# Actors/Actresses playing characters with the same profession on multiple TV shows? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 27, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485 "2010-12-27T03:15:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/1 "2010-12-27T03:15:44Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/2 "2010-12-27T03:27:21Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/3 "2010-12-27T03:37:12Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > J. August Richards was a lawyer on Raising The Bar for two seasons. 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… ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/4 "2010-12-27T03:38:51Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > …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… It’s not exactly a profession, but Susan Sullivan has a tendency to place upper class socialites. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/5 "2010-12-27T03:45:23Z")
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_. ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/6 "2010-12-27T04:27:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/7 "2010-12-27T04:34:51Z")
Reginald VelJohnson aka Carl Winslow from Family Matters is always a cop. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/8 "2010-12-27T04:41:30Z")
I wonder if there are many out there who aren’t a cop/doctor/lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/9 "2010-12-27T04:58:36Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/10 "2010-12-27T05:00:26Z")
Fess Parker played an explorer/frontiersman on both “Davy Crockett” and “Daniel Boone.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/11 "2010-12-27T05:02:40Z")
James Doohan was a starship officer on both “Star Trek” and “Jason of Star Command.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/12 "2010-12-27T05:09:26Z")
Chuck Connors played a rancher on “The Rifleman” and on the short-lived “Cowboy in Africa.” ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/13 "2010-12-27T05:54:49Z")
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_. ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/14 "2010-12-27T06:13:10Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > 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_. And Omar Epps played Gant on ER before playing Foreman on House. ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/15 "2010-12-27T06:26:47Z")
Does Richard Belzer’s John Munch count? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/16 "2010-12-27T06:48:06Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/17 "2010-12-27T07:42:16Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Suzanne Pleshette played the wife of a guy who looked an awful lot like Bob Newhart on both _The Bob Newhart Show_ and _Newhart_. Suzanne Pleshette’s appearance on the series finale of _Newhart_ is disqualified by the OP’s outruling both Guest Appearances and Crossover Episodes. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/18 "2010-12-27T13:50:48Z")
Wasn’t George Clooney a Doctor on E/R before he was a doctor on ER? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/19 "2010-12-27T14:54:51Z")
Dennis Franz played cops on both Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485/20 "2010-12-27T15:19:59Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I wonder if there are many out there who aren’t a cop/doctor/lawyer. 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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-actresses-playing-characters-with-the-same-profession-on-multiple-tv-shows/565485.md?page=2)