Actor James Marsden in the Middle of More Barry Manilow Funny Business

Last month, singer Barry Manilow was famously inserted into a 2012 World Series telecast by analyst Tim McCarver, who blanked on a Joe Buck reference about old-day cheers for Barry Bonds and meandered into foul pop culture territory. Now comes an equally hilarious Copaca-doozy involving actor James Marsden.

During a panel discussion at the Napa Valley Film Festival, moderator Billy Bush (Access Hollywood) picked up on the actor’s IMDb bio-trivia page, which stated that Marsden is a huge Manilow fan. Wrong. Per The Hollywood Reporter magazine item by Merle Ginsberg and Gary Baum:

“I have a famous actor friend of mine – I won’t tell you who he is – but he likes to go into other people’s [IMDb] bios and add things,” Marsden explained.

A spokesperson for IMDb acknowledged the ease with which a prankster can wreak havoc… “Given the sheer volume of the information, occasional mistakes are inevitable, and, when reported, they are promptly fixed. We always welcome corrections.”

The Marsden-Manilow prank, which has since been removed, is a good reminder for all entertainment journalists. When preparing for a celebrity interview or cranking out a quick blog item, do not take IMDb bio-trivia info at face value. Meanwhile, how long before someone adds to Manilow’s IMDb page the claim that the singer is a huge fan of a certain X-Men franchise star?

[Photo: Mary A. Lupo/Shutterstock.com]