MovieChat Forums > The Nanny (1993) Discussion > Why create a character with the same fir...

Why create a character with the same first name?

posted 8 years ago by number9-4
20 replies | jump to latest

I've never understood this phenomenon. There's Fran Fine/Drescher, Andy Taylor/Griffith, Steve Harvey/Hightower, Reba McIntire/whatever her character's last name was on "Reba" (and I think even on the canceled "Malibu Country," her character also was named Reba), Ellen Degeneres/Morgan, and probably a bunch more I'm forgetting.

Why do actors (or producers -- whoever comes up with the idea) do this? If the character is supposed to be an extension of their real-life personality, why is it so important they still have the same first name (but not same last name)? It's just odd and kind of confusing, to me.

Has anyone ever heard someone affiliated with any of these shows explain why they do that?

[–] NobodymournstheWicked 8 years ago

I don't know either but that just seem to be a popular thing to do, there is one I can think of that you are forgetting Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy.

[–] kristen1165 8 years ago

Reba Hart was her name.

[–] furienna 8 years ago

Will Smith even kept his last name too on "Fresh Prince". They changed his full first name though, from Willard to William.

Tia and Tamera Mowry were Tia Landy and Tamera Campbell on "Sister, Sister".

Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell were Kenan Rockmore and Kel Kimble on "Kenan & Kel".

Ray Romano was Raymond Barone on "Everybody loves Raymond".

Michael J Fox was Mike Flaherty on "Spin City".

Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen were Ashley and Mary-Kate Burke on "Two of a kind".

Raven Symoné was Raven Baxter on "That's so Raven".

And I believe that Charlie Sheen has been Charlie Something on at least three different sitcoms.

Intelligence and purity.

[–] number9-4 8 years ago

Wow, there are a lot that I forgot about! Makes me wonder even more now...

[–] soap1022 8 years ago

George Lopez

[–] kristen1165 8 years ago

Also:

Roseanne Barr- Roseanne Conner
Lucille Ball- Lucy Ricardo
Mary Tyler Moore- Mary Richards
Ted Knight- Ted Baxter
Tony Danza- Tony in multiple shows
Woody Harrelson- Woody Boyd
Andy Griffith- Andy Taylor
Tim Allan- Tim Taylor
Cybil Shepherd- Cybli Sheritan
Tracy Morgan- Tracy Jordan

[–] PaladinNJ (21510) a year ago

I don't know if it's true, but I've heard that Tony Danza has his characters named Tony most of the time because eventually he stops responding when people use other names. Could it be a learning disability?

[–] pgabbyxxzz 8 years ago

Miley Cyrus was Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana

[–] Xarabe 8 years ago

To me, it's to differentiate the character from the real life person but still retain the idea that they are similar to the actor.

[–] NobodymournstheWicked 8 years ago

I would have to say you are right, and would it be right for a lot of people to play themselves in a tv show other then of course Jerry Seinfeld

[–] number9-4 8 years ago

To me, it's to differentiate the character from the real life person but still retain the idea that they are similar to the actor.

That's what I figured, but I still think it's kind of strange. What's funny is that some people get accused of bad acting because they supposedly just act like themselves and don't change their demeanor at all for the character. So I guess you could get away with that if you just called the character your same name!

[–] fairy-3 8 years ago

why not?

[–] NobodymournstheWicked 8 years ago

That is a good question but it might also seem like it has been done to death

[–] roberts_4427 8 years ago

I know Vivian Vance said that she wished her character had been named Vivian on I Love Lucy because it was very annoying to be called Ethel for the rest of her life. Fans have a tendency to not be able to separate the character from the actor.

[–] Manna-Fest 8 years ago

Yep, and that's why when she returned for "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy" both of her characters ended up being named "Vivian". But this wouldn't help since she would ALWAYS be remembered as Ethel. "I Love Lucy" was just too huge of a show for her to think going by her real name on the other Lucy shows (where her role and fame wasn't even that big compared to ILL anyway) will change how people label her.

[–] number9-4 8 years ago

I know Vivian Vance said that she wished her character had been named Vivian on I Love Lucy because it was very annoying to be called Ethel for the rest of her life.

That's an interesting point. Though in Fran's case, she probably still gets called, "The Nanny" instead of "Fran" a lot of the time.

[–] Manna-Fest 8 years ago

I guess because the actors feel comfortable still being referred to by their first names as opposed to a different one even when acting. I know if I was starring in a show, I'd want to use my real name. It's just simpler and then you don't have to deal with some one making a mistake addressing you by a different name. The user above me who makes the point about Vivian Vance is pretty much the idea here.