# Actors who played many nationalities **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 29, 2014, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080 "2014-01-29T23:21:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/21 "2014-01-30T04:34:02Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Yul Brynner: > > Thai (The King and I) Nitpick: That was Siamese. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/22 "2014-01-30T04:44:16Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > The guy that played the most had to be Anthony Quinn. > > Off the top of my head I can name about eight that the Mexican/American actor portrayed. > > Arab – Lawrence of Arabia > Mexican - Viva Zapata > Greek - Zorba the Greek > Italian - The Salamander > Native American - They Died with Their Boots on > Spanish - Seven Cities of Gold > North African - Road to Morocco > Filippino - Back to Bataan > French - Lust for Life > American - The Happening (the first one) > (Yes, I know he doubled or tripled with many of these) are they? > [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > And he played _Barabbas_ > [@Peanuthead](#): > > And I’ll add one more. He played an Eskimo in [The Savage Innocents.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053244/?ref_=nv_sr_1) The latter being famously referenced by Bob Dylan as “Quinn the Eskimo.” In addition to Jewish and Eskimo, we also have: Cuban - The Old Man and the Sea (1990 TV movie) Basque - [The Passage](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079700/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_38) Hun -[Attila](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046731/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_95) Portuguese - [The World in His Arms](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045339/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_108) Chinese - [China Sky](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037593/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_125) Ukrainian - The Shoes of the Fisherman Mongol - [Marco the Magnificent](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059429/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_67) Zakharstani (Afghan) - [Caravans](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077296/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_40) Indonesian - [East of Sumatra](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045716/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_102) Libyan - [The Lion of the Desert](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081059/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_37) ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/23 "2014-01-30T05:58:30Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Tony Shalhoub played Lebanese-American Frank Haddad in **The Siege** after playing an Italian immigrant on **Wings** and a Russian immigrant in **Paulie** before getting his big break as Adrian Monk, who wiki sez is of Welsh ancestry; just make sure to factor in all the times he played someone named “Jorge” or “Sanz,” and then add a bonus point for playing Kwan playing Chen on **GalaxyQuest**. And an Indian ( hindu accent, at least ) in Frasier, where the latter sets his newspaper stall alight. Personally, I always thought Lee Van Cleef, of Dutch parentage, had features which could be of any nationality; although I don’t know if he played many. I vaguely remember him in some business thriller where he played a villainous farming co-op person. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/24 "2014-01-30T06:23:45Z")
[Naveen Andrews](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004710/?ref_=tt_cl_t2) of _Lost_ seems to be the go-to guy to play any character from West Asia. (His actual nationality? British, born and raised. Or English specifically, I guess.) ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/25 "2014-01-30T15:51:34Z")
Kinda sorta to the left of, but I can’t resist: Gina Bellman _played someone playing_ a fairly decent number of different nationalities on _ **Leverage** _. Her skin tone and facial features are such that she can kinda sorta pass for a variety of European descents with the right accent. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/26 "2014-01-30T16:10:11Z")
Peter Sellers English - many films French - Pink Panther series Italian - After the Fox Spanish - The Bobo German - Dr. Strangelove American - Dr. Strangelove, Being There, others Chinese - Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu, Murder By Death Indian - The Millionairess, The Party Austrian (?) - What’s New, Pussycat? er…Ruritanian - The Prisoner of Zenda and probably others… ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/27 "2014-01-30T16:14:58Z")
Peter Sellers deserves a mention. French (the “Pink Panther” series) American (_Dr. Strangelove_) Indian (_The Party_) Ruritanian (_The Prisoner of Zenda_) German (_Dr. Strangelove_) Chinese (_Murder By Death_) Fenwickian (_The Mouse That Roared_) English (_Dr. Strangelove_) ETA: Bugger. ETA2: But Ellis forgot Fenwickian. ---
**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 30, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/28 "2014-01-30T16:19:20Z")
The TV version of Anthony Quinn/Yul Brynner as the go-to all-purpose Ethnic is Michael Ansara (and also in the movies) By birth Syrian, he has played Chinese (Terry and the Pirates) Arabs (too many times to count) American Indians (ditto) Sikh (Smuggler’s Island) Russian (the Diplomat) Roman (Julius Cassar) Babylonian (Belshazzar) Jewish (The Robe) Vietnamese (Soldier of Fortune) Egyptian (Ten Commandments, and maybe Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy) Hispanic (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Rawhide) Somebody Fututristic (Outer Limits) Klingon (Star Trek, more than once) Other Alien (Lost in Space) German (Cowboy in Africa) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/29 "2014-01-30T16:24:06Z")
If we’re including television, Mark Lenard has played a Vulcan, a Klingon, a Romulan, and a gorilla. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/30 "2014-01-30T16:26:41Z")
Peter Ustinov is probably up there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/31 "2014-01-30T16:31:11Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Female is probably Meryl Streep What ethnicity was Barbara Eden supposed to represent in _I Dream of Jeanie_?😃 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/32 "2014-01-30T16:33:33Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > What ethnicity was Barbara Eden supposed to represent in _I Dream of Jeanie_?😃 Taleban! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/33 "2014-01-30T16:34:17Z")
Djinn ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/34 "2014-01-30T16:34:24Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > [Naveen Andrews](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004710/?ref_=tt_cl_t2) of _Lost_ seems to be the go-to guy to play any character from West Asia. (His actual nationality? British, born and raised. Or English specifically, I guess.) Which is really really jarring as he has a face which screams [“Tamil”.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_people) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/35 "2014-01-30T16:41:17Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > What ethnicity was Barbara Eden supposed to represent in _I Dream of Jeanie_?😃 Well, since you asked, The Ottomans placed a premium on fair-skinned [Circissian women.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circassian_beauties) The long decline of the Empire was begun with the intrigues of an Ukranian woman [Roxelana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxelana), and the Turks were jonesing for blondes so much that they raided [Iceland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_Abductions) Conversely, although they castrated both white and Blacks, only African eunuchs were allowed to guard the women in the harem. ---
**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 30, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/36 "2014-01-30T16:42:11Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > What ethnicity was Barbara Eden supposed to represent in _I Dream of Jeanie_?😃 Michael Ansara, who I listed, was her husband, and guest starred twice on her series, once as a djinn, and once as a Hawaiian ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/37 "2014-01-30T16:43:02Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > What ethnicity was Barbara Eden supposed to represent in _I Dream of Jeanie_?😃 She was from Baghdad, but from ancient times, so not Iraqi ---
**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:** [January 30, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/38 "2014-01-30T16:54:41Z")
Charlton Heston was El Cid in **El Cid** and Judah Ben-Hur in **Ben-Hur** and Togrul in **Genghis Khan** and Michelangelo Buonarroti in **The Agony And The Ecstasy** and Mike Vargas in **Touch Of Evil** , plus Sherlock Holmes _in disguise as a Chinaman_ in **The Crucifer Of Blood** , which is pretty good for a guy who preferred to play Macbeth or Marc Antony but never turned down a paycheck as Josef Mengele or Cardinal Richelieu after making his on-screen debut as Peer Gynt. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/39 "2014-01-30T16:55:44Z")
> [@Sefton](#): > > My first thought was Jürgen Prochnow, who has played good guys and bad guys of every nationality. Let’s see… > > German – Das Boot > Hungarian – The Fall > Russian – The Fourth War > Kazakhstani – Air Force One > Calladan – Dune > Scottish – Macbeth > American – In the Mouth of Madness > British – Robin Hood > French – The Da Vinci Code > > That’s all I can come up with for now. He was a roman in The Seventh Sign. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080/40 "2014-01-30T17:00:04Z")
It might surprise some that Marlon Brando had a wide variety of nationalities in his repertoire. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-played-many-nationalities/680080.md?page=3)