# Guest starring in your own TV show? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [August 25, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195 "2024-08-25T14:49:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [August 25, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/1 "2024-08-25T14:49:52Z")
Recently we were watching an episode of _[Dr. Kildare](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0565110/)_ from 1965. In the opening, the usual credits roll with freeze frames at the regular points. Title, “Starring Richard Chamberlin”, "and Raymond Massey’. Then the next freeze frame is “Special Guest Star Raymond Massey”. Wait, what? I had to backup and check. The PotW was indeed Raymond Massey in grizzled old man with beard makeup. And on top of it (and despite what the IMDb desc. says), no one notices the similarity in the show. They do the usual tricks when Massey and Massey are interacting. Shot from different angles, over the shoulder, but I only noticed one split screen shot. I don’t ever recall seeing something like this before. Sure, there’s whole series based on “twins” like _The Patty Duke Show_ and _The Second Hundred Years_. Plus lots of guest “twins” like Sabrina on _Bewitched_ and Jeannie II on _I Dream of Jeannie_, but this is different. (No, I’m not stuck in the 60s, why do you ask?) Does anyone know of a similar example? Rules I’m suggesting: 1. The actor is really a regular and is listed twice. Regular role and guest star. 2. The two characters are not siblings, cousins, grandfather/grandson, or such. 3. The similarity in looks is not mentioned and is not relevant to the show. They are portraying someone who could have been played be another actor with no story changes. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/2 "2024-08-25T14:59:05Z")
Don’t know how it was credited but Jackie Gleason and Art Carney were guest stars on the Honeymooners. Ralph and Norton were going to a Racoon Lodge convention I think, and turns out Gleason and Carney were staying at the hotel too. I think it’s the episode where on a train ride sharing a berth Norton asks “Do you mind if I smoke?” and Ralph responds “I don’t care if you burn!”. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/3 "2024-08-25T14:59:58Z")
Does a TV performance of Peter Pan count? Most versions going back to the stage play had Captain Hook and the Father be the same actor. This is a tough one, because the actor playing their nearly identical cousin/sibling or their doppleganger is very common, especially in the 60s and on Soaps. But what you described I’m having trouble thinking of another example. Do the Dopplegangers count? We have the classic [Mirror Image from the Twilight Zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_Image_(The_Twilight_Zone)) and [Mirror, Mirror](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708438/) from _ **Star Trek** _ where most of the regular actors played their alt versions. (the famous Spock with a beard episode) I love the fact that the credits on _ **Bewitched** _ had **Serena** played by _Pandora Spocks_. I think _ **Bewitched** _ deserved bonus points for that. ---
**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:** [August 25, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/4 "2024-08-25T17:02:25Z")
[deleted] ---
**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:** [August 25, 2024, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/5 "2024-08-25T17:13:00Z")
I don’t know whether or not Robin Williams was officially listed as a guest star in the _Mork & Mindy_ episode “Mork Meets Robin Williams.” It certainly does not fit your third criterion, and thus doesn’t really count for this thread, but I couldn’t help thinking of it. > **["Mork & Mindy" Mork Meets Robin Williams (TV Episode 1981) ⭐ 7.9 |...](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0651216/)** > > 30m | TV-G ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/6 "2024-08-25T17:17:12Z")
Likewise, Fred Sanford once met Redd Foxx on _Sanford And Son_. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/7 "2024-08-25T17:33:02Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I think it’s the episode where on a train ride sharing a berth Norton asks “Do you mind if I smoke?” and Ralph responds “I don’t care if you burn!”. And that is such a great line! ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/8 "2024-08-25T17:40:24Z")
I think A Girl Like Edith on All in the Family might qualify. Jean Stapleton is credited as Giovanna Pucci and plays both Edith Bunker and Judith Klammerstadt. However, as the title mentions, the girl is “like Edith” so there needs to be similarities between the two. The story would work if it was a different actor that looked similar to Jean Stapleton, but it wouldn’t be as funny. . ---
**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:** [August 25, 2024, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/9 "2024-08-25T18:12:24Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I love the fact that the credits on _ **Bewitched** _ had **Serena** played by _Pandora Spocks_. I think _ **Bewitched** _ deserved bonus points for that. It reminds me of how Barbara Eden also played Jeannie’s similarly naughty, brunette sister, Jeannie II, in several episodes of _I Dream of Jeannie_ (as well as playing Jeannie’s mother once), though I think that Eden was always directly credited with those roles, rather than under a pseudonym. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/10 "2024-08-25T18:34:38Z")
Raymond Burr played another character at least once on Perry Mason TOS. Captain of a small boat I think. Similar to characters he played before turning his on screen image around with the Americanized version of Godzilla. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/11 "2024-08-25T18:44:28Z")
After leaving Star Trek: The Next Generation, Denise Crosby later returned as a guest star. She played both her former character, Tasha Yar, in the episode _Yesterday’s Enterprise_, and her daughter later on. Maybe not precisely what the OP had in mind, but it’s what I thought of. ---
**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:** [August 25, 2024, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/12 "2024-08-25T19:07:43Z")
[This](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0673233/) seems to be the episode in question. Entitled " The Case of the Dead Ringer". The blurb has “but the other side used a sailor who looks like Perry to implicate him in bribery.” Which seems to violate rule 3. Unlikely to be a mistake like the _Kildare_ blub given the title. Burr’s character is “Grimes” and is the only such role Burr played in the series, per IMDb. While look at the Perry Mason IMDb page I noticed a “…” under Burr’s listing. Which lead me to the Grimes thing. There’s also one for Ray Collins but that’s just him being listed as Lt. Tragg withour or without a first name. ---
**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:** [August 25, 2024, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/13 "2024-08-25T19:14:49Z")
Here’s the [page](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0509791/) for that. The blurb has “The butcher returns with his fiancee who is the spitting image of Edith …” That plus Jean not being credited by her own name rules it out. But I think maybe I could be more lax on that last point. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/14 "2024-08-25T19:17:48Z")
In _The Adventures of Superman_, Season 2, Episode 10, “The Face and the Voice”, a thug named Boulder is given plastic surgery and voice lessons to look and sound like Superman. The credits say “Guest Starring George Reeves as Boulder”, or something very similar. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/15 "2024-08-25T19:18:04Z")
I see that now. It’s been years since I saw the episode and didn’t remember any more details. It is a look alike situation. ---
**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:** [August 25, 2024, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/16 "2024-08-25T22:11:12Z")
Again, what made the _Kildare_ episode quite different (to me) is that Massey was _not_ playing a _doppelganger_. “Twin”-like portrayals are very common. E.g., [_Happy Days_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0596190/) had Al’s twin brother priest in an episode. _Ad nauseum_. For classic sitcoms with long runs it might be easier to list ones that _didn’t_ go down this road. ---
**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:** [August 25, 2024, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/17 "2024-08-25T22:43:09Z")
Not on TV but in the movie _ **Mary Poppins** _, Dick van Dyke played Bert the Chimney Sweep and Bank President Mr Dawes. (Not at all related, I’d assume.) ---
**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:** [August 25, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/18 "2024-08-25T23:29:14Z")
Again, I want to focus on TV series. There are a ship load of movies with people playing multiple parts. The Pythons, Peter Sellers, etc. Too common to be at all notable. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2024, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/19 "2024-08-26T00:16:52Z")
In an episode of **The Abbott and Costello Show** , regular player Sidney Fields appeared both as A&C’s lawyer and as an inmate they meet in prison (who performs the “Niagara Falls”/“Slowly I Turned” routine). ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195/20 "2024-08-26T06:03:16Z")
In one episode of _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,_ Jeffrey Combs played two different aliens: the Vorta named Weyoun, and the Ferengi named Brunt. Good God, he must have spent a lot of time in the makeup chair for that episode. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest-starring-in-your-own-tv-show/1006195.md?page=2)