We’ve all seen it. The movie starts playing, there’s a familiar actor , then, we suddenly realize that the character they play is basically just them in real-life with a different story line. Some actors study and train to transform their personas into different people for demanding roles, while others keep playing the same character with almost the same personality as them. Whether it works for each fan or not, these actors have made a name for themselves when it comes to basically playing themselves in roles over and over again. People took to Reddit to reveal their top picks for actors that play themselves, and we’ve compiled 15 of our favorites.
1. Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd—fans loved him in Clueless, they adored him in Ant-Man and laughed with him in Anchorman. However, one Reddit user named alleycat356 wrote, “Although I’m a big fan of him, Paul Rudd plays the same lovable goofball in pretty much everything he’s in.” We simply must agree with the “lovable” part, because who doesn’t love them some Paul Rudd?
RELATED STORIES
2. Adam Sandler
This one isn’t exactly a shocker. Sandler has been the goofy guy in films, like Waterboy, The Wedding Singer and Big Daddy. It’s kind of his thing. Reddit user, hannahbananamontana2, wrotes, “No one even knows the names of the movies he’s in, there’s just ‘that one movie with Adam Sandler’ and his character is ‘Adam Sandler’s character.” While some know the names of his movies and others don’t, Sandler has a way of being a similar memorable character in every movie.
3. Awkwafina
Funny. Awkward. Raunchy. These are just a few words that people would use to describe Awkwafina, along with the characters she portrays. Whether it’s Crazy Rich Asians or Raya and the Last Dragon , she’s known for being loud and proud of who she is. Reddit user xy8lu wrote, “Even her own grandma said it’s like she isn’t acting, she’s just playing herself in her movies.” As they say, if it ain’t broke — Awkwafina gets to keep being herself in everything.
4. Samuel L. Jackson
Known for his shameless vulgarity, tough demeanor and overall coolness factor, Jackson has been the same badass we know and love pretty much in every movie. Reddit user, patrick_kim_2005, explained, “He [Jackson] plays the same role every time, but at least he plays that role well!” To be honest, it would be pretty weird to watch even on Jackson film without hearing a ton of profanity.
5. Sarah Jessica Parker
Parker became one of the most fabulous fashion icons in the hit-series Sex and the City as the columnist, Carrie Bradshaw. Bradshaw was funny, girly, and always had an eventful romantic life. Reddit user, abigaeljoyceanderson, wrote, “She’s been playing variations of Carrie Bradshaw since the ’90s.” That’s definitely not a problem for true SATC fans.
6. Jennifer Lopez
While Lopez’s main gig is being the singer we know and love, she’s delved into acting over the years. Especially, with romantic comedies that have garnered her a certain reputation for playing similar characters. One Reddit user named baobapanda wrote, “At least for the past 25 years or so. She was doing great with Selena and Out of Sight , but then came the rom-coms. I feel like she plays herself in all of those.” As long as JLo is true to herself in every role, we’re here for it.
7. Aubrey Plaza
She’s emo, monotone and slightly neurotic — Plaza knows how to fit into the mold for a very specific character. While she has many devoted fans, some people aren’t quite convinced of her acting abilities. User stevenpwright wrote on Reddit that “She seems like a lovely person, but she can’t act. It just seems like she speaks normally and sometimes shouts.” It looks like her “normal speaking voice” keeps getting her work, so good for Plaza.
8. Chris Pratt
Pratt is known for taking on funny and somewhat irresponsible character roles, but one Reddit user decided to do their own deep dive into his roles. User jbmasta wrote, “He only plays the guy who is seen as childish and usually has parent-related trauma. For example: Andy Dwyer, Peter Quill, Emmet, Barley Lightfoot.” Whether there’s truth to that or not, Pratt has quite the fandom that’s buying what he’s selling.
9. Denzel Washington
We know it’s serious when someone comes for a legacy like Washington, yet here we are. User petunia712 wrote, “Controversial, but if you take 30 seconds to reflect, you’ll know I’m right. He always, ALWAYS plays the arrogant and slightly-troubled lead who is waging an ongoing personal battle with his own hubris.” We’re not going to say they’re wrong, but we’re also not going to say they’re right.
10. Jack Black
There’s no mistaking his trademark mannerisms, his jokes, his voice and overall vibes. Jack Black is an entire mood, and he was been for years. No matter which film he’s in, he’s brings something distinct. User martinideercat wrote, “I struggled to enjoy his movies because it was just Jack Black being Jack Black in everything. I’ve come to appreciate that for what it is now.” There’s nothing wrong with a man who knows who his is in every role.
11. Johnny Depp
Without a doubt, Depp has a range of diverse roles, including a pirate, an evil barber, Willy Wonka, an evil wizard and more. Yet, for one Reddit user, he always comes back to one specific role. mariirodriguees35 explained, “He [Depp] always plays a version of Captain Jack Sparrow, which is also a caricature of himself.” All we can say is ‘aye aye captain’ to a
Depp claiming all of his roles.
12. Seth Rogen
It’s no secret, Rogen doesn’t veer to far from playing the failure to launch guy that’s kinda dirty, but usually has a great sense of humor. User masm2 wrote, “He always plays the annoying man-child who likes to swear a lot.” “Man-child” or not, it looks like Rogen knows what he niche is.
13. Ryan Reynolds
People adore Reynolds for being himself and bringing it when it comes to his roles. However, some are a noticing a pattern that they can’t help mentioning. MoonieNine explained, “I came here to say this. I like him, but he’s exactly the same in every movie.” The good thing is, people always have something consistent to look forward to in Ryan Reynolds films, which is Ryan Reynolds.
14. The Rock
He’s strong, but not afraid to make us laugh — even if his roles are a bit similar sometimes. When one user saw this Reddit thread, they immediately thought of this actor. User Light54145 received 14k likes for writing, “This is a callout post for The Rock isn’t it?” The numbers can’t lie and in this case, it looks like they’ve won this round.
15. Kevin Hart
Comedian and actor, Kevin Hart, is known for choosing roles similar that match his own comedic style, which means we see him in a lot of the same personas. User Caramel_Cappucino got 12.9k likes for writing, “Kevin Hart usually just plays ‘Kevin Hart With A Different Name.” As long as we get some of his signature moments, his roles will probably never get stale.
Let us know in the comments what you think of these 15 Reddit picks for actors that basically play themselves in each of their movies.
