appear as themselves on a show [[SpecialGuest for a quick laugh]] or maybe they [[CelebrityStar take over the entire episode.]] And we've seen a beloved actor [[SelfParody parody themselves]] by playing the [[AdamWesting flanderized version of themselves or their most well-known character]] for laughs.
9
10This trope is when a real-life celebrity or famous figure is playing a fictionalized version of themselves, ''as a main character or recurring character''. This is mostly a television trope, but there are film examples. For shows that take place in an [[SetBehindTheScenes alternate Hollywood]], such as ''Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm'', ''Series/{{Entourage}}'' and ''Series/TheLarrySandersShow'', this is the norm. It would be [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief hard to believe]] it's Hollywood if you'd never heard of any of the "stars", would it?
11
12This real celebrity is playing themselves, but they are inserted into fictional circumstances, play alongside clearly fictitious characters and sometimes have fictional backstories in relation to those fictional characters. This differs from an AutobiographicalRole, where the celebrity is playing themselves in the ''actual story of their life''.
13
14As Himself is usually credited as, well: ''JustForFun/ReportSiht as Herself''. Though occasionally you will see ''Report Siht as "Report Siht"''. An actor might request the latter if they want it to be clearer that this is a purely fictionalized version of themselves.
15
16Occasionally, there will be an example of this with a deceased star/famous figure. This will often be done using [[HistoricalFiguresInArchivalMedia archive footage]], but the trope still applies because they are still playing themselves in fictional circumstances (''Film/ForrestGump'' didn't actually meet UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy or UsefulNotes/LyndonJohnson, folks).
17
18Remember, if it's just a short gag, or one episode, that's either a SpecialGuest or just CelebrityCameo.
19
20What's the difference between this and TheDanza? Ask yourself this... is Alice playing a character who just happens to be named Alice as well? Or is she actually playing Alice? The first one is TheDanza. The latter is As Himself.
21
22Compare CelebrityStar, CharacterAsHimself, and AdamWesting. Not to be confused with ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself.
23
24A SuperTrope of NewscasterCameo (which is specific to newsreaders) and LenoDevice (for talk show hosts).
25----
26!!Example subpages:
27
28[[index]]
29* [[AsHimself/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
30* AsHimself/LiveActionTV
31* AsHimself/VideoGames
32* AsHimself/WesternAnimation
33[[/index]]
34
35!!Other examples:
36
37[[foldercontrol]]
38
39[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
40* Since it's a series about voice actors, ''Manga/SeiyusLife'' has famous seiyuu cameos at least OnceAnEpisode including Creator/MasakoNozawa, Creator/HiroshiKamiya, and Creator/YukariTamura. And of course, the author herself, Creator/MasumiAsano and her {{Identical Stranger}}s.
41* Aside from Creator/MinoruShiraishi, ''Manga/LuckyStar'' features few seiyuus as themselves, such as Creator/AyaHirano, Creator/MinoriChihara, Creator/YukoGoto, Creator/DaisukeOno, and a clerk who is obviously based on Creator/TomokazuSugita.
42* In ''Manga/CaseClosed'', Creator/MinamiTakayama appears as herself, while ActingForTwo with Conan.
43* In ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesXY'', when a Pikachu movie is made, we see the dubbing process for a bit. A female seiyuu who looks like Creator/IkueOtani voices Super Pikachu, TheHero played by Pikachu. However, we only hear her voice in the movie itself, and yes, Super Pikachu is voiced by Ikue Otani outside of the universe.
44* The [[AnachronicOrder first broadcast]] episode of ''[[Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'' has this in-universe. That episode is in its entirety a [[StylisticSuck horrendously bad]] amateur movie in which each member of the SOS Brigade plays a character with their same name. (It's also a case of MyNaymeIs, since the characters' first names are in katakana, rather than the original [[UsefulNotes/JapaneseWritingSystem kanji/hiragana]].)
45* The epic finale of ''Manga/PopTeamEpic'' has Pipimi turned to stone and Popuko crying over the loss of her friend, until Creator/ShoutaAoi in front of a GreenScreen shows up and reveals he has the power to travel back in time to save her.
46* The regular second commentator/analyst in ''Anime/UmaMusume'' is Junko Hosoe, a past jockey who is now a real-life horse racing analyst.
47* An interesting case in ''Manga/DropkickOnMyDevil'': Hatsune Miku appears in multiple cameos, and each one is "voiced" using the Music/{{Vocaloid}} synthesizer.
48[[/folder]]
49
50[[folder:Arts]]
51* ''Art/PortraitOfMadameX'': {{Downplayed}}. It is said that various unfounded rumors about the model Gautreau's sexual exploits were what led to Sargent wanting to create the portrait, the titular "Madame X" herself being a character that was confident in her sexuality. Just the fact that the portrait represented a character and not the model was considered a very modern idea.
52[[/folder]]
53
54[[folder:Audio Plays]]
55* In the audiobook version of ''Literature/WorldWarZ'', which is performed by a full cast with different actors reading each of the characters interviewed for the book, the character of "The Interviewer" is specifically identified as Max Brooks (the actual author of the book) and his part is performed by Brooks himself.
56* In the ''Baker's End'' series of audio dramas, which are unofficial sequels to the ''Nest Cottage'' series of ''Franchise/DoctorWho'' audio dramas, the CaptainErsatz Fourth Doctor is actually named Creator/TomBaker.
57[[/folder]]
58
59[[folder:Comic Books]]
60* Dan Choi, known for his activism in the effort to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, appears in issue #4 of {{ComicBook/Batwoman}}'s run in ''Detective Comics''. He is attending West Point with Kate Kane and speaks to her just before she is outed and "[[UnusualEuphemism separated]]" from the military. He was consulted for the story in that issue and receives "special thanks to 1LT Daniel Choi (USMA 2003) for his generous assistance in research for this issue" on the cover page.
61* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
62** UsefulNotes/NeilDeGrasseTyson appeared in an issue, in which he reveals to Supes that he has [[http://www.space.com/18348-neil-tyson-superman-krypton-planet.html managed to work out which star is Rao]] (the star Krypton orbited).
63** Not to mention Muhammad Ali in the famous "Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali" issue, trope namer for BoxingLessonsForSuperman.
64* An issue of Marvel's ''WesternAnimation/CountDuckula'' book features Geraldo Rivera as a live photo image on the cover (with a cartoon Duckula) and a cartoon image in the body of the story. It's a send-up of Rivera's ill-fated attempt to open Al Capone's vault ''and'' the show where he suffers a broken nose when a guest hurls a chair through the studio.
65* An issue of ''ComicBook/MarvelTeamUp'' has Spider-Man attend the broadcast of an episode of ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and battling Silver Samurai alongside the cast. The SNL episode was hosted by Creator/StanLee who appears as well.
66[[/folder]]
67
68[[folder:Fan Works]]
69* In ''Fanfic/OriginStory'', Alex Harris makes a cameo appearance on ''Series/CSIMiami'' as herself in her "Superwoman" guise.
70* Sharon Rice-Weber (the wife of noted novelist Creator/DavidWeber) gave her permission to be included in ''Fanfic/TheInstituteSaga''. Her character shows up on the [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10580880/17/The-Institute-Saga-III bridge that Magneto relocates]] [[spoiler:and is the one who takes Magneto down]].
71[[/folder]]
72
73[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
74* In ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'', Creator/SigourneyWeaver plays as an announcer of the same name who welcomes visitors to the fictional aquarium. This is one of the most remembered scenes from the movie, partly because of her popularity, and partly because she says the movie's ArcWords for the first time.
75-->'''Sigourney Weaver:''' Hello. I'm Sigourney Weaver. Won't you please join us, as we explore the wonders of the Pacific Ocean and the amazing life it holds within. Witness the majesty of the beluga whale. ''(...)'' And welcome to the Marine Life Institute, where we believe in rescue, rehabilitation and release.
76* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie2TheSecondPart'': Creator/BruceWillis, although he specifically dresses and acts like [[Film/DieHard John [=McClane=]]].
77[[/folder]]
78
79[[folder:Literature]]
80* ''Literature/LunarPark'' is narrated in first person by Creator/BretEastonEllis, who is (like in the real world) the author of ''Literature/AmericanPsycho'' and several other successful novels. The events in the novel, however, are completely fictional.
81* Similarly, Creator/PhilipRoth's novel ''Operation Shylock'' is narrated in first person by the famous Jewish-American author, Philip Roth. While most of the events in the book are fictional, it contains segments of a real interview Roth made with Israeli novelist Aharon Appelfeld.
82* Stieg Larsson wrote in Swedish boxer/tv-host Paolo Roberto as a character in ''The Girl Who Played with Fire'', book two of the ''Literature/MillenniumSeries''. Guess who played him in the movie?
83* Creator/KurtVonnegut shows up in a few of his own books, most notably ''Literature/BreakfastOfChampions'', in which he (as the author) directs the action for the last few chapters from the shadows.
84* At one point in ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'', Stephen King's characters have to save his life.
85* In ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'', Creator/WilliamGoldman, the author, has a ''major'' role in the story (or at least plays an author named William Goldman...).
86* In the second ''Literature/ShadowPolice'' novel, ''The Severed Streets'', Creator/NeilGaiman appears as a supporting character. The book is by ''Series/DoctorWho'' alumnus and fellow comic book writer Creator/PaulCornell.
87* Creator/AlFranken's book ''Why Not Me?'' is all about a fictionalized, {{Jerkass}} version of Al Franken running for President of the United States. He makes it clear in the Afterword that he is ''not'' "the asshole portrayed in the book."
88* An InUniverse example appears in the ''Literature/DreamPark'' novel ''The Barsoom Project''; actor Robin Bowles plays himself in the "fat ripper" Fimbulwinter Game. Participants speculate that the portly Bowles signed on to help him lose weight for an upcoming role.
89* Played with by Steven Zoltan Brust, whose ''Literature/{{Dragaera}}'' novels have featured multiple passing references to a writer from a ''very'' distant realm (implied to be our own Earth) who has consulted with in-Verse characters about their stories or their world's history. This mysterious writer is referenced only by the initials "[=SZB=]".
90* Creator/ChristopherIsherwood has several novels narrated by Christopher Isherwood. Initially Isherwood used his middle names, William Bradshaw, as his narrator but later decided that was literarily dishonest.
91[[/folder]]
92
93[[folder:Pinballs]]
94* Creator/{{Bally}}'s ''[[Pinball/PlayboyBally Playboy]]'' pinball features Hugh Hefner and real-life playmates Patti [=McGuire=] and Sondra Theodore.
95** Happens again in Creator/DataEast's ''[[Pinball/Playboy35thAnniversary Playboy 35th Anniversary]]'' pinball, with Hugh and 1989 Playmate of the Year Kimberley Conrad.
96* As expected, the [[Creator/ElviraMistressOfTheDark Elvira]] pinballs ''Pinball/ElviraAndThePartyMonsters'' and ''Pinball/ScaredStiff'' star Elvira as herself.
97[[/folder]]
98
99[[folder:Podcasts]]
100* Jake, Josh, Shannon, and Matt all play fictionalized versions of themselves, aged down and as muggle-borns, in the ''Podcast/CoolKidsTable'' ''Franchise/HarryPotter''-themed game ''Hogwarts: The New Class''.
101[[/folder]]
102
103[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
104* While Muppet Movies are known for having plentiful celebrity cameos, ''Film/MuppetsMostWanted'' credits Creator/DannyTrejo not as "himself" but as "Danny Trejo".
105** It's been explained in interviews that the Muppets are playing fictionalized versions of themselves in their films.
106* A later episode of ''Series/TheSiflAndOllyShow'' featured Tony Hawk as a sock puppet version of himself, acting as a stand-in for [[JudgementOfTheDead Saint Peter]] (ItMakesSenseInContext). Apparently, this happened in exchange for Liam Lynch, one of the show's creators, letting Tony use his song "United States of Whatever" in a ''VideoGame/TonyHawksProSkater'' commercial.
107[[/folder]]
108
109[[folder:Radio]]
110* Creator/BabeRuth appeared as Babe Ruth on the April 19, 1937 episode of ''Radio/LuxRadioTheatre'' (an adaptation of baseball movie ''Alibi Ike'').
111* Creator/RichardWilson's fictional "radiography" ''Believe It!'' stars Richard as himself (and Creator/DavidTennant as Young Richard). It also features a wide variety of Richard's showbiz friends, most of whom are played by impressionists. In Season 2, however, Celia Imrie and Sir Creator/IanMcKellen play themselves.
112* Alan Titchmarsh of ''Series/GroundForce'' and ''Gardener's World'' fame once made an appearance in an episode of ''Radio/TheArchers'' as the celebrity guest of honour at the village fete.
113[[/folder]]
114
115[[folder:Theatre]]
116* Stew, book writer and co-music writer of the semi-autobiographical show ''Theatre/PassingStrange'', starred in the original productions as the CharacterNarrator, who introduces himself in the first song as "Stew", which just adds to the [[MindScrew strangeness]] because he's narrating a story based on the real Stew's life story, which is also strongly implied to be the character Stew's literal life story. It's a little confusing if you think about it too hard, [[BellisariosMaxim so don't.]] Things would have gotten '''really''' crazy if his understudy had ever gone on.
117* ''Theatre/PrinceKaguya'': Creator/ShoutaAoi plays himself in the epilogue.
118[[/folder]]
119
120[[folder:Visual Novels]]
121* ''VisualNovel/{{Aquarium}}'': Aqua, Fubuki and Marine play themselves in a medieval setting. [[spoiler:The modern Aqua Minato's livestream is used at the end of the novel in a OrWasItADream segment.]] Notably, Fubuki being a token [[LittleBitBeastly fox girl]] isn't questioned and a sprite of Theo shows this isn't shared among the Francois family. She also keeps surname Shirakami in the story. The dialogues still imply they are siblings.
122[[/folder]]
123
124[[folder:Webcomics]]
125* ''Webcomic/HeroineChic'': Fashion designer protagonist Zoe Porter has a run-in with Christene Barberich (real life global editor-in-chief & co-founder of the women's media-entertainment company [=Refinery29=]) in [[https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/heroine-chic/chapter-26-going-in-style-season-1-finale/viewer?title_no=561&episode_no=30 Chapter 26,]] when Christene compliments Zoe's work. This appearance was part of a larger ProductPlacement partnership between the comic's creators and several fashion/ lifestyle brands.
126* In a rare non-live action example, Creator/AndrewHussie plays a somewhat plot significant role as himself in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}''. While he's still the one writing the comic, in many ways he's also part of the story itself. [[spoiler:[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou This includes]] [[AnyoneCanDie being able to die]].]]
127* This is invoked in ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'' when Grape decides to show Tarot a demonstration of healthy interactions between romantic interests. [[https://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/2019/03/20/make-like-your-name/ She plays Tarot, and she has Peanut play himself.]]
128-->'''Peanut:''' Woo, I get to be me!
129[[/folder]]
130
131[[folder:Web Original]]
132* In ''WebVideo/CommentaryTheMusical'', the entire cast is made up of cast and crew members playing versions of themselves.
133* Creator/BillMurray plays himself in ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPo9sCqza98 Fact Checkers Unit.]]''
134* In ''WebVideo/TheCultOfScratchwood'', both Matt Alden-Farrow and Bren Tenkage play fictionalized versions of themselves (though Alden-Farrow is only referred to as "Matt" in the show proper).
135* Kevin Baugh, president of the micronation Molossia, appeared as himself (and his alter ego Fritz von Baugh), in the Website/ChannelAwesome second year anniversary special, ''WebVideo/{{Kickassia}}''.
136** Creator/MaraWilson appeared as herself to punish WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic for mocking her work, and Creator/DonBluth has also made two guest appearances.
137* In ''WebVideo/AgentsOfCracked'', the two main characters are authors and editors of Cracked playing themselves. Dan O'Brien apparently plays a nerdier version of himself, when Michael Swaim plays a [[CloudCuckooLander kinda weird, sociopathic]] version of himself.
138* WebVideo/NyxCrossing's main trio is Josh, Frank, and Clint... played by Josh Medlock, Frank Levering, and Clint Bailey.
139* ''WebVideo/OnCinema'': A lot of the people who appear on the show, especially if they make more than one appearance, including [[Creator/TimAndEric TimHeidecker]], [[Creator/NeilHamburger GreggTurkington]], Creator/MarkProksch and Joe Estevez though they tend to play fictionalized versions of themselves.
140* ''Series/TheCryOfMann'': All of the ''Tanking Mann'' guests, being Sam Weiner, Taylor [=McCormic=], and Casper Kelly, were playing fictionalized versions of themselves.
141* ''Roleplay/NoPixel'': Jason "Jay" Mewes (of Film/TheViewAskewniverse) plays a criminal version of himself.
142* In the GrandFinale of ''A Crap Guide to [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'' by WebAnimation/JoCat, Creator/MatthewMercer cameos as himself to tell [=JoCrap=] that PoorCommunicationKills; the best way to get around problems at a D&D table is to talk to your players. [=JoCrap=] yells at Mercer that "nobody cares" what he thinks.
143* ''WebVideo/TitlePending'': In addition to everyone being satiric versions of themselves, "Cameron James" and "Gordon" are treated as roles other people can potentially take.
144[[/folder]]

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