Could I use a famous person's name in a fictional book?

Answer 1

It is permissible to reference a person in a book, if you aren't saying something that could be considered slander or libel. Example, you could use Shakespeare as a character in a book, but I wouldn't use Paris Hilton. Living persons can sue you if they don't like how they are portrayed in your work. However, if your character mentioned that he'd seen a Will Smith film or that he'd gone to a ballgame where some famous athlete played, or listened to a song (don't quote the words without permission--this involves royalties and it's expensive) by Elton John (or some other singer)---that is permissible.

Mostly it depends on what you are using the name for? Are you trying to make the famous person into a character? If they are alive or the estate would complain, don't do it. If using the person in the work would be insulting to that person---don't use it. If you are dropping in names (including product names) to set the time frame and add verisimilitude, that is a different thing.

Think of how you would feel if you were put into the story. Would you feel insulted? Used? Belittled? Misrepresented? Would you want to sue the author? If so, don't do it to someone else.

Answer 2

It is done all the time.

Ken Grimwood's wrote a book called REPLAY where two people keep going back & living portions of their lives over & over. This was before GROUNDHOG'S DAY came out -- so he didn't steal the idea.

Anyway -- in one of the lives, the female character writes a movie about her experiences & gets a young Stephen Spielberg and a young George Lucas to direct & shoot the movie. She also marries Dustin Hoffman.

It is frequently done in historical novels -- like INSTANCE OF THE FINGER POST where the main character meets up with a veritable who's who of British 1660s writers and scientists.

And then there is FORREST GUMP -- the movie was based on a novel.

As for just using their name -- as in a character's name, that has been done too. Tom Stoppard did it in Junpers -- giving a professor of moral philosophy the name of George Moore (which happens to be the name of the most famous professor of Moral Philsophy ever -- so people kept saying "No, he's dead" when he tried to publish).

So -- go ahead.

Answer 3

You can use any name, however, you cannot depict the person as the actual famous person. Say you were to use Mickey Rooney, and you described him as tall, light and blonde, you would have no problem. Or say Terrall Owens, if you described that person as an actor, white, and made no reference to football with him you would be all right.

Answer 4

Yes. If you read fictional alternative histories it is done all the time. However, I suspect you would have to be careful if you use a living person's name because of possible libel.

Answer 5

It depends on how you're going to use it. If you have a character named "Tom Cruise," you'll probably get into legal trouble. If you were going to have an original character interact with Tom Cruise, you'd probably have to okay the idea and scene with his agents first. (It's been done, though, with Sam Walton - the founder of Wal-Mart - in the book "Where The Heart Is.") If you're just going to have a character off-handedly mention them, such as, "I like Tom Cruise," then you'll probably be all right.

Answer 6

Sure you can. As long as you don’t defame their character, you can use famous people in your fictional stories. I have seen them given as a frame of reference for the reader when describing certain characters.

“His voice was flat and fast, like Humphrey Bogart on speed.”

Answer 7

People generally do not as it may lead to legal action outside the US. This is why you hear the story about people using the phone book to choose names.

Answer 8

it fairly is not probably that a good number of a twist of fate, rather. some action picture star names are extraordinarily common, first and final, so there are certain to be individuals with the comparable names. additionally, think of roughly what number non-celebrities have the comparable call. alongside the two strains-- i became in 2d grade with a newborn named Michael Jackson. whilst i became in severe college, a variety of food market tabloids ran a narrative some female who found out that her neighbor had had an affiar along with her lifeless husband, so she made a meatloaf along with his ashes in it and fed it to the female. The meatloaf-maker interior the story had the comparable call as me.

Answer 9

I agree w/ redhotboxfan up there. I am trying to finish a book I've been working on for about 3 years (keep inproving in my writing!)

Answer 10

Yup, as long as it's in passing and they're not a character. If you're going to make them a character (like the editor in The Devil Wears Prada) you need to change their name.