History Main / HistoricalFiguresInArchivalMedia

* The opening cinematic for ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals'' shows brief live-action clips of prominent [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror War on Terror]] figures such as George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney. They otherwise don't appear (or are referenced) in-game. But it still drives home the point that the game is a [[PostNineElevenTerrorismMovie Post 9/11 Terrorism Video Game]].

In fiction, a figure who appears in archival media will usually appear as a minor character, or be reduced to a background appearance. For example: by appearing on a television screen as footage or on a newspaper article with a photograph of them in it. While rare, it's possible for a figure to have a major role in the plot despite only appearing as archival media.

Works that use footage or photographs of [[HistoricalDomainCharacter historical figures]] or celebrities of them so that they appear as themselves. For example, imagine you are making something that takes place somewhere in TheEighties and you want a historical figure like UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan to appear in it as a character (or not), but you decide that you don't want an actor to play as him, you instead decide to use archival footage of one of his speeches so he appears {{as himself}}. Please keep in mind that this only refers to historical figures or celebrities appearing as ''actual'' footage or photography of themselves, not them appearing in scenes that [[RealFootageRecreation replicates said footage/photos where an actor is clearly playing as them]], such as ''Film/TheBaaderMeinhofComplex'' and ''Film/{{Watchmen}}''.

* ''Series/RedDwarf'': "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonIIITimeslides Timeslides]]" had UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler appear in archive footage, which Lister is inserted into. This leads to a humorous opening with "Tonight's Special Guest Star: Adolf Hitler [[AsHimself As Himself]].

* ''WesternAnimation/InsideJob2021'': A FreezeFrameBonus occurs in the form of glitched images that appear at the very beginning of each episode just after the "A Netflix Series" title card ends. Three of them that appear in the episodes [[Recap/InsideJobS1E2CloneGunman "Clone Gunman"]], [[Recap/InsideJobS1E8Buzzkill "Buzzkill"]], and [[Recap/InsideJobS1E10InsideReagan "Inside Reagan"]] show edited photographs of John F. Kennedy, Buzz Aldrin, and Ronald Reagan.

* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'': When Lilo tries to make Stitch become a model citizen by making him be like Elvis Presley, she happens to own a poster with a real portrait of Presley on it.

** UsefulNotes/JacquelineKennedy and UsefulNotes/LyndonJohnson both appear in the series as archival footage as well. The former appears only in footage with JFK while footage of LBJ appears on a television screen after JFK dies.

* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'': In the scene where Lilo tries to make Stitch become a model citizen by making him be like Elvis Presley, she happens to own a poster with a real photo of Presley on it.

In fiction, a figure who appears in archival media will usually appear as a minor character or be reduced to a background appearance[[note]](By appearing on a television screen as footage or on a newspaper article with a photograph of them in it for example)[[/note]], unless it's ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy'', which is an rare example where a figure has a major role in the plot despite only appearing as archival media.

In fiction, a figure who appears in archival media will usually appear as a minor character or be reduced to a background appearance[[note]](For example: by appearing on a television screen as footage or on a newspaper article with a photograph of them in it)[[/note]], unless it's ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy'', which is an rare example where a figure has a major role in the plot despite only appearing as archival media.

Works that use footage or photographs of [[HistoricalDomainCharacter historical figures]] or celebrities of them so that they appear as themselves. For example, imagine you are making something that takes place somewhere in TheEighties and you want a historical figure like UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan to appear in it as a character (or not), but you decide that you don't want an actor to play as him, so you instead use archival footage of one of his speeches so he appears {{as himself}} as an alternative solution. Please keep in mind that this only refers to historical figures or celebrities appearing as ''actual'' footage or photography of themselves, not them appearing in scenes that [[RealFootageRecreation replicates said footage/photos where an actor is clearly playing as them]], like in ''Film/TheBaaderMeinhofComplex'' and ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'' for example.

In fiction, a figure who appears in archival media will usually appear as a minor character or be reduced to a background appearance[[note]](For example: by appearing on a television screen as footage or on a newspaper article with a photograph of them in it)[[/note]], unless it's ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy'', which is an example of a rare case where a figure has a major role in the plot despite only appearing as archival media.

* ''Film/PaulMcCartneyReallyIsDead'': Near the end of the film, archival footage of the real Music/GeorgeHarrison talking about Music/PaulMcCartney on a talk show is distorted so that it sounds like he is really saying "Faul" instead of "Paul."

In fiction, a figure who appears in archival media will usually appear as a minor character or be reduced to a background appearance[[note]](for example: by appearing on a television screen as footage or on a newspaper with a photograph of them in it)[[/note]], unless it's ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy'', which is an example of a rare case where a figure has a major role in the plot despite only appearing as archival media.

'''Note: No audio examples, please.'''

* ''The Autobiography Of Nicolae Ceausescu'' is ostensibly a biographical documentary about the titular Romanian dictator, created by editing together over 1,000 hours of archival footage.

* ''Film/{{Jonestown}}'': UsefulNotes/JimJones appears in the documentary as archival footage from the Jonestown cult.

*** JFK also appears as archive footage in the season 1 episode "[[Recap/TheUmbrellaAcademy2019S01E05 Number Five]]" in a throwaway moment where an adult Five aims his rifle at Kennedy but decides to use his powers to go back to the present instead.

** A photograph of Creator/MarilynMonroe can be seen when Forrest is inside the bathroom after drinking 15 bottles of Dr. Pepper at the White House.

In fiction, a figure who appears in archival media will usually appear as a minor character or be reduced to a background appearance[[note]](for example: by appearing on a television screen as footage or on a newspaper with a photograph of them in it)[[/note]], unless it's ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy'', which is a rare case where a figure has a major role in the plot despite only appearing as archival media.

** Music/ElvisPresley, however, is played by an actor in the scene where a [[BeenThereShapedHistory young Forrest teaches him the hip-shaking dance move he would use]], and then appears afterwards as himself in footage of his performance of "Hound Dog" on ''Series/TheEdSullivanShow''.