Is it normal for actors to name their characters?
In this question it says Will Smith named his character because, if people were going to remember his character's name then it may as well be the same of his work...
Alfonso remarked that Will had to be careful in naming his character, as people would refer to him in public by that name for the rest of his life, and suggested that he name the character "Will Smith".
I thought that most shows created a character and then sought a cast who could play them. Is it common for cast members to name their own characters?
Best Answer
It is extremely rare for actors to get to name their characters. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is the exception. According to Wikipedia, NBC approached Will Smith, who was already a popular rapper. Since this would be a flagship project featuring him, he was involved in the development of the project - including selecting his character's name.
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Why do some actors play characters with their name?
In drama an actor is trying to convince they audience that they are a particular character, in situation comedies the lead is often selling the audience on their own personality and style.Why do some actors get with before their name?
Normally "with" is for actors who are notable but not necessarily top billing in the particular movie. For example, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman in "See Me Now 2" .. they were not the major characters but they are more famous than the other cast members.Which actors have the same name as their character?
Movies where an actor plays a character with the same/similar name?- There Will Be Blood- Daniel (Day-Lewis, Plainview)
- Moon- Sam (Rockwell, Bell)
- The Shining- Jack (Nicholson, Torrance) and Danny (Lloyd, Torrance)
- Children of Men- Julian(ne) (Moore, last name not specified)
- Heat- (Danny, first name not specified) Trejo.
What is it called when an actor becomes their character?
In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups.7 Times WWE Wrestlers Accidentally Said Their Real Names on TV
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Answer 2
It is uncommon, but not extremely rare as Brett says. A user on IMDB has even made a list of those kind of shows.
Usually the star is already pretty popular before the show begins production, and the showmakers use the name of the star to promote the show.
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