# Actors you will always associate with one role **URL:** \ **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:** 4
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/61 "2013-02-04T05:23:13Z")
Gene Wilder will always be Willy Wonka. William Petersen will always be Gil Grissom. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/62 "2013-02-04T05:49:26Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Now that’s interesting, because I always think of him as the asshole heart surgeon on _St. Elsewhere_. Yes, he’ll always be that for me, too. The role of a lifetime, and he totally nailed it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/63 "2013-02-04T06:50:54Z")
I guess R. Lee Ermey is just too easy, huh? Joe Pesci’s done some other good work but he’s always a variation of Tommy DeVito to me. And no matter what he’s doing - and he’s done a lot - whenever I see Bill Paxton, I expect him to start flipping out and screaming “Game over, man! Game over! The fuck are we gonna do now? What’re we gonna do?” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/64 "2013-02-04T06:57:05Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > … > And no matter what he’s doing - and he’s done a lot - whenever I see Bill Paxton, I expect him to start flipping out and screaming “Game over, man! Game over! The fuck are we gonna do now? What’re we gonna do?” I’m not sure why, but I seem to remember his screaming pretty much the same thing in _every_ movie he’s in. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/65 "2013-02-04T07:00:44Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Yes, he’ll always be that for me, too. The role of a lifetime, and he totally nailed it. Which reminds me that I’ll always remember Norman Lloyd as the kind hearted doctor dying of cancer on the same series. And I can’t think why I can’t come up with either of their characters’ names, but I can picture them and even hear them clear as a bell. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/66 "2013-02-04T08:15:57Z")
> [@boyo jim](#): > > i’m not sure why, but i seem to remember his screaming pretty much the same thing in _every_ movie he’s in. this is our independence day! ---
**Author:** ![toast\_pakora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@toast\_pakora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toast_pakora)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/67 "2013-02-04T09:39:23Z")
See, I do it with character actors whose names I can’t remember. Like Stephen Tobolowsky (i just looked this up) who has been in a ton of shows; he was in Heroes and I could never remember his character’s name so I just referred to him as the “Remember Sammy” guy (from Momento). Another one is Wes Studi. He played Magua on Last of the Mohicans and I think if I saw him in real life, I’d faint from fright; he was so perfect in that role. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/68 "2013-02-04T09:41:26Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Which reminds me that I’ll always remember Norman Lloyd as the kind hearted doctor dying of cancer on the same series. > > And I can’t think why I can’t come up with either of their characters’ names, but I can picture them and even hear them clear as a bell. Without looking them up I can tell you that Daniels was Dr. Mark Craig and Lloyd played Dr. Auschlander. I wish MeTV or one of the other retro networks would pick up this show. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/69 "2013-02-04T13:43:02Z")
Of course, Danny Trejo IS Machete. Again, maybe too easy. Jeff Bridges is an incredibly accomplished actor, but I always feel like it’s right there under the surface… ROOSTER COGBURN I mean to kill you in one minute, Ned. Or see you hanged in Fort Smith, at Judge Parker’s convenience. Which will you have? NED PEPPER I call that bold talk… for a one eyed fat man! ROOSTER COGBURN That rug really tied the room together, man! ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/70 "2013-02-04T14:23:40Z")
I’m surprised no one mentioned Sir Alec Guinness. Despite his body of work, for younger generations he will be only Obi-Wan Kenobi, as even another actor playing the character impersonated him. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/71 "2013-02-04T14:36:31Z")
Michael Crawford – The Phantom of the Opera And Ted Neely and Carl Anderson made a career out of playing Superstar’s Jesus & Judas. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/72 "2013-02-04T14:46:59Z")
> [@priapus](#): > > I’m surprised no one mentioned Sir Alec Guinness. Despite his body of work, for younger generations he will be only Obi-Wan Kenobi, as even another actor playing the character impersonated him. A fact which, if someone could figure out how to hook him up to a generator, could power Britain for generations to come… ---
**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:** [February 4, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/73 "2013-02-04T15:00:41Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > No, no, no! William Daniels will forever be Mr. Feeney! If he isn’t being John Adams (or Sam Adams, or John Quincy Adams – Daniels had a Lock on the Adams dynasty), he was Carter Nash/Captain Nice. [Yahoo Image Search](http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoKv_zA9Rqk8AaqyJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3Dcaptain%2Bnice%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D17&w=220&h=371&imgurl=www.gatto999.it%2Fimages%2Fstories%2FTeleFilms%2FCaptain%2520Nice%2520%25280%2529.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gatto999.it%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26amp%3Btask%3Dview%26amp%3Bid%3D883%26amp%3BItemid%3D53&size=47.1+KB&name=%3Cb%3ECaptain+Nice+%3C%2Fb%3E%C3%A8+una+vecchia+serie+televisiva+)…+si+parla+dei+primi+…&p=captain+nice&oid=962416b38121dbb44d2d963312d8c397&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-701&tt=%253Cb%253ECaptain%2BNice%2B%253C%252Fb%253E%25C3%25A8%2Buna%2Bvecchia%2Bserie%2Btelevisiva%2B…%2Bsi%2Bparla%2Bdei%2Bprimi%2B…&b=0&ni=21&no=17&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12q2nd17r&sigb=13b71tkbj&sigi=125i1e9mp&.crumb=G.kSrW0OssH [http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;\_ylt=A0PDoKv\_zA9Rqk8AXayJzbkF;\_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F\_adv\_prop%3Dimage%26va%3Dcaptain%2Bnice%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D4&w=300&h=453&imgurl=cache.gawker.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fio9%2F2011%2F05%2F11.\_captain\_nice\_01.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fio9.com%2F5803398%2Fspace-cops&size=32.4+KB&name=This+fall%26%2339%3Bs+television+offerings+include+Grimm%2C+a+fantasy+take+on+the+police+procedural+in+which+a+homicide&p=captain+nice&oid=037f1c9eb6b37f9285a9fcc600f4bdff&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-701&tt=This%2Bfall%2526%252339%253Bs%2Btelevision%2Bofferings%2Binclude%2BGrimm%252C%2Ba%2Bfantasy%2Btake%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bpolice%2Bprocedural%2Bin%2Bwhich%2Ba%2Bhomicide&b=0&ni=21&no=4&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=111224kha&sigb=13aean98q&sigi=122pbs8lb&.crumb=G.kSrW0OssH](http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoKv_zA9Rqk8AXayJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3Dcaptain%2Bnice%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D4&w=300&h=453&imgurl=cache.gawker.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fio9%2F2011%2F05%2F11._captain_nice_01.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fio9.com%2F5803398%2Fspace-cops&size=32.4+KB&name=This+fall%26%2339%3Bs+television+offerings+include+Grimm%2C+a+fantasy+take+on+the+police+procedural+in+which+a+homicide&p=captain+nice&oid=037f1c9eb6b37f9285a9fcc600f4bdff&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-701&tt=This%2Bfall%2526%252339%253Bs%2Btelevision%2Bofferings%2Binclude%2BGrimm%252C%2Ba%2Bfantasy%2Btake%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bpolice%2Bprocedural%2Bin%2Bwhich%2Ba%2Bhomicide&b=0&ni=21&no=4&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=111224kha&sigb=13aean98q&sigi=122pbs8lb&.crumb=G.kSrW0OssH) > **[Captain Nice (1967): synopsis, casts, poster and pictures at...](https://www.superheroeslives.com/originals/captain_nice_(1967).htm)** ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/74 "2013-02-04T15:00:28Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > this is our independence day! I’m sorry to learn that you are one of the many sufferers of [Paxton](http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k488/sqacct7/AuthorPhotos/Section%20B/BillPaxton.jpg)-[Pullman](http://celebslists.com/images/bill-pullman-05.jpg) Syndrome. 😛 I believe there are now special prescription lenses available for that. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/75 "2013-02-04T16:12:04Z")
Except for the few that were well known beforehand (David Schwimmer, Jimmy Fallon, Dale Dye) everyone in Band of Brothers is that guy from Band of Brothers. I don’t care how many awards he gets for Homeland, Damian Lewis is Major Dick Winters. Goes for all the rest of them too. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/76 "2013-02-04T16:20:36Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Except for the few that were well known beforehand (David Schwimmer, Jimmy Fallon, Dale Dye) everyone in Band of Brothers is that guy from Band of Brothers. Jimmy Fallon? ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/77 "2013-02-04T16:31:58Z")
> [@priapus](#): > > I’m surprised no one mentioned Sir Alec Guinness. Despite his body of work, for younger generations he will be only Obi-Wan Kenobi, as even another actor playing the character impersonated him. Then I’m too old, because to me, he’ll always be George Smiley, even though he did Smiley after “Star Wars!” ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/78 "2013-02-04T16:45:14Z")
Well, _The Wizard of Oz_ cemented most of the main actors in my mind as their roles in that movie… not Judy Garland, but certainly I will always think of Bert Lahr as the Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West. Which when you think of it is kind of funny since they actually played multiple roles within that very movie. (Frank Morgan is the exception – I do think of him as both Oz and Professor Marvel, at least.) ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/79 "2013-02-04T17:06:21Z")
William Daniels, [“Sit Down John”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=DqAdlkJDt7k) Even better, [“Is Anybody There?”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okGuLsqDz9o), but this one is audio only. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146/80 "2013-02-04T17:19:09Z")
> [@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!” I always say look it’s Robin Colcord, Rebecca’s mentor/boyfriend. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-will-always-associate-with-one-role/649146.md?page=5)