The Same-ish Names

Not twinsies, but at least cousinsies.

Sep 10, 2023

Don Hauptman shared his book proposal with me on the topic of “The Same Name Game,” and added, “For me, the most fun lies in the punny and otherwise weird instances, such as Henry Gibson/Henrik Ibsen.” Well, Don, today’s installment should be a fun one!

All this also puts me in mind of the exchange from Friends I’ve embedded below. Its central punchline relates to two rhyming names: 1977-1982 TV series Lou Grant—kind of a dated reference to put in the mouth of a twentysomething, even when this episode first aired—and the more contemporary romcom star Hugh Grant. (And it’s not the only aspect of this clip that feels dated now, but that’s another talk.)

As well received as Lou Grant was in its day, modern comedy writers should probably be looking for more recent show-biz references. Like these…

Sounds Close

Tom Holland is an actor known for portraying Spider-Man in more films than anyone else. Tom Hollander is an actor probably best known as a Pirates of the Caribbean villain.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is creator and star of the TV series Fleabag and creator of Killing Eve; she also appeared in this year’s Indiana Jones movie. Phoebe Bridgers is an indie rock star with four Grammy nominations. Waller-Bridge directed the video for Bridgers’ “Savior Complex,” shown below.
Robin Williams was a stand-up comedian and actor known for lightning-quick impressions. Robbie Williams is a singer-songwriter who found early fame with Take That before going his own way: his biggest hit is “Angels.”
Jay-Z is one of the world’s most famous rappers. He resides in California. G-Eazy is California’s most famous white rapper. This is not a coincidence: G-Eazy is a huge Jay-Z fan, and Jay-Z once greeted him by rapping G-Eazy’s own lyrics.
Annie Lennox is a singer best known for her time with the Eurythmics. Ari Lennox is an R&B singer who’s come on strong in the last few years, the first female artist to be signed to J. Cole’s label.
Halle Berry was the first Black actress to win a Best Actress Oscar: she’s had many other roles and has made a recent push toward directing. Halle Bailey is a Black actress who took the title role in The Little Mermaid and appeared in the TV series Grown-ish.
Chris Columbus has directed Home Alone and Harry Potter films, as well as Pixels. You may have heard of Christopher Columbus, the explorer.
Kurt Cobain was the singer behind Nirvana who expanded what we think about when we think about rock music. Kirko Bangz, named for Kurt, is a rapper best known for “Drank in My Cup.”
Sasha Cohen was a figure skater who did a stint as an actress, combining the two talents for Blades of Glory. (Retired from both fields, she now works at Morgan Stanley.) Sacha Baron Cohen is a comedian and actor known for personas like Borat, Bruno, and Ali G.
Mike Myers is an actor and moviemaker best known for his Austin Powers and Shrek performances. Michael Myers is the masked serial killer from the Halloween movies. (And the sole fictional character on this list.)
Will Ferrell is a comic actor in Anchorman and Barbie, among others. Pharell Williams, not quite Ferrell’s spoonerism, is a rapper best known for “Happy.”
Christian Bale is an actor in American Psycho, Batman movies, and Thor: Love and Thunder. Kristen Bell is an actress in The Good Place, the Frozen films, and Veronica Mars.
Feel free to let me know what I missed!