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Actor Allusion vs Casting Gag

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IntrovertedGalaxy ourple (she/they/it) from somewhere in the USA Since: Jul, 2024 Relationship Status: Hugging my pillow
ourple (she/they/it)
#1: Sep 1st 2024 at 7:17:39 AM

What is the difference between Actor Allusion and Casting Gag? I always get these two tropes confused, especially because both tropes involve refrences to an actor’s previous role(s).

♫ we’re so miserable and stunning ♫ - fall out boy
fullmusicbard from Virgil, Texas Since: Aug, 2022 Relationship Status: Married to the music
#2: Sep 1st 2024 at 9:51:23 AM

I believe that a Casting Gag is when the part an actor is playing is parodying a past part or scandal, while Actor Allusion is them playing a character that's very different but still having a joke about a role they did?

EmeraldSource Since: Jan, 2021
#3: Sep 1st 2024 at 10:03:03 AM

Actor Allusion is when there is a brief reference to a past role. Casting Gag is when a role is cast with a particular gag in mind.

Thus, in the Spin City example Christopher Lloyd showing up is a Casting Gag for Lloyd, but an Actor Allusion for Michael J. Fox.

Edited by EmeraldSource on Sep 1st 2024 at 10:05:11 AM

Comics are just words and pictures. You can do anything with words and pictures.
eroock Since: Sep, 2012
#4: Sep 2nd 2024 at 1:35:13 AM

Check out the TRS crowner that improved the contrast between both tropes.

MorganWick (Elder Troper)
#5: Sep 2nd 2024 at 3:51:39 AM

This was brought up before on the duplicate tropes discussion thread. There wasn't much discussion at the time, though there was a comment that cleanup from past TRS may have been incomplete.

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