# Actor (currently living) that has played the same role in a movie the most times **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261 "2015-04-09T20:50:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/21 "2015-04-10T00:42:48Z")
When I Google on “most times playing the same character,” I get a bunch of relevant websites. I didn’t look through all the websites, but one of them says that Shintaro Katsu plays Zatoichi in 26 films from 1962-1989. Most people here are only looking at American films, which means that they will miss most of the best examples. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/22 "2015-04-10T02:02:56Z")
Stan Lee has been playing cameo man/himself in most Marvel Comics tv, movie, and tv movies since 1989’s **Trial of the Incredible Hulk** tv movie. If you include voice acting, he’s also been narrator/himself on a ton of Marvel Comics based cartoons, going back even further to the 1982 Incredible Hulk cartoon. He also sometimes plays himself in things unrelated to Marvel Comics, such as the Kevin Smith movie Mallrats and (voice acting) the Simpsons. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/23 "2015-04-10T02:59:33Z")
John Holmes played “Johnny Wadd” at least 14 times… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/24 "2015-04-10T13:51:18Z")
…and then died of AIDS. Not currently living. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/25 "2015-04-10T14:48:16Z")
Phyllis Coates is still alive. Though best known as Lois Lane on TV, she appeared in 29 “Joe McDoakes” comedies in the 40s as Alice McDoakes. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/26 "2015-04-10T14:53:03Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Diesel appeared in all 7, with only a cameo appearance in Tokyo Drift. > > Walker was in 6 but not in Tokyo Drift. According to IMDb, Little Nemo is correct. Diesel wasn’t in the second Fast and/or Furious movie. Also, Mickey Rooney died last year. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/27 "2015-04-10T17:17:27Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Diesel appeared in all 7, with only a cameo appearance in Tokyo Drift. I still insist, as one other has said, that he isn’t in the second one. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/28 "2015-04-10T17:32:43Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I still insist, as one other has said, that he isn’t in the second one. The [full cast and crew](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0322259/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cas) of “2 Fast 2 Furious” :rolleyes: on IMDb does not include Vin Diesel. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/29 "2015-04-10T18:27:59Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > When I Google on “most times playing the same character,” I get a bunch of relevant websites. I didn’t look through all the websites, but one of them says that Shintaro Katsu plays Zatoichi in 26 films from 1962-1989. Most people here are only looking at American films, which means that they will miss most of the best examples. Shintaro Katsu died in 1997. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/30 "2015-04-10T20:49:14Z")
Ian McKellen as Gandalf in 7 movies. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/31 "2015-04-10T21:16:52Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Ian McKellen as Gandalf in 7 movies. Seven? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/32 "2015-04-11T00:04:44Z")
Okay 6. Brain fart. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/33 "2015-04-11T00:20:14Z")
Shatner played Kirk in one more movie (Generations) than Nimoy played Spock. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/34 "2015-04-11T00:23:57Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Shatner played Kirk in one more movie (Generations) than Nimoy played Spock. But didn’t Nimoy play Spock in the two recent Trek movies without Shatner? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/35 "2015-04-11T02:08:15Z")
DOH! (I was going to make the lame “Those movies don’t exist.” comment but I just have to own up to just not thinking of that.) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/36 "2015-04-11T02:33:29Z")
> [@MovieMogul](#): > > Christopher Lee has played Dracula 10 times in movies. 9 are listed here. What did they miss? [Christopher Lee Dracula movies.](http://www.imdb.com/list/ls008137968/) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/37 "2015-04-11T11:42:58Z")
[One More Time](http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0066183/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_16). ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/38 "2015-04-11T16:59:59Z")
Looks like Jimmy Lydon played Henry Aldrich in ten movies: [http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0111629/?ref\_=fn\_ch\_ch\_1](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0111629/?ref_=fn_ch_ch_1) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/39 "2015-04-11T23:25:01Z")
This is another one who is dead, but Kwan Tak-hing played Wong Fei-hung in 77 movies. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261/40 "2015-04-11T23:41:49Z")
Bill Cosby played the part of Leonard in at least six movies … oh, wait … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actor-currently-living-that-has-played-the-same-role-in-a-movie-the-most-times/717261.md?page=3)