Movies and TV shows are full of unique ideas. One unique concept involves actors playing fictionalized versions of themselves. While many stars have appeared in a cameo or supporting capacity in different projects, there are big-screen and small-screen projects where the entire premise revolves around exaggerated versions of these actors.
Thanks to such storylines, the stars are not only able to make fun of themselves, but they can also take creative versions of themselves to a whole new level. Such movies and shows are also a perfect blend of fictional characters and real-life individuals who the celebrities are similar to.
10 Kevin Hart Is An Action Hero In Die Hart
Quibi holds the record for the shortest-lived streaming service, but it does have a couple of amazing shows. One of those is Die Hart where Kevin Hart dreams of being one of the world’s greatest action stars. As such, he trains under the veteran actor John Wilcox (John Travolta).
Hart keeps the laughs coming by botching every training procedure and dishing out offbeat lines of dialogue. As executive producer, the comedian also deserves credit for coming up with a rather creative title. "Die Hart" is a nod to the classic ‘80s action film starring Bruce Willis and is also fitting for the show’s premise. Additionally, Travolta proves that he still has what it takes to be a leading man.
9 Paul Giamatti Is Part Of A Groundbreaking Scientific Procedure In Cold Souls
Having remained underrated for years, Paul Giamatti has finally achieved superstardom thanks to his incredible performances as the billionaire-hunting Chuck Rhoades in Billions. Before the breakout role, he still felt famous enough to play himself in a movie, so Cold Souls was born.
In the comedy-drama, Paul’s mind and soul keep sparring inside his head until he learns about a new clinical procedure that can remove someone’s soul from their body. The events become more mind-blowing when Cold Souls drifts into an organ trafficking plot. A Russian mule steals Paul’s soul and gives it to a client, who ends up becoming a better actor than the protagonist. This specific outcome serves as a criticism of incontrollable human desire and humanity's lack of patience.
8 Larry David Is Extremely Self-Centered In Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm runs with the idea of retiring after achieving one’s dreams. In what has now become one of HBO’s longest-running shows, Larry David decides to take it easy after finding success with Seinfeld. While at it, he becomes lazy, mean, and unreasonable.
The long list of celebrity cameos makes Curb Your Enthusiasm feel very real, but the ridiculousness of each scene reminds viewers that most of what’s happening is fiction. Furthermore, Larry David’s ability to juggle being annoying and endearing is fun to watch, as are the various reactions of his family and friends.
7 Nicolas Cage Gets A CIA Gig In The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent
Nicolas Cage has been happy to stay in the B-movie lane over the past couple of years. However, in 2022, he made a return to the blockbuster field with the critically acclaimed action-comedy, The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent. The plot mocks the fact that Cage is no longer an A-lister by having him accept a low-paying job offer from a wealthy fan.
A lot could be built on this premise, but The Unbearable Weight veers into espionage territory when the CIA hires Cage to take down the fan, who's a suspected arms trafficker. Plenty of memorable one-liners and references to Cage’s other movies are sprinkled throughout the movie. Tiffany Haddish and Pedro Pascal give outstanding performances, making The Unbearable Weight one of the best movies in Nicolas Cage’s long filmography.
6 David Hasselhoff Heads Back Home In Hoff The Record
David Hasselhoff’s Baywatch glory days are behind him, and he acknowledges that in the appropriately titled, Hoff The Record. His first move is relocating to the UK, but he struggles to get any meaningful opportunities there.
From appearing in low-paying commercials to becoming a UN goodwill ambassador, Hasselhoff becomes a jack-of-all-trades. However, his woes keep accumulating. Nonetheless, the comedic tone is maintained, resulting in an overall feel-good series. Sadly, Hoff The Record is a short-lived show, totaling only 12 episodes across two seasons.
5 Joaquin Phoenix Is A Musician In I’m Still Here
Joaquin Phoenix is now firmly among the Hollywood elite thanks to his status as one of the best Joker actors. Nevertheless, his post-Gladiator career in the 2000s wasn't so stable. He made fun of his own predicaments in I'm Still Here, which sees him quit acting to be a rapper.
In I’m Still Here, Phoenix isn’t afraid of diving into the crass and the gross. He does drugs, is intimate with colleagues, abuses people, and comes up with shocking lyrics. Still, the use of a documentary-style format makes the spoof film feel very real, especially as a major hip-hop figure (P. Diddy) has a recurring role.
4 Van Damme Is In Top Comical Form In Jean-Claude Van Johnson
Before Nicolas Cage made The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, his fellow ‘90s star, Jean-Claude Van Damme, also played a fictionalized version of himself. Jean-Claude Van Johnson takes fans to an alternate world where Van Damme is actually a spy and his movie career is just a cover.
Though Van Damme's past movies have shown that he is funny, nowhere else does the actor make fans laugh than in the Amazon Prime Video series. Juggling between spy work and acting is frustrating for him. Defined by his emotional fragility, the actor delivers plenty of chucklesome moments as he references his own movies and lashes out at those who don’t know who he is.
3 Being John Malkovich Is A Keen Look At Mind Exploration
Veteran actor John Malkovich’s self-parody movie, Being John Malkovich, is a creative film. It involves a puppeteer who finds a portal that leads him to the Hollywood star’s mind. Hit with the opportunistic bug, he decides to sell his experiences for profit.
Thanks to a star-studded cast that includes Cameron Diaz, John Cusack, and Octavia Spencer, the performances remain impressive throughout Being John Malkovich. Additionally, the surprise cameos from Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and David Fincher give fans a reason to smile while serving as a reminder that Malkovich is indeed a big deal.
2 This Is The End’s Ensemble Cast Doesn’t Disappoint
Instead of having one actor playing a fictionalized version of themselves, This Is The End has several. The plot revolves around Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Danny McBride, and Michael Cera as they fight for survival during a series of apocalyptic events.
The abundance of famous and talented faces in This Is The End makes every scene hilarious. The mayhem-riddled plot also allows for plenty of audacious moments from the cast, most of which come off as improvised rather than scripted. Better yet, none of the stars gets overshadowed by the other.
1 Bruce Campbell Fights A Monster In My Name Is Bruce
My Name Is Bruce is the most specific semi-fictionalized movie because Bruce Campbell’s character mirrors the one he plays in the Evil Dead franchise. In My Name Is Bruce, a group of fans kidnaps Bruce Campbell. They hope that he can help them fight a monster like he does in Evil Dead, but he struggles.
A huge chunk of My Name Is Bruce’s humor comes from Bruce’s fans. They are especially disappointed when they realize he can’t do most of the things he does in his horror movie. As such, he becomes more of a scream king than a badass action hero. There are plenty of funny running gags in the film, notably when a painter keeps repainting a population sign whenever someone gets killed.