'Someone playing 'A' someone' - what kind of expression is that?

Question

I don't remember but I read it somewhere. It was ...

someone played a someone

It is the indefinite article there I want to know about.

If we think of a context wherein a kid called Jackie plays a role of 'Neo' from 'The Matrix' in his school's drama, is this sentence possible?

Jackie played a Keanu Reeves

Do we use such construction? If yes, why is there the indefinite article?

Note: I'm pretty sure the indefinite article was followed by the proper noun and that's it. I'm aware of the construction - I played an MJ song.

Answer 1

Yes, you can use an indefinite article before a person's name. Here are some examples:

1. A person named John Smith calls on the phone and asks to talk to your friend. If you do not know John Smith, you might very well say

There is a John Smith on the phone.

The speaker does not know who John Smith is; that is, which John Smith out of all the Johns Smiths in the world; but the listener may or may not know.

2. If you are identfying a person by comparing them to another person, real or fictional:

Joan Johnson's a Sandra Bullock without the high price tag.

meaning Joan can act or has the potential to act as well as, or similar to, Sandra Bullock, but without the high cost of hiring Sandra Bullock.

Since I started this diet, I am a brand new Maulik V!

David Tennant plays a Hamlet that you'll never forget.

If we think of a context wherein a kid called Jackie plays a role of 'Neo' from 'The Matrix' in his school's drama, is this sentence possible?

Jackie played a Keanu Reeves

Since Keanu Reeves is not a character in The Matrix, such a sentence might not be common. But by the previous examples, I hope it's clear that similar sentences can be constructed:

Jackie played a Neo that even Keanu Reeves would envy.

The indefinite article is used in all the above examples because the referent is to one of many possible John Smiths, Sandra Bullocks, Maulik Vs, Hamlets, and Neos. This is similar to why you say an MJ song. It is one of many possible MJ songs.

You might find this discussion helpful: Indefinite articles and people's names, as well as Is “a” mandatory in “I'm a whole new (Name)”?

Answer 2

He played a pirate in the play. The kid played the role of 'Neo'. He played 'Neo' in a theater adaptation of the movie The Matrix. He played Martin Luther King in the play.

When the role is the name of a person, no article is used.