# Same Actor Plays the Same Role in the Remake **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 3, 2010, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506 "2010-01-03T13:03:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/1 "2010-01-03T13:03:28Z")
Reading the [current Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=546181) about the [2010 remake](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1321509/) of the [2007 film Death at a Funeral](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795368/), it was brought to my attention that [Peter Dinklage](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0227759/) plays the same role in both films. I immediately thought of [Penélope Cruz](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004851/) playing the same role in [1997’s Abre Los Ojos](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125659/) and in the [2001 remake Vanilla Sky](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259711/). Other examples? Same actor plays the same role in the remake? I’ll exclude examples of feature length remakes of short films ([Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108181/)/[Sling Blade](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117666/))- just 'cause it’s my OP and I can exclude things. Ha! Take that, SDMB! ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/2 "2010-01-03T13:06:19Z")
In exactly the same way as Miss Cruz, playing the same part in the English language remake: Gérard Depardieu [Mon père, ce héros](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0102465/) [My Father the Hero](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0110612/) ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/3 "2010-01-03T13:08:29Z")
Well Gary Burkoff played Radar both in the original movie M_A_S\*H the TV series. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/4 "2010-01-03T13:42:11Z")
Not exactly a remake, but rather a reboot: Judi Dench in the recent James Bond movies. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/5 "2010-01-03T14:50:11Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Not exactly a remake, but rather a reboot: Judi Dench in the recent James Bond movies. Speaking of reboots, I was wondering if Leonard Nimoy playing Spock in the latest Star Trek movie would count. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/6 "2010-01-03T16:16:34Z")
Not in films, but there were some Broadway revivals that used original stars: **Annie Get Your Gun** (Ethel Merman), and **The King and I** (Yul Brynner – twice), **Hello Dolly** (Carol Channing – also twice) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/7 "2010-01-03T16:17:59Z")
Well, Charlie Brill played Arne Darvin in the Star Trek:TOS episode “The Trouble With Tribbles.” He then played the same character 30 years later in the Star Trek:DS9 episode “Trials and Tribble-ations.” ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/8 "2010-01-03T16:58:25Z")
Honorable mention goes to Michael Caine, who appeared in both film versions of _Sleuth_, but as two different major characters in each (not just a cameo, which often happens). ---
**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 3, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/9 "2010-01-03T17:18:59Z")
Clark Gable—_Red Dust_ in 1932 and _Mogambo_ in 1953. With Jean Harlow the first time and Ava Gardner the second time. Nice jobs if you can get them. ---
**Author:** ![Goofus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@Goofus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goofus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/10 "2010-01-03T17:34:02Z")
Peter Cullen played Optimus Prime in “Transformers” in 1986 and again in 2007, though I suppose the second movie was not really a remake of the first. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/11 "2010-01-03T17:48:14Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > In exactly the same way as Miss Cruz, playing the same part in the English language remake: > > Gérard Depardieu > [Mon père, ce héros](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0102465/) > [My Father the Hero](http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0110612/) And Ingrid Bergman in both _Intermezzo_s. [1936, original Swedish version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0uqTlbs9ug&feature=related) and [1939, w/Leslie Howard](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCDKijpdtCM) (wow, is that really her playing?! Great faker if not). Speaking of the awesome Leslie Howard, there’s his [Scarlet Pimpernel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4NLY0cWDuQ&feature=related), from 1936, and the 1941 version, [Pimpernel Smith](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn5YNBkgTqQ&feature=PlayList&p=CCD82979DA9FCABD&index=1), which updates the story to WWII. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/12 "2010-01-03T20:40:49Z")
James Stewart was in at least two versions of **Harvey**. 1950 and 1972 (TV). ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/13 "2010-01-03T22:29:38Z")
The pilot episode of _Forever Knight_ (1992) was a remake of a 1989 TV movie called _Nick Knight_. John Kapelos played Detective Donald Schanke in both versions. ---
**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 3, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/14 "2010-01-03T23:08:57Z")
I know, I know, it’s not an official remake, but to many it feels like one (we had an entire thread on this a couple of months ago). John Wayne - _Rio Bravo_ 1959 and _El Dorado_ 1966. ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/15 "2010-01-03T23:22:34Z")
Liz Smith as Mrs. Dilber in 1984’s A Christmas Carol (with George C. Scott) and again in the 1999 version (with Patrick Stewart). ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/16 "2010-01-04T03:50:11Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Not exactly a remake, but rather a reboot: Judi Dench in the recent James Bond movies. Sean Connery in **Thunderball** and **Never Say Never Again**. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/17 "2010-01-04T04:02:07Z")
Alan Hale Sr played “Little John” in the 1922 version of “Robin Hood” starring Douglas Fairbanks and the 1938 “Adventures of Robin Hood” starring Errol Flynn. ---
**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:** [January 4, 2010, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/18 "2010-01-04T10:32:16Z")
This was technically not a remake, but Richard Roundtree played John Shaft in the 2000 movie “Shaft”. Samuel L. Jackson was Roundtree’s namesake nephew in that picture. Also technically not a remake, Harry Morgan played Bill Gannon in 1987s “Dragnet”, which starred Dan Aykroyd as Joe Friday’s nephew. Gannon was the original Friday’s partner in the 1967 TV series. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-actor-plays-the-same-role-in-the-remake/523506/19 "2010-01-04T11:05:18Z")
Patrick Stewart played King Claudius in the Derek Jacobi _Hamlet_ in 1980, and again in the David Tennant _Hamlet_ in 2008/2009.