# Actors with regular starring roles in two series at the same time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 8, 2025, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313 "2025-03-08T23:41:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/1 "2025-03-08T23:41:24Z")
“At the same time” can be sort of a vague concept with modern short streaming seasons with big gaps between them, but two “current” examples I noticed are Danny Pudi in both _Mythic Quest_ and _Going Dutch_ and Peyton List in both _Cobra Kai_ and _School Spirits_. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/2 "2025-03-08T23:50:36Z")
Lisa Kudlow played Phoebe on Friends while also playing the ditzy waitress Ursula on Mad About You. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/3 "2025-03-09T00:13:09Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Lisa Kudlow Kudrow. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/4 "2025-03-09T00:18:48Z")
Weren’t they canonically twin sisters? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/5 "2025-03-09T00:21:33Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Lisa Kudlow played Phoebe on Friends while also playing the ditzy waitress Ursula on Mad About You. Yes and no. Ursula (Phoebe’s less-nice but no-less-dippy identical twin) predated Phoebe by a year; Kudrow began playing the character on _Mad About You_ in 1993 (its second season), while _Friends_ premiered the next year. And, while Phoebe was a lead character on _Friends_, Ursula was a lesser, recurring character on _Mad About You_, often only appearing in a scene or two in a given episode. Twelve of her 22 total appearances as Ursula on _Mad About You_ were in 1993-94 (i.e., the year before _Friends_), and she only appeared on _Mad About You_ five times after _Friends_’ first season (1994-95). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/6 "2025-03-09T00:27:33Z")
Goldie Hawn was still starring in _Good Morning World_ when she first joined _Laugh-In_. Jim Backus was in both _Gilligan’s Island_ and the _Mr. Magoo_ TV series. For a while, both shows were in the same time slot. Not an actor, but Arthur Godfrey was in two shows at the same time in the 1950s. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/7 "2025-03-09T00:28:34Z")
Drew Carey and Ryan Stiles were both regulars on _The Drew Carey Show_ while also appearing (as host and main cast member, respectively) on _Whose Line Is It Anyway?_. \*From a “Scenes from a Hat” segment on the latter: DREW: “Charities no one donates to.” RYAN: Help get Drew Carey a third show! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/8 "2025-03-09T00:28:50Z")
A good example: [Richard Anderson](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0027323/) and Martin E. Brooks, who simultaneously played Oscar Goldman and Dr. Rudy Wells, respectively, on both _The Six Million Dollar Man_ and _The Bionic Woman_; other than Lee Majors (Austin) and Lindsay Wagner (Sommers), Goldman and Brooks were the only other two actors who appeared regularly on the shows. Over the course of the 1976-77 and 1977-78 TV seasons, Goldman made 43 appearances on _The Six Million Dollar Man_, and 58 appearances on _The Bionic Woman_ – every episode of both series in those two seasons; Brooks was also in all 43 of those 6MDM episodes, as well as 45 of the TBW episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/9 "2025-03-09T00:46:56Z")
How about Glenn Howerton, who starred in _A. P. Bio_ while _It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia_ was/is still ongoing? ---
**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:** [March 9, 2025, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/10 "2025-03-09T01:00:24Z")
Leo G Carroll as Alexander Waverly on both _ **The Man** _ and _ **The Girl from UNCLE** _. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/11 "2025-03-09T01:00:39Z")
Just the example I was going to post ---
**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:** [March 9, 2025, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/12 "2025-03-09T01:24:14Z")
William Daniels was busily racking up Emmy nominations for Best Actor on ST ELSEWHERE while doing double duty on KNIGHT RIDER as primetime television’s answer to the question nobody asked: _no, seriously: how condescending would an artificial intelligence sound?_ ---
**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:** [March 9, 2025, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/13 "2025-03-09T02:01:51Z")
David Hasselhoff was simultaneously on BAYWATCH and BAYWATCH NIGHTS. Kenan Thompson had a one-season sitcom, KENAN, while also active with SNL. ---
**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:** [March 9, 2025, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/14 "2025-03-09T02:07:18Z")
Steven Culp had overlapping roles on THE WEST WING and STAR TREK ENTERPRISE, although he wasn’t in the primary cast of either. ---
**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:** [March 9, 2025, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/15 "2025-03-09T02:12:01Z")
Armin Shimerman pulled double duty on STAR TREK DS9 (regular cast member) and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (recurring character). ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/16 "2025-03-09T02:13:42Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Kenan Thompson had a one-season sitcom, KENAN, while also active with SNL. He was also part of the main cast of _All That_ along with Kel Mitchell while both were also starring in _Kenan & Kel_. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/17 "2025-03-09T02:16:34Z")
Pedro Pascal was starring in The Mandalorian and The Last of Us at the same time, but the former only needed his voice most of the time. Khandi Alexander was in Newsradio and ER at the same time, and I believe she left the former to focus on the latter when her character’s role was expanded. ---
**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:** [March 9, 2025, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/18 "2025-03-09T02:30:54Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > How about Glenn Howerton, who starred in _A. P. Bio_ while _It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia_ was/is still ongoing? If Always Sunny is still running, Kaitlin Olson is also appearing in a detective drama on ABC. Previously she was on a sitcom on Fox called The Mick. And Rob McElhenney also appears on Welcome to Wrexham. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/19 "2025-03-09T02:39:37Z")
Does voice acting count? Mila Kunis was in _That '70’s Show_ and also in _Family Guy_ (doing a voice role). ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2025, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313/20 "2025-03-09T03:15:49Z")
Robert Reed. While he was on the Brady Bunch, he also appeared on Mannix as Mannix’s police contact. Mannix was a recurring role, he wasn’t in every episode. When Reed wasn’t there other actors would play similar cop characters. Reed’s appearances also tended to be early or late in the seasons for each show as he had a bit more time to do double duty then. It also helped that Brady Bunch and Mannix were shot on the same lot. In fact, the Brady Bunch SET also did double duty, as it was used at various times for scenes in Mannix. Sometimes straight, and sometimes with things moved around, but the distinctive style was obvious. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-with-regular-starring-roles-in-two-series-at-the-same-time/1015313.md?page=2)