# One show, one actor, different characters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907 "2008-01-17T18:52:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/41 "2008-01-18T03:57:30Z")
OK, after posting, I became curious, so I looked up the info… In _The Gilmore Girls_, Sean Gunn first appeared in episode 2 as “Mick.” Next he was in episode 3 as an unnamed swan delivery man. In episode 5, he appeared as “Kirk” and has held the role of bit-part-character ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/42 "2008-01-18T04:06:22Z")
The late great Charles Lane played several crotchety charcters over the course of _Bewitched_. I guess the same actor is used in multiple roles because of the tragic shortage of actors. :rolleyes: Still, I know one Brit here who cannot stand the practice. That guy who played two roles in _Deadwood_, for example; my friend was becoming increasingly disenchanted with the show during the second season, but when they brought back the actor who had shot Wild Bill Hickock, that was it, he stopped watching it. Others have remarked about how you could not even tell it was the same actor, but my friend and I – although it did not bother me – said bollocks to that! It was clearly the same person. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/43 "2008-01-18T04:08:01Z")
I guess it’s sort of an “evil twin” situation but Lisa Kudrow was cast as Phoebe in _Friends_ in part because of her recurring role as Ursula on _Mad About You_ and they eventually had her playing Ursula a few times on _Friends_ as well. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/44 "2008-01-18T04:19:48Z")
[QUOTE=zamboniracer] As someone else here noted, it doesn’t hurt to be related to the show’s star! [/QUOTE] Speaking of the star, James Garner starred as the title character in _Nichols_, back in 1971. In the final episode his character was killed off, only to be replaced by his brother, played by(of course) James Garner. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/45 "2008-01-18T04:32:22Z")
Does Patty Duke on the \*Patty Duke show \* count? She played herself and her (non evil) cousin. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/46 "2008-01-18T04:36:57Z")
Early on in _The Sopranos,_ Joe Gannascoli first played a random character called “Gino” who buys food at a bakery in one short scene. Then later in the series, the same actor comes back to play the character Vito, who becomes a major part of the show. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/47 "2008-01-18T07:09:55Z")
_The West Wing_’s **Alison Janey** played two characters on \*Law and Order. \* ---
**Author:** ![coffinjumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@coffinjumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffinjumper)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/48 "2008-01-18T08:37:05Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] In _Buffy_, the same actor played the vampire henchman Luke, who got killed in the pilot, and the demonic Judge in the second season. In season three, the demon who uses a homeless shelter as a source for slave labor for his home dimension later appears as the fiance of Doyle’s ex-wife on _Angel_. He was also an Alliance mole in the pilot for _Firefly_. [/QUOTE] Don’t forget Anya’s friend Halfrek being Spike’s old crush Cecily. Tom Lenk played both Andrew and one of Harmony’s vampire minion. Camden Toy has played one of the gentlemen, a turok han, and gnarl, as well as anothyer seperate villian on Angel. Jeff Kober also played both Rack and the insane vampire Buffy had to face for her 18th. And I officially feel pathetic for knowing all of these now, so I’m just going to stop. But Joss Whedon is quite fond of working with the same actors he likes a lot repeatedly. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/49 "2008-01-18T10:44:52Z")
In _The Cosby Show_, the guy who played Denise’s husband (and father of Olivia, the insufferably twee one) appeared in the first season as a blind date for Sondra. ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/50 "2008-01-18T11:24:54Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] **Jeffrey Tambor** played George Bluth, and later his twin brother Oscar, on _Arrested Development_. I assume the writers created Oscar because Tambor’s character was always in jail or in hiding, and they wanted to have him interact with more of the cast more often. [/QUOTE] I wonder if this was a nod toward his days on **Three’s Company**. Tambor played at least three different guest characters and then shows up in the regular line-up of the ill advised spin-off _The Ropers_. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/51 "2008-01-18T11:27:13Z")
[QUOTE=coffinjumper] Don’t forget Anya’s friend Halfrek being Spike’s old crush Cecily. [/QUOTE] Quick hijack- Were Halfrek/Cecily different characters or did human C become vengeance demon H? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/52 "2008-01-18T11:35:07Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] Quick hijack- Were Halfrek/Cecily different characters or did human C become vengeance demon H? [/QUOTE] > **[Halfrek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halfrek)** > > Halfrek or Hallie is a recurring fictional character on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. > Halfrek is a vengeance demon and long-time associate of Anya Jenkins. The character appeared in seasons 6 and 7, and previously appeared as Cecily in season 5. She is played by actress Kali Rocha. > Halfrek is a long-time associate and sometime friend of Anya, who knew her from her days as a vengeance demon. The two had worked together in the past, notably during the Russian Revolution of 1905... Found my own answer & it seems to be weirder than that- V-Demon H was passing as human C when William met & fell for her. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/53 "2008-01-18T13:21:39Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] Still, I know one Brit here who cannot stand the practice. That guy who played two roles in _Deadwood_, for example; my friend was becoming increasingly disenchanted with the show during the second season, but when they brought back the actor who had shot Wild Bill Hickock, that was it, he stopped watching it. Others have remarked about how you could not even tell it was the same actor, but my friend and I – although it did not bother me – said bollocks to that! It was clearly the same person. [/QUOTE] It cracked me up when the first time Charlie Utter saw Wolcott on the street (gettting off the stage coach, I believe), he does a double take. ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/54 "2008-01-18T13:52:54Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] The great Vito Scotti played several different characters who were scared away from **The Addams Family**. He also showed up on **Gilligan’s Island** as three different characters. [/QUOTE] He also played numerous characters on Columbo, as did the fabulous Jack Cassidy, who played something like 3 different killers. Columbo recycled quite a number of people. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/55 "2008-01-18T14:05:47Z")
Elizabeth Montgomery played Samatha and her cousin Serena on “Bewitched.” I could bring in the soaps, but I’d be here all day. Suffice it to say that everyone on the soaps has a twin or look alike. Judi Evans on Days of Our Lives did play two unrelated and completely different people: the innocent Adrienne Johnson Kirakis, and later the country western golddigger Bonnie Lockhart. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/56 "2008-01-18T14:30:34Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] Elizabeth Montgomery played Samatha and her cousin Serena on “Bewitched.” [/QUOTE] Barbara Eden also player a dark haired Sister of Jeannie on “I Dream of Jeannie”. She was already skilled at this as she played 4 different characters on Burke’s Law in a 3 year span: Vanessa Barrett, Linda Murray, Sylvia Hanson & Marni Lee. Barney Miller was always good for having the same character actor reappear a few times. Then many of them would appear in the related show Night Court. (Many of the production crew did both series) Doris Roberts might be the most famous of these character actors. She played Louise Kaufmann & Harriet Brower on Barney Miller. Phil Leeds played 3 characters on Night Court and at least 5 on [Barney Miller](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072472/fullcredits#cast). Jim ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/57 "2008-01-18T14:35:29Z")
Allan Melvin made eight appearances on _The Andy Griffith Show_ in eight different roles, usually as an escaped prisoner or a bully who’s intimidating Barney. He’s the escaped prisoner who sinks in Andy’s boat, and he’s the bully that threatens to catch Barney out of uniform and beat him up. ---
**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:** [January 18, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/58 "2008-01-18T14:42:58Z")
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine] Allan Melvin made eight appearances on _The Andy Griffith Show_ in eight different roles, usually as an escaped prisoner or a bully who’s intimidating Barney. [/QUOTE] The Andy Griffith Show also had the same actor playing Mr. Garland in a Season 7 show and Marvin Jenkins in Season 8–_Jack Nicholson_ ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/59 "2008-01-18T14:45:36Z")
[QUOTE=Ceejaytee] He also played numerous characters on Columbo, as did the fabulous Jack Cassidy, who played something like 3 different killers. Columbo recycled quite a number of people. [/QUOTE] For instance William Shatner did a murderer who was an exact opposite of Colombo as a neat-freak television detective and a murderer who was a take off on Rush Linburgh and also Patrick McGoohan did a couple different turns as a murderer on the program. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907/60 "2008-01-18T15:58:18Z")
In _Absolutely Fabulous_, Jane Horrocks played both the airheaded personal assistant Bubble and the assertive television presenter Erin Grin. Even though I know it’s the same actor, they still seem like completely different people to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-show-one-actor-different-characters/433907.md?page=4)