# Roles you really can't imagine any other actor doing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 19, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121 "2005-04-19T20:29:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/61 "2005-04-20T23:53:37Z")
I second **Vivien Leigh** as Scarlett in GWTW. **Robbie Benson** as Hagrid in Harry Potter. **Ted Danson** as Sam Malone in Cheers. **Andre the Giant** as the giant in Princess Bride. **Olivia Newton-John** as Sandy in Grease. **Danny DeVito** as Louie in Taxi. On the flip side, I’m surprised that no actor has claimed the “Batman” role as his. None of the actors who have portrayed Batman has nailed the character, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/62 "2005-04-20T23:55:43Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > **Robbie Benson** as Hagrid in Harry Potter. Er, that’s **Robbie Coltrane** I only know Batman from the films so for me it’s Keaton. But I am a fan of Christian Bale and I’m sure he’ll make a great early batman. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/63 "2005-04-21T00:08:43Z")
Steve Buscemi in **Fargo**. It’s like the role was made for him. (It was). Clive Owen in **Croupier** Orson Welles in **The Third Man** Angela Lansbury in **The Manchurian Candidate** And now for some more odd choices Rob Lowe as young Robert Wagner in **The Spy Who Shagged Me**. Seriously, he absolutely NAILED Robert Wagner. Along those lines, I loved River Pheonix’s portrayal of young Indiana Jones. He said that he tailored his performance after Harrison Ford and not Indiana Jones, and I think that was a wise choice. There were two scenes that were eerie - one where he’s running wildly, and another when he’s forced to count in Greek. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/64 "2005-04-21T05:43:32Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > On the flip side, I’m surprised that no actor has claimed the “Batman” role as his. None of the actors who have portrayed Batman has nailed the character, IMO. I’ll meet you halfway and say that I can’t see anyone but Adam West as a campy 60’s Batman! ---
**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:** [April 21, 2005, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/65 "2005-04-21T06:42:00Z")
> [@Agrippina](#): > > Brian Cox was the first to play Lecter, in **Manhunter**. I have never seen the movie because I can’t imagine anyone else but Hopkins playing Lecter. I know that’s a lousy reason, as I’ve heard it’s a really good movie and I like Brian Cox. But I just can’t. I’m sorry. Brian Cox is brilliant in a small role in that film. His performance is much more subtle than Hopkins’. He plays Lechter as more normal and rational, which just makes him creepier. ---
**Author:** ![Feydeau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/66 "2005-04-21T07:16:25Z")
John Cleese as Basil Fawlty. John Inman as Mr. Humphries. (Also Mollie Sugden as Mrs. Slocombe…) And, of course, no one but Herve Villechaize could have been Tattoo. Not even Billy Barty. ---
**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:** [April 21, 2005, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/67 "2005-04-21T11:57:17Z")
Kelsey Grammar as Fraiser, and David Hyde Pierce as Niles. It just wouldn’t have worked with anyone else. AND Kelsey Grammar as Sideshow Bob. ---
**Author:** ![Josh120](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ab097/32.png) [@Josh120](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Josh120)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2005, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/68 "2005-04-21T12:15:45Z")
Charlton Heston as Moses. Period. Also noteworthy is Ewan Mcgregor as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi…just because he perfectly generates the look and feel of a young Obi-Wan. His accent and the look in his eyes perfectly compliments the character portrayed by Alec Guinness; you easily believe it’s the same person. The movie he appeared in was silly of course, but I thought the Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon duo was one of the few more redeeming things (for that matter, Liam Neeson made a cool Jedi himself). But…seriously. How do you beat _Charlton Heston as Moses?!!_ –Josh ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/69 "2005-04-23T04:47:34Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. I gotta disagree with this one. Rathbone and Bruce may have been the first ones we saw, but, in the books, Watson was a younger, more vigorous man, so Nigel Bruce is out. And I once heard Holmes described as “all brain, no heart”. Jeremy Brett nailed that. So, my vote goes to Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke of the _ **Mystery** _ series. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/70 "2005-04-23T04:56:43Z")
> [@Oslo Ostragoth](#): > > I gotta disagree with this one. > > Rathbone and Bruce may have been the first ones we saw, but, in the books, Watson was a younger, more vigorous man, so Nigel Bruce is out. And I once heard Holmes described as “all brain, no heart”. Jeremy Brett nailed that. > > So, my vote goes to Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke of the _ **Mystery** _ series. How the heck do I edit this? Several people already beat me to it… ---
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/71 "2005-04-23T05:33:22Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. > [@Kalhoun](#): > > That’s who I was going to say. He forever owns this part. Notice that in all these years, no one has tried to re-make this? That’s cuz it can’t be done… OMG - I saw the title of this thread and thought for a minute and the name that came into my head was Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Then I opened the thread and two others had already picked this. AMAZING Considering that I was 4 or 5 when this movie actually came out and all the movies I have seen since says a lot for Mr. Peck’s performance. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/72 "2005-04-23T05:48:26Z")
Another vote for Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes Joan Hickson as Miss Marple (why are they even TRYING to make another series…?) ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/73 "2005-04-23T23:09:10Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > That’s who I was going to say. He forever owns this part. Notice that in all these years, no one has tried to re-make this? That’s cuz it can’t be done. Actually, someone did, in 1997, with the widely-known Evan Nisenson playing Atticus Finch. From the way you’re now scratching your head and saying “Who? What remake?,” you can say this _only_ proves your last point. And I agree. One of my favorite movies ever. ---
**Author:** ![boofuu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@boofuu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boofuu)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121/74 "2005-04-23T23:41:57Z")
How about **Telly Savalas**? I think Ving Rhames is a great actor, but that IS Telly’s role. How loves you, baby, indeed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roles-you-really-cant-imagine-any-other-actor-doing/300121.md?page=3)