It is not uncommon to see a screenplay refer to a real person or use a real person as a character, but we recommend you tread lightly, as it could be considered libel.
In general, it’s okay to refer to a person in his or her known capacity, ie, “…like when Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook!” However having Mark Zuckerberg as a character opens many new legal challenges.
The best advice: when in doubt, consult an attorney.
### More from johnaugust.com
* [Referring to famous people](http://johnaugust.com/2009/famous-people “Referring to famous people”)
* [Using your friend’s name in a script](http://johnaugust.com/2006/using-your-friends-name-in-a-script “Using your friend’s name in a script”)
* [Can I base a character on a real asshole?](http://johnaugust.com/2010/real-asshole “Can I base a character on a real asshole?”)
* [Referring to famous people](http://johnaugust.com/2009/famous-people “Referring to famous people”)
* [Using your friend’s name in a script](http://johnaugust.com/2006/using-your-friends-name-in-a-script “Using your friend’s name in a script”)
* [Can I base a character on a real asshole?](http://johnaugust.com/2010/real-asshole “Can I base a character on a real asshole?”)