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Poll: Did They Even Act?

A poll by ur44797245.
All these actors are playing roles that have a strong resemblance to the public perception of their real lives or parts where they find themselves in situations that mirror their reality at the moment of filming very closely.

Which of the performances makes you wonder the most if the actor in question had to act at all when he/she took on that particular part?

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  1. Vote!

    #1

    PETER O'TOOLE in "MY FAVORITE YEAR" - as the legendary hellraiser of Scottish and Irish descent Alan Swann - O'Toole himself was known for his heavy drinking and erratic behaviour, including climbing the walls of public buildings in his younger days. And he was, of course, of Irish and Scottish descent.
  2. Vote!

    Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in Notting Hill (1999)

    JULIA ROBERTS in "NOTTING HILL" - as Anna Scott, the Hollywood superstar who has a hard time to get away from the paparazzi
  3. Vote!

    #3

    ELIZABETH TAYLOR in "THE MIRROR CRACK'D" - as the film star and neurotic diva Marina Gregg
  4. Vote!

    Woody Allen in Annie Hall (1977)

    WOODY ALLEN in "ANNIE HALL" - as the neurotic New York comedian Alvy Singer
  5. Vote!

    Diane Keaton in Annie Hall (1977)

    DIANE KEATON in "ANNIE HALL" - as the artistic, self-deprecating, sometimes awkward Annie Hall with singing aspirations and her own sense of fashion (by pbn)
  6. Vote!

    White Nights (1985)

    MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV in "WHITE NIGHTS" - as Nikolai Rodchenko, the Russian ballet dancer from the Cold War era, who has defected to the West, as had ballet legend Baryshnikov himself
  7. Vote!

    Mathew Minami (left) and Bill Murray (right)

    BILL MURRAY in "LOST IN TRANSLATION" - as the faded middle aged movie star Bob Harris staying in an anonymous hotel far from home in a foreign country.(suggested bysheetsadam1)
  8. Vote!

    Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard (1992)

    WHITNEY HOUSTON in "THE BODYGUARD" - as pop star Rachel Marron, exactly the kind of star Houston was in real life. (suggested by ElMaruecan82)
  9. Vote!

    Steve McQueen "LeMans" 1971 Solar

    STEVE MCQUEEN in "LE MANS" - as the racing driver Michael Delaney in the 24 hour endurance race in Le Mans. McQueen was a car-racing fanatic and owned a Porsche 908 which he drove in the 12 Hours of Sebring's 1970 edition with professional driver Peter Revson, where they finished a close second.
  10. Vote!

    Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson in A Star Is Born (1976)

    BARBRA STREISAND in "A STAR IS BORN" - as Esther Hoffman, a young, up-and-coming songstress
  11. Vote!

    Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson in A Star Is Born (1976)

    KRIS KRISTOFFERSON in "A STAR IS BORN" - as the established rock star John Norman Howard
  12. Vote!

    Mel Brooks

    MEL BROOKS in "SILENT MOVIE" - as the film director Mel Funn in his endeavour to make a silent movie. Brooks was directing the film as well as starring in it, and the film in question is a silent movie.
  13. Vote!

    5734-32 "Paris When It Sizzles" Audrey Hepburn and William Holden 1963 Paramount

    WILLIAM HOLDEN in "PARIS - WHEN IT SIZZLES" - as the alcoholic Rick, whose work seriously suffers because of his drinking habits. According to trivia the actor "was forced to enter an alcoholic clinic in the middle of filming."
  14. Vote!

    Simon Callow, John Hannah, and Charlotte Coleman in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

    SIMON CALLOW in "FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL" - as the charismatic and openly gay Gareth. Callow was one of the first actors to publicly come out. He did so in 1984 in his book "Being An Actor".
  15. Vote!

    #15

    BORIS KARLOFF in "TARGETS" - as the actor Byron Orlocks, an ageing horror legend nearing retirement. Karloff is most widely known for his parts in horror films.
  16. Vote!

    Drew Barrymore in Irreconcilable Differences (1984)

    DREW BARRYMORE in "IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES" - as Casey Brodsky, the precocious young daughter of a dysfunctional Hollywood showbiz family. Barrymore's legal emancipation from her parents came several years after the film though and is said to be inspired by the events in the film.
  17. Vote!

    Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis in The King of Comedy (1982)

    JERRY LEWIS in "THE KING OF COMEDY" - as Jerry Langford, a successful comedian who values his privacy. Lewis is known to keep people who interview him on a short leash, give short answers and even end the interview entirely if they approach certain topics. (by sheetsadam1)
  18. Vote!

    Steven Seagal in On Deadly Ground (1994)

    STEVEN SEGAL in "ON DEADLY GROUND" - as the martial artist/environmental agent Forrest Taft. Seagal himself is known for his martial arts skills and his engagement for the environment.
  19. Vote!

    Barbara Hershey

    BARBARA HERSHEY in "THE STUNT MAN" - as Nina Franklin, the actress who has to obey the film director's every wish and whim. The fictional director in the film, Eli Cross, may be worse than most real ones, but the parallels to real life are obvious...
  20. Vote!

    Steve Railsback in The Stunt Man (1980)

    STEVE RAILSBACK in "THE STUNT MAN" - as Cameron, the young man who finds himself learning how to do dangerous stunts and then performing them on the set of a film. Railsback did have to do some of the stunts shown, and did learn them from real stunt man who basically plays himself in the film.
  21. Vote!

    Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, and Matthew Modine in Full Metal Jacket (1987)

    R. LEE ERMEY in "FULL METAL JACKET" - as Gny. Sgt. Hartman. Ermey actually was a former drill sergeant brought on as a consultant for the movie, who ended up being so good he was cast in the role and allowed to ad-lib all his lines. (by john-hitchcock)
  22. Vote!

    Richard Farnsworth in The Straight Story (1999)

    RICHARD FANSWORTH in "THE STRAIGHT STORY" - as Alvin who has a lot of physical problems, especially with his hip, which make walking difficult. Fansworth faced many of these physical problems himself during the filming.(by john-hitchcock)
  23. Vote!

    Butch McCain, Bruce Campbell, Dan Hicks, Ben McCain, Timothy Patrick Quill, and Taylor Sharpe in My Name Is Bruce (2007)

    BRUCE CAMPBELL in "MY NAME IS BRUCE" - as a cocky, high-on-himself B-movie actor with a noticeable cult following, particularly for his part as Ash in the EVIL DEAD movies, who suddenly finds himself facing a real life monster after an obsessive fan decides that only he can save their town and kidnaps him there. (by cartman_1337)
  24. Vote!

    #24

    DOLLY PARTON in "RHINESTONE" - as the aspiring country western singer Jake Farris. The parallels to real life are obvious, Parton being a well-known country western singer herself. (suggested bysheetsadam1)
  25. Vote!

    Elvis Presley in "Loving You," Paramount, 1957.

    ELVIS PRESLEY in "LOVING YOU" - as the talented young country-western musician Deke Rivers on his way from discovery to fame and fortune. Presley himself was, of course, a young and famous musical performer at the time. (suggested bysheetsadam1)
  26. Vote!

    John Wayne and James Stewart, portrait for "The Shootist," 1972. Vintage silver gelatin, 14x11, signed. $900 © 1978 David Sutton MPTV

    JOHN WAYNE in "THE SHOOTIST" - as J.B. Books, an ageing man dying from cancer. Wayne was already in bad health at the time of filming, though not yet diagnosed with cancer, and did die of cancer only a few years later.
  27. Vote!

    #27

    W.C. FIELDS in "NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK" - as The Great One who goes to Esoteric Studios to sell a screen story. W.C. Fields was a well known screen writer himself. (by horn-5)
  28. Vote!

    John Barrymore 6/6/39

    JOHN BARRYMORE in "THE GREAT PROFILE" - as Evans Garrick, as the famous actor given to drink, who nearly destroys the show. Actor John Barrymore was known to be a heavy drinker, and his nickname was "The Great Profile". (by horn-5)
  29. Vote!

    Lupe Velez

    LUPE VELEZ in "THE GIRL FROM MEXICO" - as the Mexican movie star Carmelita Fuentes. Velez herself was Mexican born and a movie star. (by horn-5)

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