# Movies where three (or more) actors play the same character **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [March 24, 2025, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028 "2025-03-24T13:27:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/1 "2025-03-24T13:27:00Z")
We watched “Interstellar” over the weekend. “Murph”, the daughter of Matthew McConaughey’s character, is portrayed by three different actresses: Mackenzie Foy as a young girl, Jessica Chastain as a young woman, and Ellen Burstyn as an old woman. While it’s not unusual to have multiple actors play the same character over the course of a TV series or several movies, or sometimes two actors in a single movie (i.e. flashbacks to when a character was younger), I was wondering how rare it was to have three or more actors play the same character in a single movie. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/2 "2025-03-24T13:35:31Z")
Marvel’s _Shang Chi_ shows the title character at three different ages, with a separate actor for each. ---
**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 24, 2025, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/3 "2025-03-24T13:40:56Z")
In Terry Gilliam’s _The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus_, Tony Shepard is played by four different actors: Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. (Gilliam came up with the idea after Ledger unexpectedly died during production.) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/4 "2025-03-24T13:42:42Z")
There’s _I’m not There_, in which 6 actors play Bob Dylan, or at least ‘[different facets of Dylan’s public personas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Not_There)’. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/5 "2025-03-24T13:58:50Z")
In **Shine** , David Helfgott is played by Alex Rafalowicz (boy), Noah Taylor (teen) and finally Geoffrey Rush (adult). Three excellent performances too. ---
**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 24, 2025, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/6 "2025-03-24T14:58:22Z")
_Weird: The Al Yankovic Story_ had three different actors playing Al as a child, teen and adult. (Four if you count Diedrich Bader doing Al’s voice-over narration.) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/7 "2025-03-24T15:03:35Z")
**Moonlight** was about 3 phases of the main character’s life. Played by Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes. ---
**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 24, 2025, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/8 "2025-03-24T15:14:13Z")
In _Return of the Jedi_, for Darth Vader: - David Prowse did the physical portrayal of Vader in his suit - James Earl Jones provided the voice - Sebastian Shaw was the face and voice of the unmasked Vader / Anakin Skywalker at the end of the film In addition, in 2004, after Hayden Christensen was cast as the adult Anakin in _Attack of the Clones_, George Lucas re-edited the “celebration” scene at the end of _Return of the Jedi_, replacing Shaw as Anakin’s Force ghost with Christensen. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/9 "2025-03-24T15:44:09Z")
In the TV show _Lost_–the Man in Black(a.k.a. The Smoke Monster) was played by Ryan Bradford, Titus Welliver, and Terry O’Quinn plus numerous others he imitated ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/10 "2025-03-24T16:34:54Z")
In a single episode? Because I’m not looking for examples across multiple TV episodes or movies. ---
**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 24, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/11 "2025-03-24T16:44:55Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > In _Return of the Jedi_, for Darth Vader: > > - David Prowse did the physical portrayal of Vader in his suit > - James Earl Jones provided the voice > - Sebastian Shaw was the face and voice of the unmasked Vader / Anakin Skywalker at the end of the film > > In addition, in 2004, after Hayden Christensen was cast as the adult Anakin in _Attack of the Clones_, George Lucas re-edited the “celebration” scene at the end of _Return of the Jedi_, replacing Shaw as Anakin’s Force ghost with Christensen. You may also notice that Vader stops looking so much taller than Luke when they start lightsabering in earnest, because that’s when they swap in Olympic fencer Bob Anderson. I mean, yeah, we presumably don’t want to open this up to every use of a stunt double, but there’s probably _some_ amount of _‘wow, that’s a really long amount of time to be getting a clear look at the character doing what he’s known for’_ that would qualify, right? ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/12 "2025-03-24T17:16:21Z")
Four actors play the Dalai Lama at various ages in _Kundun_ (1997). ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/13 "2025-03-24T18:39:08Z")
In the 1987 film _Predator_ the title character was played in almost all scenes by Kevin Peter Hall and voiced by Peter Cullen. However some of the special effects shots with the creature running the jungle were played Jean Claude van Damme who was the original choice to play the creature. (The directors eventually decided to replace the 5 foot 9 inch van Damme with the 7 foot 2inch Hall so it would more physically imposing playing against Arnold Schwarzenegger.) ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/14 "2025-03-24T18:44:13Z")
The 1978 _Superman_ film had three actors playing the title character: a baby playing the infant Kal-El arriving on Earth Jeff East playing the teenage Clark Kent and of course Christopher Reeve playing the adult Clark Kent/ Superman ---
**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 24, 2025, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/15 "2025-03-24T18:59:50Z")
> [@solost](#): > > There’s _I’m not There_, in which 6 actors play Bob Dylan, or at least ‘[different facets of Dylan’s public personas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Not_There)’. If facets of personality count, and assuming voice actors count for an animated work, then Inside Out has six, or even more for the sequel. > [@dorvann](#): > > …plus numerous others he imitated True, shapeshifters can really rack up the body count. How many different actors played, say, Mystique, in any given X-Men movie? ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/16 "2025-03-24T21:05:34Z")
Not a movie, but three different actresses portrayed Cher in the Broadway musical _The Cher Show_. There were a number of scenes in which two of the actresses were on the stage at the same time. I saw that show several years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2025, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/17 "2025-03-24T21:22:49Z")
Just happen tp have seen an example recently: [_Reawakening_](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21928528). 3 people plat a daughter at different ages. Does Casino Royale (1967) count? It’s got 3 James Bonds and one Jimmie Bond. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/18 "2025-03-24T23:36:08Z")
Slumdog Millionaire. Jamal, his brother Salim, and Latika are each played by three different actors at three different ages. IIRC some of the child actors were recruited from the slums in India, there was a bit of controversy over it. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2025, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/19 "2025-03-25T02:24:20Z")
The TV series Dark had a character who was present as a boy (Claude Heinrich), an adult (Jakob Diehl), and an old man (Hans Diehl) all at the same time. They functioned as a single character. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2025, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028/20 "2025-03-25T02:56:53Z")
_Shrek the Musical_ is also a Broadway show. But there is a filmed version of a performance (actually edited together from multiple performances), so it also counts as a movie. Fiona is played at three different ages by Sutton Foster (adult Fiona), Marissa O’Donnell (teen Fiona), and Leah Greenhaus (young Fiona). The three of them even have a song together. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-three-or-more-actors-play-the-same-character/1016028.md?page=2)