# Actors you will always associate with one role
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 2, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146 "2013-02-02T21:00:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/1 "2013-02-02T21:00:23Z")
Whenever I hear Jeremy Irons speak, I immediately think of his role as Claus von Bulow in _Reversal of Fortune_. It’s hard to watch him in anything else and not hear it for me. I was watching him in the _The Borgias_ and keep thinking my god the Pope is a German aristocrat who may or may not have killed his wife?
😃
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/2 "2013-02-02T21:20:26Z")
I’ve seen him in other roles, and I’ve seen other actors playing the role, but for me Paul Scofield IS Sir Thomas More from _A Man for All Seasons_
I’ve seen them in other roles, too, but Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewellyn, and Lois Maxwell will inevitably be M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny from the James Bond films.
And, whether it contributed to his suicide or no, George vReeves is invariably Clark Kent/Superman. Even when he was in Gone With The Wind and White Goddess, it was Clark Kent in both roles.
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### Author:  [@koufax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koufax)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/3 "2013-02-02T21:56:47Z")
Will Arnett as GOB Bluthe in Arrested Development
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### Author:  [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/4 "2013-02-02T22:21:27Z")
I see Roger Rees in all kinds of things (most recently as the uber bad guy MacPhereson in Warehouse 13), but every time I do, I say, “Look! It’s Nicholas Nickleby!”
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/5 "2013-02-02T22:26:41Z")
Michael J. Fox has spent his entire career playing Alex Keaton: Alex Keaton travels through time, Alex Keaton goes to Vietnam, Alex Keaton moves to New York and does lots of cocaine, etc.
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### Author:  [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2013, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/6 "2013-02-02T22:30:52Z")
James Galdolfini IS Tony Soprano.
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### Author:  [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2013, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/7 "2013-02-02T22:37:55Z")
Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker.
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/8 "2013-02-02T22:48:22Z")
Even though Brando was capable of creating a wide range of characters with a wide range of personalities and emotions, to me he was always a variation of Stanley Kowalski.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/9 "2013-02-02T23:51:29Z")
> [@freckafree](#):
>
> I see Roger Rees in all kinds of things (most recently as the uber bad guy MacPhereson in Warehouse 13), but every time I do, I say, “Look! It’s Nicholas Nickleby!”
And whenever I see him, I think, “Hey, it’s Robin Colcord!”
Also, I can’t see Sean Bean without thinking of him as Boromir, even though I’ve loved him in many other rolls.
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/10 "2013-02-03T00:00:19Z")
Nathan Fillion will always be Capt Malcolm Reynolds.
I love Castle. I have enjoyed him in other roles. But he should always wear the brown jacket and have the revolver strapped to his leg.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/11 "2013-02-03T00:04:34Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#):
>
> Nathan Fillion will always be Capt Malcolm Reynolds.
>
> I love Castle. I have enjoyed him in other roles. But he should always wear the brown jacket and have the revolver strapped to his leg.
Castle looks too BIG to be the same actor as Mal Reynolds. Did he pack on a lot of pounds in the interim? And a few inches in height? Or was the Serenity set so big that it dwarfed him?
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### Author:  [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/12 "2013-02-03T00:58:23Z")
Ted Levine will always be [Buffalo Bill](http://www.andyerupts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ted-levine.jpg). I used to watch **Monk** , and when he came on screen, all I could hear was “Oh, was she a great big fat person?” in that creeeeepy voice.
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### Author:  [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/13 "2013-02-03T01:08:55Z")
Dennis Franz will always be Andy Sipowicz
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/14 "2013-02-03T01:10:48Z")
When I say William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelly, James Doohan, etc, how would you begin their obituary?
_Best known for his/her role in the television show \*\*\*\* \*\*\*\* as (whoever)…_
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### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/15 "2013-02-03T01:31:32Z")
Samuel L. Jackson is, always, Jules Winnfield.
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/16 "2013-02-03T01:36:13Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#):
>
> Nathan Fillion will always be Capt Malcolm Reynolds.
> .
This is what I came in to post. He is Malcolm Reynolds and I will always associate him with it.
Edwards James Olmos will always be Bill Adama for me, which is amazing since it is rather late in his career.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2013, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/17 "2013-02-03T02:26:10Z")
> [@freckafree](#):
>
> I see Roger Rees in all kinds of things (most recently as the uber bad guy MacPhereson in Warehouse 13), but every time I do, I say, “Look! It’s Nicholas Nickleby!”
Me, too. I met him in London in late 1985 when he spoke to my class, and he was absolutely charming.
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#):
>
> …Also, I can’t see Sean Bean without thinking of him as Boromir, even though I’ve loved him in many other rolls.
I admire your bravery in admitting to cannibalism on a public message board.
As for me, even though each has had many other roles:
Humphrey Bogart = Rick Blaine
William Shatner = James T. Kirk
Nicol Williamson = Merlin
Ian McKellen = Gandalf
Maggie Smith = Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
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### Author:  [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2013, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/18 "2013-02-03T03:09:48Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> Maggie Smith = Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
Maggie Smith will always be Professor MacGonagall to me. I keep expecting her to address Matthew Crawley as Mr. Potter.
😃
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### Author:  [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/19 "2013-02-03T03:14:44Z")
Sean Penn is Spicoli. Billy Crystal will always be Jody.
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### Author:  [@James\_Otto\_Sweet\_Heart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Otto_Sweet_Heart)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/20 "2013-02-03T03:22:30Z")
Even though he is known for the role of Bobby in the Dallas show, Patrick Duffy will always be Frank Lambert from the Step By Step show to me. 🙂 🙂 🙂
God bless you and him always!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Holly
P.S. I love watching him play Dr. Baker during a season 4 episode of Reba’s show too. 🙂 🙂 🙂
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