# Actor/Actress Metadata Issue

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Tags:** server-windows, roku\
**Created:** [November 18, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593 "2021-11-18T16:32:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AmazingRando24](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/amazingrando24/32/351517_2.png) [@AmazingRando24](https://forums.plex.tv/u/AmazingRando24)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/1 "2021-11-18T16:32:20Z")

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I recently added the movie “Just Another Dream” from 2021 to my movie library. It stars two actor/actress that I have a considerable amount of other movies they both respectively star in. Kristy Swanson and Dean Cain.

For some reason, clicking on either one in Plex Web or Plex Roku, will only list this single movie. When I click them in other movies, it shows every other movie they respectively star in.

When I search the individual actor names in Plex Roku, it lists a single result, but when clicking on that, it gives me two search options, both of which are listed as my server. Clicking each reveals the same manner of movie split experienced above.

In the individual actors listings, they use the same pictures, so it’s hard to tell if this is a duplicate entry for the actors in the metadata, or if for some reason Plex is singling out this particular movie for metadata difficulties.

I have attempted a manual metadata refresh, as well as attempting to rematch the movie.

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**Author:** ![drzoidberg33](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/drzoidberg33/32/4184_2.png) [@drzoidberg33](https://forums.plex.tv/u/drzoidberg33)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 4:40pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/2 "2021-11-18T16:40:28Z")

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What’s your server version?

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**Author:** ![AmazingRando24](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/amazingrando24/32/351517_2.png) [@AmazingRando24](https://forums.plex.tv/u/AmazingRando24)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 4:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/3 "2021-11-18T16:42:55Z")

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Apologies, meant to include that.

Version 1.25.0.5246

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drzoidberg33](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/drzoidberg33/32/4184_2.png) [@drzoidberg33](https://forums.plex.tv/u/drzoidberg33)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 4:45pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/4 "2021-11-18T16:45:37Z")

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Could you grab the [xml info](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201998867-Investigate-Media-Information-and-Formats) for “Just Another Dream” and also for another movie where one of these actors features.

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**Author:** ![AmazingRando24](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/amazingrando24/32/351517_2.png) [@AmazingRando24](https://forums.plex.tv/u/AmazingRando24)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/5 "2021-11-18T16:48:18Z")

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As requested, sir:

[XML Files.zip](https://forums.plex.tv/uploads/short-url/tFd7hDjyD0voPg30l4XPxNI5Zmi.zip) (20.5 KB)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AmazingRando24](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/amazingrando24/32/351517_2.png) [@AmazingRando24](https://forums.plex.tv/u/AmazingRando24)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/6 "2021-11-18T16:51:08Z")

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Yeah, looks like totally different entries for the actors. It’s a dead giveaway when they’re sequentially numbered.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drzoidberg33](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/drzoidberg33/32/4184_2.png) [@drzoidberg33](https://forums.plex.tv/u/drzoidberg33)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 4:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/7 "2021-11-18T16:58:20Z")

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And you say refreshing the metadata for the other movies doesn’t change anything?

Could you send me your database file if that’s possible? (Settings → Troubleshooting → Download Database).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AmazingRando24](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/amazingrando24/32/351517_2.png) [@AmazingRando24](https://forums.plex.tv/u/AmazingRando24)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/8 "2021-11-18T17:05:44Z")

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So, I refreshed the metadata for Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and sure enough… the ID for Kristy Swanson updated to the new number, and when clicking on her, only the two movies show for her.

I did a full metadata refresh of my movie library a few weeks back. I’m assuming this is an issue now, and the sequential numbering really makes me suspect foul play. Take a look at the numbers for actors we haven’t discussed…

[Buffy Update.zip](https://forums.plex.tv/uploads/short-url/rmv3dS1tgGJ1a3rtZdC3IsIuA4L.zip) (12.3 KB)

My database is 140mb, and is too large to upload here.

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**Author:** ![anon5074910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@anon5074910](https://forums.plex.tv/u/anon5074910)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:08pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/9 "2021-11-18T17:08:05Z")

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There was an update in a recent server to fix an actor/actress problem who have the same name. A full library refresh of metadata would be needed to update all which could be what you are seeing.

See [Where can we report that an actor as a wrong picture associated with his/her name? - #17 by dokuro](https://forums.plex.tv/t/where-can-we-report-that-an-actor-as-a-wrong-picture-associated-with-his-her-name/750454/17) for details.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drzoidberg33](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/drzoidberg33/32/4184_2.png) [@drzoidberg33](https://forums.plex.tv/u/drzoidberg33)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:12pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/10 "2021-11-18T17:12:38Z")

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Could you try run a “Optimize Database” from Settings → Troubleshooting and see if it helps at all?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drzoidberg33](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/drzoidberg33/32/4184_2.png) [@drzoidberg33](https://forums.plex.tv/u/drzoidberg33)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/11 "2021-11-18T17:14:13Z")

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Yup, this is likely the cause but it should be more seamless. Just restarting the server should fix these duplicate entries.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![anon5074910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@anon5074910](https://forums.plex.tv/u/anon5074910)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/12 "2021-11-18T17:15:28Z")

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Sure. I needed to force a refresh as search was not working correctly until I did. Anyhow, said I’d mention it incase it’s the same thing.

Full refresh of my 3000+ movies takes minutes with the new agent so it’s never an issue for me 😊

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AmazingRando24](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/amazingrando24/32/351517_2.png) [@AmazingRando24](https://forums.plex.tv/u/AmazingRando24)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 5:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/13 "2021-11-18T17:39:49Z")

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It appears that Optimizing the Database has solved the issue thus far. In Plex Web a click for the Actor produces expected results.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![AmazingRando24](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/amazingrando24/32/351517_2.png) [@AmazingRando24](https://forums.plex.tv/u/AmazingRando24)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/14 "2021-11-18T18:26:18Z")

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One more question… Are the IDs assigned to various items such as actors, writers, producers, (and such) specific to my system alone, or are they unified across all metadata for everyone?

So far, it looks system specific.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/actor-actress-metadata-issue/758593/15 "2022-02-16T18:27:12Z")

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