Whenever someone plays a character for a long enough time, what we understand as their identity becomes that character. The actor has a background and legal name, though that matters little to the public consciousness; they’re now known as their most famous role.It can be a good thing, in the sense that said character was unbelievably iconic. For their everyday lives though, not to mention their careers? It tends to mean being unable to land a role outside that niche. These are the actors whose names you may not know, but you sure call them by their character name.cnx.cmd.push(function() {cnx({playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530",}).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796");});IMDbSarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy SummersShe chased vampires from 1997 to 2003, making Buffy a household name. Gellar actually scored a Saturn Award and a Golden Globe nomination for the role. To most of us, she will always just be Buffy.IMDbDaniel Radcliffe as Harry PotterRadcliffe grew up on screen as the boy who lived. His lead roles have pulled in over 8.38 billion dollars at the global box office, but no matter what he stars in, people always call him Harry. At least he can grow a beard and hide the Potter from the performance.IMDbElijah Wood as Frodo BagginsWood secured his place in cinema history by playing Frodo across the original Lord of the Rings trilogy released between 2001 and 2003. Decades later, fans still cannot look at him without thinking about the Shire.IMDbMark Hamill as Luke SkywalkerFinding global stardom in the original Star Wars trilogy from 1977 to 1983, Hamill earned three Saturn Awards for playing Luke. Even with extensive voice acting success, he is forever the hero who blew up the Death Star.IMDbRowan Atkinson as Mr BeanThe original live action run of Mr. Bean only had 14 episodes broadcast on ITV between 1990 and 1995. Atkinson co-created the childish character, cementing a comedy legend that entirely erased his actual name for most viewers.IMDbRainn Wilson as Dwight SchruteFrom 2005 to 2013, Wilson gave us the ultimate annoying coworker on The Office. He picked up three consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations for playing Dwight, securing a legacy where fans permanently associate him with beets and bears.IMDbJason Alexander as George CostanzaAlexander was the neurotic heart of Seinfeld from 1989 to 1998. Despite earning seven consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations and four Golden Globe nods, people tend to think George is his real name.IMDbFrankie Muniz as Malcolm in the MiddleHe anchored the Fox sitcom from 2000 to 2006, scoring an Emmy nomination and two Golden Globe nods. Even after moving on to race cars and other projects, Muniz remains Malcolm to an entire generation of viewers.IMDbAlfonso Ribeiro as Carlton BanksRibeiro brought Carlton Banks to life on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 to 1996. He even developed the character’s famously exaggerated dance, meaning fans will always demand he do the Carlton wherever he goes.IMDbRalph Macchio as Daniel LaRussoAfter starring in the 1984 martial arts hit The Karate Kid, Macchio became a major teen idol. Nearly three decades later, he came back for the sequel series Cobra Kai, ensuring nobody ever forgets the name Daniel LaRusso.IMDbCarrie Fisher as Princess LeiaFisher made her debut as Princess Leia in the original 1977 Star Wars film. She reprised the role across the original films and the sequel trilogy, cementing herself as royalty in the minds of moviegoers everywhere.IMDbMacaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallisterCulkin found massive international fame in the 1990 holiday classic Home Alone and its 1992 sequel set in New York. If you see him today, your brain immediately screams the name Kevin before you can stop it.IMDbChristopher Mintz Plasse as McLovinMaking his film debut in the 2007 comedy Superbad, Mintz-Plasse was actually still a student at El Camino Real High School when cast. His character used a fake ID with one name, and that name stuck forever.IMDbKit Harington as Jon SnowHarington spent eight seasons guarding the wall on Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2019. Earning two Primetime Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nod, his brooding performance means fans still call him Jon Snow today.IMDbJames Gandolfini as Tony SopranoGandolfini transformed television as a mob boss on The Sopranos from 1999 to 2007. Winning three Primetime Emmys, a Golden Globe, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, his powerful performance completely merged him with his character.The post 15 Actors We Only Think of as Their Character Name appeared first on Den of Geek.