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Can I use real people in my screenplay?

Tagged: characters, film, screenplay, screenwriting, script, scriptwriting, writing

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?”)

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