# Movie/TV actors that you'll always see as a particular character **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 31, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535 "2014-07-31T23:37:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/1 "2014-07-31T23:37:49Z")
[Spinoff](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17598530&postcount=20). Because, what the heck. This will of course, again, be about your subjective experiences. I’ll start: Patrick Stewart is forever captain Jean-Luc Picard for me (which, as I mentioned in the other thread, can get confusing on a meta-level. Because of _I, Claudius_, I always picture the historical [Sejanus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sejanus) as [looking like Jean-Luc Picard](http://www.starwrecked.com/contents/other-parts/Next-Generation-Patrick-Stewart-Captain-Jean-Luc-Picard/I-Claudius-Sejanus-8.jpg)). Anthony Hopkins is of course Hannibal Lecter, no matter what movie he’s in. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2014, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/2 "2014-07-31T23:42:04Z")
For me, Brando was always Stanley Kowalski no matter how much he let himself go. That may well be that that was the first I saw of him with the possible exception of Terry Malloy which was basically Kowalski again. ---
**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:** [August 1, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/3 "2014-08-01T00:22:23Z")
Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum. James Garner as Jim Rockford, or Bret Maverick, depending on your age. George Peppard as Hannibal Smith. Peter Falk as Columbo. Ricardo Montalban as KHANNNNNNN! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/4 "2014-08-01T00:24:09Z")
Kirk. TJ Hooker was Kirk stuck on old Earth. Bros Karamozov was Kirk and Westworld stuck in older Earth. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/5 "2014-08-01T00:27:49Z")
L&O’s Logan, too. ---
**Author:** ![bunyupp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@bunyupp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunyupp)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/6 "2014-08-01T01:46:57Z")
Ed O’Neill will forever be Al Bundy! (I never watched any Star Trek after the first one, so I’ll always think of Patrick Stewart as Sejanus. Plus, Hugh Laurie will always be the Prince Regent on Blackadder.) ---
**Author:** ![Hook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Hook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hook)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/7 "2014-08-01T12:02:34Z")
“Plus, Hugh Laurie will always be the Prince Regent on Blackadder.” To me, Hugh Laurie is forever Bertie Wooster. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/8 "2014-08-01T13:18:23Z")
Every time I see Mandy Patinkin in anything I can only hear him say "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. " Which is just really really unfair of me, considering how talented he is. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/9 "2014-08-01T13:25:55Z")
> [@Sean\_Factotum](#): > > Every time I see Mandy Patinkin in anything I can only hear him say "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. " > > Which is just really really unfair of me, considering how talented he is. We’re both guilty then. Even in _Homeland_ I keep expecting him to bust out with that line! And…[the boy can sing!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysu-C4OQ_Xw) ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/59ef9b/32.png) [@FlyingRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRat)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/10 "2014-08-01T14:05:51Z")
Hugh Jackman is Wolverine. Always. [Wolverine as a singing cowboy.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNEUtN21cuU) [Wolverine as a Victorian duke in NYC.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnLdHNG4YMQ) [Wolverine as a leather-clad vampire slayer.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Helsing_(film)) [Wolverine as a taciturn cattle drover.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_(2008_film)) Wolverine, after all, gets around. Bub. ---
**Author:** ![Evin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@Evin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evin)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/11 "2014-08-01T14:13:31Z")
Spock ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/12 "2014-08-01T15:39:38Z")
> [@Sean\_Factotum](#): > > Every time I see Mandy Patinkin in anything I can only hear him say "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. " > > Which is just really really unfair of me, considering how talented he is. “My name is Jason Gideon, you killed my BAU team, prepare to die.” ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/13 "2014-08-01T15:44:34Z")
> [@FlyingRat](#): > > Wolverine, after all, gets around. Bub. Right. Since Wolverine ages so slowly and keeps losing his memory, it’s not even that much of a stretch that he would be bouncing around history under different names. Maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/14 "2014-08-01T15:52:28Z")
I see certain actors as who they played on _Oz_. “Hey look! It’s Adebisi.” “Hey look! It’s Beecher.” etc. Nathan Fillion will always be Captain Malcolm Reynolds, not “Castle.” ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/15 "2014-08-01T16:17:40Z")
James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/16 "2014-08-01T16:30:18Z")
A reviewer for the Onion’s AV Club said something about John Rhys-Davies being best known for Gimli in LotR. The reviewer was quickly mocked in the comment thread for not mentioning his other really big role of Sallah in Raiders (and Last Crusade) and then kept mentioning other roles he’d played. For this thread, I’d probably say his role as Sallah. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/17 "2014-08-01T17:04:02Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > Nathan Fillion will always be Captain Malcolm Reynolds, not “Castle.” Depends on his weight. If he’s skinny, he’s Captain Tightpants. If he’s carryin’ a few pounds, he’s Castle. ---
**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:** [August 2, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/18 "2014-08-02T05:02:53Z")
> [@Sean\_Factotum](#): > > Every time I see Mandy Patinkin in anything I can only hear him say "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. " > > Which is just really really unfair of me, considering how talented he is. Every time I see him I can hear him calling James Caan “Shithead.” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/19 "2014-08-02T10:57:05Z")
Kelsey Grammer will always be Frasier Crane. He was for twenty years straight, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535/20 "2014-08-02T12:27:19Z")
There are lots of actors this is true for, but perhaps also none. Calling actors by the name of a character they’ve portrayed is a “game” I play with a few people I know. Alternatively, you can just use the title of the work they appear in. Hugo Weaving is almost always “Agent Smith”. Sam Neil is “Jurassic Park”. It’s _even more_ fun to deliberately pick something less obvious that doesn’t even seem to make sense - Bryan Cranston is always “Malcolm in the Middle”, for example. However, when I’m actually seriously watching a film or TV show, it will be relatively easy to temporarily forget that Bruce Wayne is supposed to be torturing prostitutes and eating Hershey bars. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > Kelsey Grammer will always be Frasier Crane. He was for twenty years straight, after all. I always call him Sideshow Bob. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-tv-actors-that-youll-always-see-as-a-particular-character/694535.md?page=2)