Actors/Actresses playing characters with the same profession on multiple TV shows?

Cafe Society
1

Netflix has the 2006 show “Conviction,” which I missed when it was on the air. This show is about a group of young lawyers.

I’m struck that at least two of the people on the show has also played lawyers on other series. Julianne Nicholson also was a lawyer on Ally Mcbeal for a season, and J. August Richards was a lawyer on Raising The Bar for two seasons.

  • Guest starring as a character with the same profession as their other role, and movie roles don’t count for the purposes of this thread. Nor would the same character appearing on two interconnected (spin-offs, crossover episodes) shows. Why? Because that’s not at all unusual *

I’m sure there are other actors and actresses who, as series regulars on two or more series, played characters with the same profession on those shows.

So, besides the two I named, who can you think of? I’m sure there are others in the realms of doctor/lawyer/cop shows at the very least.

2

Michael Chiklis was a cop on The Commish and The Shield. I’ve never seen it, but I think he works for the police in No Ordinary Family as well.

3

He played a lawyer on Angel for one season too. Well, sort of. It’s a long story if you haven’t watched the show…

4

It’s not exactly a profession, but Susan Sullivan has a tendency to place upper class socialites.

5

Hugh Laurie played a British doctor and family man on Fortysomething (in the UK) before he became an American doctor and part recluse on House.

6

Sarah Chalke played a doctor (well, a dermatologist) on “How I Met Your Mother” that was virtually identical to her character on “Scrubs,” other than specialization.

7

Reginald VelJohnson aka Carl Winslow from Family Matters is always a cop.

8

I wonder if there are many out there who aren’t a cop/doctor/lawyer.

9

William Conrad was a private detective on both “Cannon” and the short-lived “Nero Wolfe.”

Robert Urich was a private detective on both “Vegas” and “Spenser for Hire.”

10

Fess Parker played an explorer/frontiersman on both “Davy Crockett” and “Daniel Boone.”

11

James Doohan was a starship officer on both “Star Trek” and “Jason of Star Command.”

12

Chuck Connors played a rancher on “The Rifleman” and on the short-lived “Cowboy in Africa.”

13

Rob Lowe played lawyers on both The West Wing and The Lyon’s Den.

Tim Olyphant played lawmen on both Deadwood and Justified.

Jimmy Smits played lawyers on both L.A. Law and Dexter.

Suzanne Pleshette played the wife of a guy who looked an awful lot like Bob Newhart on both The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart.

14

And Omar Epps played Gant on ER before playing Foreman on House.

15

Does Richard Belzer’s John Munch count? :slight_smile:

16

Mark Harmon was a doctor on “St. Elsewhere” for several years before he was a doctor on “Chicago Hope” for several years.

Before Sam Waterston was a DA on “Law and Order” he was a lawyer on “I’ll Fly Away.”

Dennis Farina, who was a Chicago police officer, has made an acting career out of playing cops, in multiple guest appearances and starring on “Law & Order” and “Crime Story.”

17

Suzanne Pleshette’s appearance on the series finale of Newhart is disqualified by the OP’s outruling both Guest Appearances and Crossover Episodes.

18

Wasn’t George Clooney a Doctor on E/R before he was a doctor on ER?

19

Dennis Franz played cops on both Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue.

20

James Gandolfini played a mobster in several movies, in addition to The Sopranos. There are other Italian-American actors who have also played mobsters in multiple productions.