A few days ago (or was it weeks? or maybe 2011?) a reader sent me the above graphic, along with an email saying my secret past had been discovered.
Ha! I wish I’d been that hip in 1977. I was 14 years old then, zit-spangled, and about as doofus dumbass as they come. I was a long way away from playing guitar in the Talking Heads.
That being said, though… There is a slight resemblance, huh? The unfortunate hair atop the triangular head… I see what he’s saying. And it’s a new one, too. Nobody has ever told me I look like Jerry Harrison. So, I appreciate the originality.
I have been told, by more than one person, that I resemble Adam Clayton from U2. Indeed, I’ve seen photos of the band during the early days, and wondered, for a split-second: “When did I hang out with Bono and The Edge? I don’t remember this, at all!”
Below is a photo of me actually hanging out with Iggy Pop, during the early 1990s. And I use the term “hanging out” loosely; there’s a photographer from Virgin Records standing behind the camera, and a handler periodically hollering NEXT!
In any case, this was when I was being told I look like Adam Clayton the most. Please note: I was not suffering from glaucoma, or any other debilitating eye diseases; those were just my regular everyday glasses. How I was ever able to convince living, breathing women to have sex with me is a mystery that will likely outlast us all.
Here are a couple of early photos featuring Adam Clayton. They’re not the greatest, but you’ll get the idea. There’s a legitimate resemblance, I think. Even beyond the ludicrous eyewear.
For the record: I showed my dad the Iggy photo a million years ago, and he shouted, “Good god! Who’s that old wino?!” And I answered, “Dad, that’s me.” Comedy!
An ex-girlfriend used to say I look like Lou Reed, but I don’t know… I suspect she was just trying to justify things inside her own mind. “At least if I’m really drunk and squint a lot, there’s a slight resemblance to Lou Reed. It’s a little something to hang onto, until things turn around for me…”
Beyond the many, many rock stars I’ve been told I resemble, here’s one I discovered on my own — years ago, while renewing my driver’s license. In case you don’t recognize him, that’s Mohamed Atta, one of the 9/11 ringleaders (died suddenly at work). Fantastic. I think I’ll stick with Jerry Harrison, thank you very much.
Now it’s your turn. In the comments, please tell us which celebs your friends have said you resemble. Do you agree with them? Please bring us up to date on this important matter.
And I’ll see you guys again soon.
Have a great day!
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I have been told I look like the captain o the white football team from remember the titans, ok with that I guess….
Mostly told that I look like Conan O’Brien. In my younger days, it was Anthony Michael Hall.
And some say I look like the actor who was the jerk off TV reporter in the original Die Hard movie. IMDB states his name is William Atherton.
I’m told at least once a month that I look like Wendi McClendon Covey (Clementine on Reno 911). I teach at a high school, and some of the kids a few years ago even called me “Deputy Hyde.” It’s legitimate. I definitely see the resemblance.
This post made me laugh a lot. The last one (Mohammed Atta) was the best. Well, at least you don’t look (or dance, hopefully) like David Byrne.
But he does wear a rather similar shirt.
Joe T, why is your avatar a picture of Paul Shaffer?
I was told I look like Richard Gere when I was a teenager and he was in his 40’s… Since then I’ve been told I look like James Spader in my fatter days. I took offense to both.
I have been told Katie Holmes, Rachel Weisz, Katharine Mcphee. I can see it a little bit I guess but not really.
……….eerrrr Shaun Cassidy when I was a teenager…seemed to work for the girls!
My wife says I resemble Rob Lowe. I’m probably more of a white trash Rob Lowe with cable.
Many years ago, when I was 21, someone told me I look like Dana Delaney, and I can definitely understand that comparison.
I often get stopped on the street and asked if I am MTV’s Duff.
Well, there IS a resemblance. By the way, Model Patient was terrific.
John
This was the most amusing update in quite a while. (I remember when updates of this caliber came about five days a week. [Not complainin’, just reminiscing.])
In the photo of Jeff and Iggy, it looks like Iggy is wishing for someone to god damn hurry up and invent the smart phone so he could be texting while having to sit in the cavalcade of photo-ops
Thank God they’d already invented heroin.
jtb
Jeff has his hand in the couch looking for loose change.
Been told will farrel. When I was bald the lead singer from the president’s of the United States of america.
So far, the comments have a case of what the social scientists call selection bias. The heartthrob men with Harrison Ford smiles and the dazzling damsels with Mexican cantaloupe breasts are more likely to respond before folks like me who resemble Karl Marx more than Richard Marx.
No pejorative intent. I’m just saying . . .
John
By the way, give Das Kapital a quick read if you get a chance. It’s a page-turner and hooch.
In my younger long-haired days I looked like Kenny G. So no heart throb there.
Janis Joplin. If I had a quarter for every time between about 1979 and 1990 random people would just walk up to me and say things like, “Has anyone ever told you you look JUST like … ” I would overhear people whispering and pointing and saying, “Well, maybe it WAS a hoax.”
I used to get David Cross a lot, back in my mid-late twenties, especially when I didn’t shave my head on time. I wish I had photos from back then so you could judge accordingly/laugh appropriately, whatever your choice is.
Jason Alexander near the end of Seinfeld’s run, not the early seasons when he was slightly thinner with more hair. My self esteem is pretty much the same too.
This is weird but I’ve had two totally unrelated people tell me I remind them of Toni Collette (United States of Tara). Both times I called bullshit and they both explained that everything about me reminded them of Toni not that I looked like her. I took it as a compliment because she was great in Tara.
Some asshat soliciting MCI phone plans in the mid-80’s told me I looked like Karen Valentine. She wasn’t even remotely popular at the time unless you remembered the tv show Room 222 from a decade earlier, so I don’t know what he was trying to accomplish. And I have one of those faces that people think they know me. – I have that “you look familiar” kind if mug.
I must have one of those “familiar faces” too. Not anybody particularly famous, just familiar. People think they know me all the time. I just tell them they probably saw me on the wall at the post office!
Jeff–everybody wore those types of glasses back then, present company included. Ain’t no shame wearing “birth control glasses” back in the day!
I’ve been told I look like John Holmes – from the waist down.
Yeah, I know a lot of liars.
I’ve been told that I look like Malcolm Young. I take it as a compliment that I still manage (at my age) to look like a 70s longhaired juvenile delinquent.
in my teen years it was Matt Dillon
now its Ronnie Wood…
If you look like Ronnie wood now, I have one piece of advice: Eat something!
zit spangled. roflmfao!
I get told I look like Howie Long all the time. I am only 5’9″ and he is probably 6′”5. Must be the hair.
Fat Drew Carey, including the glasses.
Yeah, same here. Fat Drew without the money.
I am often told that I resemble a mixture of Lil Wayne and Wayne Newton.
That would make you “Lil Newton”. At least, that’s how I fig-ure it. 8^)
Back before he fell off the horse, people used to say I looked like Christopher Reeves. There was some resemblance. Now I’ve gained some weight and he’s gained some death, so not anymore.
.
A few people have told me that I look like Jack Nicholson, which sucks since I am 50 and he is about 75.
Must be my hairline. Yea, I’ll stick with that.
I had a guy come up to me in a grocery store once and ask for my autograph. He thought I was Kyle Petty. I also once had a girl tell me I looked like James Hetfield (around the And Justice For all… time period).
George Wendt. I suspect they mean from the neck down, the bastards…..
I’ve been told I look like Bill Clinton every now and then, and I really don’t, except that we are both caucasion men with gray hair. Also, I once had an older lady tell me with some excitement that I looked “just like Jerry Springer!” Once again, I really don’t. I actually look like the unholy love-child of Elton John and Donovan. Sorta.
Julia Stiles, which ten years ago I could kind of see, and Christina Ricci. I don’t look like her at all, I think saying that I did was just a polite way of saying pointing out that I’m very pale with a large forehead.
Years ago I was told I resembled Tom Hanks. But only when he played Forrest Gump.
In high school I was told I looked like Bud Cort when we watched that Harold & Maude movie. Thank god our looks have diverged since then.
A little later I occasionally got Eric Stoltz, but not the deformed version.
More recently I’ve gotten Al Pacino (don’t see it), Paul Giamatti (also don’t see it) and Zach Galifanakis. That last one has inspired me to keep my beard trimmed down ever since.
I used get that I looked like a young Sharon Stone.
I’m only familiar with old Sharon Stone so I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
I’ve googled it, and I’m not sure I agree with them.
No other celebrity look-a-likes that I know of.
Limerick were victorious today in a seven goal thriller in Wexford Park with a late Seanie O’Brien point enough for victory and put Limerick in a great position for promotion to Division 1A.
Box Score:
Wexford: M Fanning; L Ryan, T Waters, E Moore; P Foley, M O’Hanlon, L Chin; D Redmond (0-2), D O’Keeffe (0-1); H Kehoe (0-1), D Waters, I Byrne (0-2); P Morris (0-3), J Guiney (1-6, 0-6 frees), L Og McGovern (2-1). Subs: C McDonald for Morris (46); P Doran (0-2) for Byrne (54).
Limerick: N Quaid; S Walsh, R McCarthy, S Hickey; C Allis, W McNamara (0-1), D Morrissey; J Ryan, P Browne; J Fitzgibbon (1-2), D O’Grady, D Hannon (1-3); D Reidy (0-1), S Dowling (1-6, 0-5 frees, 0-1, 65), D Breen (1-1). Subs: C Lynch for Reidy (43); S Tobin (0-1) for O’Grady (51); S O’Brien (0-1) for Browne.
My wife gets pissed at me because I always say one of the female news reporters on a local TV station looks like the record player from The Flintstones.
It’s a living
I’m old, wear glasses, have frizzy hair and a thick gray mustache, so I get “you look like Kurt Vonnegut” a few times a year. Beats being the late, great author.
All my adult life people say I look like Barbra Streisand. I can see it in the eyes for sure.
Other’s have said I look like Deborah Norville from Entertainment Tonight. True dat too.
Burt Reynolds, Smokey and the Bandit days. At least once a month. I get it already but I ain’t shaving.
I’ve been told so many times that I look like “that guy from Shawshank Redemption” (Tim Robbins). But people can never come up with Tim’s name so I’ve developed a standard reply. “Yeah Morgan Freeman, I get that a lot”. It never ceases to amaze me how many times that joke sails way over their heads.
People tell me I look like Calvin Coolidge. In his corpse state.
I don’t think I’ve ever received a comment regarding celebrity look alike. Then again it’s not surprising, when you are as fugly as I am.
In my younger days, I was repeatedly told that I resembled Debra Winger. I do not resemble Debra Winger. I have dark, curly hair that I used to wear just a bit longer than shoulder length. Nothing else about we was even remotely similar to her. How do people see a resemblance from just HAIR?
The fat guy from Blues Traveler…yeah. That guy. Google shows his name to be John Popper, and strangely enough, he is also a gun guy. I guess that probably explains a lot.
I think he told a story on Maron or Carolla about shooting a cannon off on his property plus travelling with a significant amount of guns.