Top 10 Actor Reactions to Parodies of Themselves

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, no one really knew how to react. But, when Gal Gadot came out with her “Imagine” video… Well, suffice to say it didn’t quite have the gravitas the early pandemic times called for. The now infamous video may have not inspired, but it did spawn a very funny “Family Guy” parody where Stewie and Brian plead with the public to get the vaccine, if only to prevent Gal Gadot from making another “Imagine” video. To Gadot’s credit, she took it well, even promising to never do it again if everyone gets vaccinated. Please, keep your promise, Gal!

Denzel Washington just seems like one of the greatest guys of all time, and has demonstrated over and over that there’s nothing he loves more than a good impression of himself. Whether it be Jay Pharaoh or a multitude of other comedians, Washington usually responds with grace. But no one got him laughing like Jamie Foxx. During an episode of Grey Goose Vodka’s “Off Script,” Foxx and Washington talk about everything from how they hone their craft to their favorite movies. But they also leave a little time for Jamie to show off his acting chops. His impression leaves Denzel wheezing for breath – and we’re wheezing pretty hard too.

If there’s one person who’s an absolute staple for impressionists, it’s Morgan Freeman. Heck – people even sell classes on how to replicate Freeman’s iconic voice. But no one comes quite as close to the perfection of Geoff Peterson, the robot skeleton sidekick of late night host Craig Ferguson. During an appearance on Craig’s show, Freeman agrees to hear Geoff try out an impression of him. From the moment the robot opens his mouth, the actor is way impressed. Geoff was actually voiced by a man of the name Josh Robert Thompson, so the credit for the, as Freeman put it, “outstanding” impression goes to him!

Only Jeff Goldblum could start off a reaction video to Jeff Goldblum impersonations with his very own Jeff Goldblum impression. In a bit for Vanity Fair, Jeff watches and rates a slew of attempts at recreating his voice and mannerisms. He’s just as delightful as you would expect, giving all the candidates their kudos and absolutely enamored with everyone’s efforts. We especially love his reaction to Bryan Cranston, which is something akin to a mix of surprise and unbridled joy. He whispers, “wow!” and praises Cranston’s efforts. Yeah, we didn’t know Walter White had that in him either, Jeff.

Harrison Ford quite notoriously has his qualms about being a celebrity and the media aspects that go come with it, and he isn’t afraid to make that known when he does give an interview. But, this Mark Hamill impression was able to draw out the tiniest – and pretty on brand – reaction from him. During an appearance on “The Tonight Show,” Fallon played a clip of Mark Hamill doing quite a good impersonation of Ford on the set of “Star Wars.” He stares at the clip pretty emotionlessly while it plays, then turns to Fallon and quips, “He can have the job.” The best part is that he’s probably not kidding.

“Family Guy” is never afraid to make fun of celebrities – whether that be with their involvement or not. In this case, Alyssa Milano was more than game to poke fun at herself. In the episode “Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington,” this parody comes in the form of Peter making a joke at Milano’s expense, saying “Since I became president, profits have been higher than Alyssa Milano.” The frame then switches to a view of the star in question – in all her live-action glory – demanding her lawyer sue the show for the joke. Sure, this is a scripted reaction, but it’s super cool that she was down for the gag, and her involvement makes the whole thing exponentially funnier.

As adults, we all know that Willem Dafoe is an extremely accomplished actor, and he seems like a lovely man. But, if you’re from the generation where the Sam Raimi “Spider-Man” movies filled your childhood, chances are you were a just a little scared of him as a kid. This makes the “Family Guy” gag of Willem Dafoe hiding under Stewie’s bed all the more hilarious, but what’s even better is Dafoe’s reaction. When asked about it by an interviewer, he said it was “pretty cool,” but also “weird.” If you were looking for the most Willem Dafoe reaction ever, this is probably it.

When “Gladiator” came out in the year 2000, it’s possible Russell Crowe took that role… a bit too seriously. Around the time of the film’s release, he had been in the news for his aggressive behavior. “South Park,” never a show to back down from a celebrity behaving badly, made fun of him in one of their episodes. Russell Crowe was portrayed as an insecure bully, picking fights with everyone who crossed his path. To Crowe’s credit, he handled the criticism pretty well. On an episode of “60 Minutes,” he said the portrayal made him rethink some of his behavior.

We’re not usually in the business of alleged reactions, but this one was too good to pass up. In 2005, “South Park” decided to set its sights on Tom Cruise, making fun of the actor in an episode where he refuses to “come out of the closet” – literally, he’s trapped in a closet. The joke was obviously an allusion to rumors about Cruise’s sexuality, and Cruise reportedly threatened to back out of doing promo for “Mission: Impossible III” if Viacom aired the episode more than once. A representative for Cruise vehemently denied this and the episode is still in circulation. But it’s a pretty wild rumor nonetheless.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Marlee Matlin
She Wondered What We All Did: Why Didn’t They Just Ask Her to Voice Herself?

Jodie Sweetin
She Was Super Excited to Have Been Featured in the Show!

Jerry Seinfeld
Jimmy Fallon Sounds More Like Jerry Than Jerry Does

Kevin Hart
It’s Such a Great Impression, Even Hart Struggles to Keep a Straight Face

Now we all know that Nicolas Cage absolutely rules. But, he proved just how likeable he is when he rolled with the punches on an episode of “Saturday Night Live,” where Andy Samberg did an over-the-top impersonation of him. During a “Weekend Update” segment called, “Get in the Cage with Nicolas Cage,” Nic and “Nic” talk about the qualities of each version of himself… Of themselves? (Yeah, it’s a tad confusing.) This leads to a very funny moment where the real Nicolas Cage calls Andy Samberg’s version “an exaggerated, screaming, psychopath who really just doesn’t exist.” We love Cage’s ability to go along with the joke, and his involvement proves he’s the coolest dude alive.