20 Brilliant Sci-Fi & Fantasy Films Where Actors Play Opposite Themselves

Mars Attacks! is its own thing these days, the images of Tim Burton’s movie having long since permeated the culture and settled in our minds. But, back in the '90s, it was better known as a trading card game from Topps, and might well have bombed had Burton not managed to get pretty much anyone who was anyone at the time in front of his camera.

The film, which sees green-brained Martians descend from the skies and attempt a hostile takeover of Earth, stars (amongst others) Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, Tom Jones, Natalie Portman, and, of course, Jack Nicholson. Nicholson famously plays two dire opposite roles, as US President James Dale and wacky, eccentric Vegas entrepreneur Art Land. But he initially wanted to play more.

Having already worked with him on Batman, Burton approached Nicholson to play the President, but the former Joker had other ideas. He offered to take every single role in the film off the director’s hands. Naturally, Burton said no, but rather than waste the opportunity for something a little different, he opted for a two-for-one and gave Nicholson just a taste of the kind of acting project he was hoping for.