# Actors in a TV series who appeared together in an earlier work **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [January 18, 2026, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783 "2026-01-18T02:03:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/61 "2026-01-23T22:10:10Z")
Just noticed a UK one, thanks to the proliferation of TV channels re-running old series: The actors playing detective and pathologist in early series of Midsomer Murders (John Nettles and Barry Jackson) appeared together years before when Nettles played the Jersey policeman Bergerac and Jackson an annoying senior officer in Customs and Excise who takes over the office space. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/62 "2026-01-23T23:47:14Z")
Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams were first paired in an episode of _ **Happy Days** _ before they got their own spin-off series _ **Laverne and Shirley** _. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/63 "2026-01-24T00:03:13Z")
Weren’t they playing Laverne and Shirley in both? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/64 "2026-01-24T00:08:05Z")
Yes, they were. But the spinoff lay in the future, after their first appearance together. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/65 "2026-01-24T00:12:21Z")
How is that different than _Joanie Loves Chachi_ or dozens of other spinoffs? Maybe I misunderstood the OP. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/66 "2026-01-24T00:18:14Z")
Scoot McNairy and Kerry Bishé played husband and wife in the film Argo (2012) and then again in the series Halt and Catch Fire (2014-2017) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/67 "2026-01-24T00:24:30Z")
_ **Happy Days** _ and _ **Laverne and Shirley** _ were two different series. Initially, everyone (including myself) thought it was a one-off pairing. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/68 "2026-01-24T01:55:08Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > How is that different than _Joanie Loves Chachi_ or dozens of other spinoffs? Maybe I misunderstood the OP Yeah, I don’t get it either. A spinoff is a spinoff. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/69 "2026-01-25T02:19:27Z")
Robert Morse and Rudy Vallee co-starred on Broadway in the musical _How to Succeed in Business without really Trying_ in 1961, and repeated their roles in the 1967 film version. Then they both appeared in a 1971 episode of Rod Serling’s _Night Gallery_ entitled “Marmalade Wine”. Why they chose these two actors I do not know – it’s a pretty macabre turn for both of them. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/70 "2026-01-26T01:16:32Z")
Does Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan from _Maude_ and _Golden Girls_ count? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/71 "2026-01-26T01:46:11Z")
If they appeared together in two different series at different times, I would say yes. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/72 "2026-01-26T02:15:33Z")
For that matter, Rue McClanahan and Betty White appeared together in a few episodes of _Mama’s Family._ ---
**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:** [January 26, 2026, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/73 "2026-01-26T10:10:44Z")
Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam appeared on an episode of _Caroline in the City_, as an elderly married couple. Definitely not as their _Dick Van Dyke Show_ characters, but that’s what they talked like of course. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/74 "2026-01-26T10:47:32Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Does Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan from _Maude_ and _Golden Girls_ count? Rue McClanahan was a one-off character on _All in the Family_, but did not appear with Bea Arthur, unfortunately for the thread; however, Betty White & Bea Arthur once appeared together on the _Dinah Shore Show_, singing “42nd Street.” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/75 "2026-01-27T02:01:33Z")
Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus played North’s parents in Rob Reiner’s _North._ Not sure if it counts for the OP because it came out during the middle of _Seinfeld’s_ run. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/76 "2026-01-27T02:09:09Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Lucille Ball appeared with Harpo Marx in _Room Service_. Harpo later did a guest shot on _I Love Lucy._ Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s first appeared together in the 1940 comedy/musical _Too Many Girls,_ beginning their professional and personal relationship. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/77 "2026-01-27T03:06:44Z")
Jack Klugman and Tony Randall appeared together in an episode of _Appointment with Adventure_ 15 years before _The Odd Couple_. [![](https://external-preview.redd.it/appointment-with-adventure-the-pirates-house-archaeologist-v0-Ex6e_pEGR17l7k0dc03B1TTY-CEKQ7yMXVeWlaMnhiQ.jpg?auto=webp&s=55401504856e8cbd71d08ca4a0d147a7d963accd) ](https://external-preview.redd.it/appointment-with-adventure-the-pirates-house-archaeologist-v0-Ex6e_pEGR17l7k0dc03B1TTY-CEKQ7yMXVeWlaMnhiQ.jpg?auto=webp&s=55401504856e8cbd71d08ca4a0d147a7d963accd) ---
**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:** [February 1, 2026, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/78 "2026-02-01T06:51:05Z")
Mark Harmon was a recurring character on _The West Wing_ when Lily Tomlin and Richard Schiff were primary characters (though I don’t recall him interacting with either of them). Both were later on _NCIS_ with him. Gary Cole was in there too, but after Mark Harmon’s character was killed. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783/79 "2026-02-01T12:16:12Z")
Interesting to me… Monk is my favorite show. In the first episode. Later I discovered Corner Gas, which is probably my favorite sitcom. In the first episode of Monk two of the characters were played by [Fred Ewanuick](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1004294/?ref_=ttfc_fcr_3_12) and Janet Wright. A couple years later they were in the main cast of Corner Gas. ( [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-in-a-tv-series-who-appeared-together-in-an-earlier-work/1026783.md?page=3)