# Actors with most different sequels **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 2, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455 "2005-10-02T15:45:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/1 "2005-10-02T15:45:48Z")
There are actors who will not do sequels like Jodi Foster, and others who latch on to a role and reprise the heck out of it like Basil Rathbone with Sherlock Holmes. I was lying in bed this morning and thinking about actors who have had the most different sequels. I came up with Mike Myers with three: _Shrek Wayne and Garth Austin Powers_ Harrison Ford with three: _Star Wars_ The Tom Clancy stuff (\*Clear and Present Danger,\*etc.) _Indiana Jones_ Eddie Murphy with four: _Dr. Dolittle Beverly Hills Cop Shrek The 48 hours things with Nick Nolte_ Anybody else in feature films? Let’s not wander into made for television or straight to video, OK? TV ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/2 "2005-10-02T16:05:38Z")
Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, with seven “Road” pictures. The Dead End Kids, with – jeez, about 20 movies. Abbott and Costello, with about another 20. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/3 "2005-10-02T16:21:16Z")
I count Desmond Llewelyn as “Q” in 16 “Bond” films. I also get Mickey Rooney in 16 “Andy Hardy” films. Note that Abbot and Costello didn’t usually play the same characters in their films. Ditto Hope/Crosby/Lamour. Hardly count as sequels. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/4 "2005-10-02T16:33:44Z")
I think the OP Is looking for who has done the most different series of sequels, but maybe I’m wrong. Harrison Ford did Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Tom Clancy Stuff, and Force 10 of the Navarone. This would give him a “sequel #” of 4, having done 4 sets of sequels. We could also say he’s done 6 actual sequels. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/5 "2005-10-02T16:41:21Z")
Actually Eddie Murphy has a sequel # of 5. 48 Hours Beverly Hills Cop Nutty Professor Dr. Doolittle Shrek ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/6 "2005-10-02T17:38:49Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think the OP Is looking for who has done the most different series of sequels, but maybe I’m wrong. > > Harrison Ford did Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Tom Clancy Stuff, and Force 10 of the Navarone. > > This would give him a “sequel #” of 4, having done 4 sets of sequels. > > We could also say he’s done 6 actual sequels. Clearly, I didn’t make myself clear. Sorry. I indeed am talking about different set of sequels. Rather than for the same one like Basil Rathbone, Mickey Rooney et al. I meant sequels of more than one film that he or she had been in originally. Once again, sorry about my inadaquate explanation. TV ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/7 "2005-10-02T17:48:05Z")
Johnny Weissmuller with two sets: Tarzan and Jungle Jim Clint Eastwood with two sets: Dirty Hairy and “The Man With No Name” Trilogy (although he does have a name in one of them, and a nickname in another, so I wonder why the character is thought of as nameless…) Pales in comparison with Murphy and Ford’s sequel achievements, though. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/8 "2005-10-02T17:56:31Z")
> [@Sir Rhosis](#): > > Johnny Weissmuller with two sets: Tarzan and Jungle Jim > > Clint Eastwood with two sets: Dirty Hairy and “The Man With No Name” Trilogy (although he does have a name in one of them, and a nickname in another, so I wonder why the character is thought of as nameless…) > > Pales in comparison with Murphy and Ford’s sequel achievements, though. > > Sir Rhosis Don’t forget Every Which Way But Loose. There was a sequel to that too. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/9 "2005-10-02T21:22:55Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Actually Eddie Murphy has a sequel # of 5. If you include stand-up concert footage as a seperate genre, then Murphy has a sequel count of six when you throw in “Delirious” and “Raw.” ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/10 "2005-10-02T21:39:39Z")
Checking his IMDB listing, Eddie Murphy is releasing Daddy Day Camp next year, which puts him (tentatively) at seven sequels. Jackie Chan does amazingly well in (at least) seven sequels: Cannonball Run, Police Story, Rush Hour, Drunken Master, Fist of Fury, the Shaghai movies and Armour of God. He hass so many credits that it’s hard to tell sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/11 "2005-10-02T22:00:38Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Jackie Chan does amazingly well in (at least) seven sequels: Cannonball Run, Police Story, Rush Hour, Drunken Master, Fist of Fury, the Shaghai movies and Armour of God. He hass so many credits that it’s hard to tell sometimes. Also Young Master (Although I’m not sure Young Master and Young Master in Love were actually intended as the same series, or just marketed as such in English. I haven’t seen the former), and Project A (which I know were the same series). ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/12 "2005-10-02T22:06:47Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Also Young Master (Although I’m not sure Young Master and Young Master in Love were actually intended as the same series, or just marketed as such in English. I haven’t seen the former), and Project A (which I know were the same series). Do what I did: check with his [imdb.com](http://imdb.com) listing and see if he plays the same character. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/13 "2005-10-02T22:29:12Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Do what I did: check with his [imdb.com](http://imdb.com) listing and see if he plays the same character. The problem is, his character’s named Dragon in the Young Master films. Which is also his name in the Project A movies, so isn’t terribly unique to Young Master. and may be an artifact of the English translation (the name in Chinese isn’t given), so that’s not terribly useful in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/14 "2005-10-02T23:41:49Z")
Ian McKellen has two: X-men and LotR. William Powell has two: playing Nick Charles and Philo Vance. Myrna Loy has two: playing Nora Charles and Lillian Gilbreth. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/15 "2005-10-03T08:47:43Z")
> [@Sir Rhosis](#): > > Johnny Weissmuller with two sets: Tarzan and Jungle Jim > > Clint Eastwood with two sets: Dirty Hairy and “The Man With No Name” Trilogy (although he does have a name in one of them, and a nickname in another, so I wonder why the character is thought of as nameless…) > > Pales in comparison with Murphy and Ford’s sequel achievements, though. > > Sir Rhosis I’m not sure “The man with No Name” applies. Clint played a similar role in each film, but they were different characters so they aren’t really sequels. Lee Van Cleef was also in two of those films (“The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” and “For a Few Dollars More”), but he played Angel Eyes and Col. Mortimer in those films. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/16 "2005-10-03T09:54:53Z")
**Tengu.** Chan directed both ‘Young Master’ movies quite early in his career. They were probrably sequels. Fearless Hyena is another two-part series, which brings his sequel count to nine, including the project A movies. Chan has only two trilogies to date – Police Story had 4 parts, and the forthcoming Rush Hour 3. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/17 "2005-10-03T10:02:49Z")
So…Chan seems a clear winner here, with Murphy as a pretty solid second. Heck, each of them has more franchises than some actors have individual movies. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/18 "2005-10-03T19:41:27Z")
> [@Lil' Mahoney](#): > > I’m not sure “The man with No Name” applies. Clint played a similar role in each film, but they were different characters so they aren’t really sequels. Lee Van Cleef was also in two of those films (“The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” and “For a Few Dollars More”), but he played Angel Eyes and Col. Mortimer in those films. I’ve had my doubts over the years, but it seems to be a popular conception that they are the same character. I can see “Fistful” and “For A Few” being the same character (wasn’t he named something like “Mako” in one of them?) more easily than I can see Blondie from TGTBATU being the same. And I really wouldn’t say using the same actor as a different character in supporting roles invalidates the films from being in the same universe. My God, Columbo has arrested Robert Culp and William Shatner half a dozen times over the years. 😃 Sir Rhosis Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/19 "2005-10-04T00:35:45Z")
Not a winner, but we can’t forget **Sean Connery** _James Bond_ _Highlander/Highlander 2_ Or the esteemed Steve Guttenberg with 3: _Police Academy_ _Cocoon_ _Three Men and a Baby/Lady_ ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-most-different-sequels/324455/20 "2005-10-04T00:59:42Z")
On a more serious note, how about **Christopher Lee**? I got 6. [ul] [li]Lord of the Rings[/li][li]Star Wars II & III[/li][li]The Hammer Studios Dracula films[/li][li]The Hammer Studios Fu Manchu films[/li][li]Richard Lester’s Three/Four Musketeers pair of films[/li][li]Several Made for TV Sherlock Holmes flicks[/li][/ul]