Actors As Themselves, Sort Of

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By Alison Willmore , Matt Singer on 11/03/2008

"JCVD," Peace Arch, 2008

In "JCVD," faded action icon Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a sadder-sack version of himself who returns to Brussels after losing his daughter in a bitter custody battle, hoping to regroup but unlucky enough to get caught in a botched bank robbery. It takes a special brand of self-awareness and sense of humor to play yourself in a film (we're not just talking novelty cameos) -- on this week's IFC News podcast, we look at other examples, from self-mythologizing hip-hop artists to self-depreciating art house stars.