Cases of mistaken identity – both accidental and purposefully plotted– are nothing new. Characters pretending to be other people dates back to Shakespeare, the Old Testament, and other things that are impossible to read. But who needs to read? There are plenty of characters-playing-characters on TV. Below, we’ve listed some of our TV alter egos, from shows ranging from “Arrested Development” to “Seinfeld.” It’s our list of 10 Greatest TV Characters Pretending To Be Someone Else. Help yourself, dear readers– if that indeed is your real name.
10. Steve Urkel/Stefan Urquelle, “Family Matters”
Super-brainy “Family Matters” nerd Steve Urkel first transformed into the suave Stefan Urquelle using a DNA-changing serum of his own creation called Cool Juice. Stefan eventually became a separate entity, after Urkel cloned himself and… screw it. Do The Urkel!
9. Kip/Buffy and Henry/Hildegarde, “Bosom Buddies”
Kip and Henry dress in drag as Buffy and Hildy in order to live in a female boarding house and mack on Donna Dixon. “Bosom Buddies” made Tom Hanks a star and Peter Scolari, um… not so much. We love Peter Scolari, though. We are totally on Team Scolari.
8. Harry Monroe/Darnell “Crabman” Turner, “My Name Is Earl”
Simple, good-natured Darnell (“Crabman” to Earl) actually turned out to be the world’s best assassin Harry Monroe, who had been placed in witness protection after failing to assassinate a child leader and testifying against his employers. Yeah, we know. We stopped watching after the first season, too.
7. Jack Tripper/Austin From Texas, “Three’s Company”
Jack pretends to be his own made-up twin brother, “Austin from Texas,” in order to date Mr. Furley’s niece. Because Mr. Furley thought Jack was gay, remember? This episode winds up with a drunk Furley demanding that the “feuding” Jack and Austin sit right beside him and… screw it. Do The Urkel!
6. Phoebe Buffay/Regina Phalange, “Friends”
Regina Phalange was Phoebe’s go-to fake persona. You never know when you are going to need a fake persona when you are hanging out with your friends… it’s the ’90s… you love Central Perk… Ross has a pet monkey, etc. A “phalange” could even be a made-up thing, in addition to a made-up person. Phoebe once delayed Rachel’s plane to Paris by telling airport authorities there was a problem with “the left phalange.”
5. Remington Steele/”Remington Steele”
Nobody wants to hire Stephanie Zimbalist to solve their crimes! So Stephanie Zimbalist makes up a fictional private detective employer named Remington Steele. Then con man Pierce Brosnan shows up to impersonate Steele, fight/flirt with Stephanie Zimbalist, and cause us to suffer through two Timothy Dalton “James Bond” movies. Wikipedia says we never learned Pierce Brosnan’s character’s real name. Let’s make one up. “Petey.”
4. Norm Peterson/Anton Kreitzer, “Cheers”
In the 1989 “Cheers” episode “The Two Faces Of Norm,” good-natured painting contractor/lovable barfly Norm has trouble managing his newly-hired employees. They are no-good loafers! So he invents a mean ol’ imaginary boss named Kreitzer who yells at them, like, “Get to work, loafers!” He only does it over the phone. Then the employees want to beat Kreitzer up. Eventually, Norm learns that it’s wrong to invent bosses and scream at painters in put-on voices and goes back to drinking beer. “Cheers” is the greatest.
3. Cosmo Kramer/H.E. Pennypacker and George Costanza/Art Vandelay, “Seinfeld”
H.E. Pennypacker was Kramer’s alias when up to no-good Kramer-esque schemes. Art Vandelay was used by George, when attempting to pull off his equally no-good, slightly more pathetic Costanza-esque schemes. In the clip below, “Pennypacker” meets “Vandelay,”,plus Jerry’s less frequently used alter ego, Kel Varnsen. Historic.
2. Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana, “Hannah Montana”
If you don’t know the plot of “Hannah Montana” by now, you either don’t have cable, are not a pre-teen girl or are not a pedophile. Congratulations on all three.
1. Tobias Funke/Mrs. Featherbottom, “Arrested Development”
After moving out of the Bluth model home, Tobias concocts the Mrs. Featherbottom persona in order to see his family and prove to estranged wife Lindsay that he is an awesome actor. Yes, Tobias just steals the plot from “Mrs. Doubtfire” while somehow managing to be much funnier than Mrs. Doubtfire. Somebody should give David Cross a weekly half-hour to just do physical comedy. He’s amazing at it.
You may also enjoy ridiculous vampires or ridiculous comic books based on TV shows. If not, please send all complaints to Vandelay Industries.
Comments