10 Famous People Who Never Actually Existed

7. Donald Kaufman

adaptation movie
Columbia Pictures

In the film Adaptation, directors Charlie and Donald Kaufman are the main protagonists - yet there is one major problem in that the latter never actually existed. Charlie's "twin brother" Donald was actually a completely fictionalised character - even though he is listed as having written the film in the DVD's credits, which close with the words: "In loving memory of Donald Kaufman."

Portrayed by Nicolas Cage in the screenplay, Donald Kaufman was even nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award for his role in creating the film - becoming the first fictional character to receive an Oscar nomination.

The brother of the director of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine even dies in the film - having struggled in life to get his screenplay The Orchid Chief off the ground - but obviously this too is fictionalised, seeing as he never actually existed in the first place...

 
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Contributor

NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.