# Actors who have successfully played TWO characters on television **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2001, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867 "2001-10-02T00:17:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/41 "2001-10-02T03:00:44Z")
The first thing I thought of when I saw this thread was Dave Foley on Newsradio and Kids in the Hall. Though I don’t know if that counts since he played many characters on Kids in the Hall. So nevermind. _It was Citizen Kane! Citizen Kane! It was Citizen Kane!_ ---
**Author:** ![saudade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@saudade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saudade)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/42 "2001-10-02T03:16:44Z")
Judd Hirsch “Taxi” and “Dear John” Richard Mulligan “Soap” and “Empty Nest” Would Billy Crystal being on “Soap” and later regularing on SNL count - as he mainly played “characters” as opposed too appearing as a skit player? Valerie Harper “Rhoda” and “Valerie” (wasn’t there some wierd lawsuit between her and the network that kept her name for the show after she left the show). Tom Poston in “Newhart”, “Grace Under Fire”, and various other good character parts. ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/43 "2001-10-02T03:18:30Z")
Brent Spiner was a continuing guest on _Night Court_, as some sort of hillbilly, and of course **Data** on _Star Trek:TNG"_ damn… Mrs. Columbo … didn’t watch it, just remembered she was Mrs. Somebody who had a show. Wasn’t Richard Boone, **Pallidan** on _Have Gun Will Travel_ also _Hec Ramsey_? ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/44 "2001-10-02T03:25:50Z")
Dirk Benedict was in Battlestar Galactica and The A Team. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/45 "2001-10-02T03:29:24Z")
Bea Arthur for Maude and The Golden Girls. ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/46 "2001-10-02T03:49:18Z")
Betty White on _The Mary Tyler Moore Show_ and _Golden Girls_ confession, I thought James Arness was Hec Ramsey, when I Googled to verify, then I saw it was Richard Boone, and I thought of Pallidan. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/47 "2001-10-02T03:57:00Z")
Peter Scolari on “Bosom Buddies” and “Newhart” ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/48 "2001-10-02T04:22:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PlanMan \* > \*\*Robert Guillaume was Benson in “Soap” and “Benson” and the producer, or something in “Sports Night” (I miss that show) > > Rene Auberjunois was on “Benson” and was Odo on “DS9”\*\* Goodness, if yer gonna mention “Benson” (twice!), might as well add Ethan Phillips (later as Neelix on “Voyager”). ---
**Author:** ![aramis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@aramis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aramis)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/49 "2001-10-02T04:24:45Z")
George Peppard had Banacek and The A Team Bill Bixby was in The Incredible Hulk, The Magician, My Favorite Martian, and I think a few others. Saltyre said > [@](#): > > This reminds me of one: Robert Wagner of Switch and Hart to Hart. He was also in It Takes A Thief way back in the '60s. ---
**Author:** ![Skijumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@Skijumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skijumper)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/50 "2001-10-02T06:01:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bafaa \* > \*\*David Hasselhoff on _Knight Rider_ and _Baywatch_. \*\* …and Young & the Restless. Jimmy Smits, part of a larger ensemble: LA Law, NYPD Blue. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/51 "2001-10-02T07:09:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Bruce Boxleitner from Scarecrow and Mrs. King and Babylon 5 How about Jeff Conaway from _Taxi_ and _Babylon 5_? The jury is still out on Scott Bakula, for Quantum Leap and Enterprise. I have another- John Ritter, for Three’s Company and Hearts Afire (?) ---
**Author:** ![bafaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@bafaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bafaa)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/52 "2001-10-02T12:02:22Z")
Markie Post: _The Fall Guy, Night Court,_ and _Hearts Afire_. ---
**Author:** ![bafaa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@bafaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bafaa)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/53 "2001-10-02T12:12:44Z")
Suzanne Somers: \*Three’s Company _and \* Step by Step_. Also _She’s the Sherrif_ but that wasn’t a hit. Patrick Duffy: Also on \*Step by Step, Dallas, \* and of course _The Man From Atlantis!_. 🙂 Staci Keanan: \* My Two Dads\* and again \*Step by Step \*. Does Bob Saget count for _Full House_ and _America’s Funniest Home Videos_? John Stamos was Blackie(?) on a soap opera (General Hospital?) and also on _Full House_. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/54 "2001-10-02T12:33:00Z")
Larry Hagman, “I dream of Genie” and “Dallas” Patrick Duffy, “The Man from Atlantis” and “Dallas” ---
**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:** [October 2, 2001, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/55 "2001-10-02T12:36:07Z")
Adding to some names: Kate Mullgrew was Mary Ryan Finelli on Ryan’s Hope. Yasmin Bleeth was her daughter Ryan Finelli and of course was on Baywatch.David Hasselhoff was Snapper Foster on The Young and the Restless. Ted Danson was Tim Conway on Somerset. Jerry Van Dyke on My Mother the Car. Howard Hesseman was also on One Day at A Time, playing Anne Romano’s second husband. John Ritter played a recurring role as a preacher on the Walton’s, and also was on the short-lived Hooperman (which I loved). And how could we forget Kelsey Grammer on Cheers/Fraiser and as Sideshow Bob. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/56 "2001-10-02T12:41:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by saudade \* > \*\*Tom Poston in “Newhart”, “Grace Under Fire”, and various other good character parts. \*\* Including the neighbor, the one who wrote the sayings on greeting cards, on Mork and Mindy ---
**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:** [October 2, 2001, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/57 "2001-10-02T12:55:44Z")
Tiffany Amber Thissen on Saved by the Bell and Beverly Hills 90210. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/58 "2001-10-02T13:04:58Z")
Some far-seeing doper started a similar thread in February. [Name some actors who have starred in 3 successful TV series](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=57992) ---
**Author:** ![Venkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ec9cab/32.png) [@Venkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venkman)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/59 "2001-10-02T15:57:36Z")
Robart Conrad starred in Black Sheep Squadron and Wild Wild West. He also did Search and Rescue (or something like that), and a few other things that were not nearly as successful. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.One-L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@Dr.One-L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.One-L)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867/60 "2001-10-02T16:01:32Z")
[delurk] **Connie Sellecca** was in both “The Greatest American Hero” as Pam “Counselor” Davidson (later Hinkley) and “Hotel” as Christine Francis. **William Katt** starred in “The Greatest American Hero” and later had a recurring role (Paul Drake, Jr.) in the sequence of Perry Mason telemovies. **Bruce Boxleitner** , in addition to “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” and “Babylon 5” also was Luke Macahan in the TV miniseries and short series “How the West was Won”. The latter doesn’t quite qualify him for having 3 different roles in 3 different series (as per the link **bibliophage** posted above) but it was on in various forms from 1976 (as “The Macahans”)-1979 (IMdB is my friend) [/delurk] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-have-successfully-played-two-characters-on-television/84867.md?page=4)