Many actors have played Notaries in popular films and television shows. Take our quiz and see if you recognize these cinema and TV Notaries. (Full answers are below.)
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1. In the Marvel superhero film “Iron Man 2,” who played a Notary working at Stark Industries?
A. Robert Downey, Jr.
B. Scarlet Johansson
C. Jon Favreau
D. Gwyneth Paltrow
ANSWER: B. In “Iron Man 2,” Scarlett Johansson played Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, who was working undercover as a personal assistant and Notary at Stark Industries in order to keep an eye on Iron Man’s activities. In fact, Johansson’s first scene in the movie is when she meets Iron Man, aka Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) to notarize some documents for him!
2. Edmond O’Brien played a Notary who is trying to find his own killer in what classic 1950s film noir?
A. “Key Largo”
B. “Strangers on a Train”
C. “D.O.A.”
D. “Touch of Evil”
ANSWER: C. In “D.O.A.” Edmond O’Brien played Frank Bigelow, a Notary who discovers someone has poisoned him and left him with only a few days to live. Bigelow goes on a hunt for the poisoner and finds out a document he notarized is an important clue to the mystery. You may be more familiar with the 1988 remake starring Dennis Quaid, though in the 1988 film, Quaid’s character is changed from a Notary to a college professor.
3. Which character on the TV show “The Big Bang Theory” is both a scientist and Notary Public?
A. Amy (played by Mayim Bialik)
B. Leonard (played by Johnny Galecki)
C. Howard (played by Simon Helberg)
D. Sheldon (played by Jim Parsons)
ANSWER: D. Sheldon (played by Jim Parsons) is both a scientist and Notary. In a few episodes, he uses his Notary commission to notarize lengthy legal agreements with roommate Leonard and his girlfriend Amy. But Sheldon isn’t a very good Notary. He often wants to act as a Notary when he’s also named in the document as an interested party, which is a conflict of interest that disqualifies him from notarizing.
4. Which Tim Burton film featured a Notary character?
A. “Sleepy Hollow”
B. “Edward Scissorhands”
C. “Beetlejuice”
D. “Batman”
ANSWER: A. In “Sleepy Hollow” actor Michael Gough plays Notary Hardenbrook, one of the town residents that investigator Ichabod Crane (played by Johnny Depp) meets while investigating a series of grisly murders. Sharp-eyed fans may recognize Gough from Burton’s “Batman” films, where he played Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred.
These aren’t the only Hollywood Notaries out there! You can read about more in The National Notary Bulletin article “Notaries in pop culture.”
David Thun is the Assistant Managing Editor at the National Notary Association.