# Shows and movies that star the same actors in the same roles decades later **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2022, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665 "2022-07-27T18:39:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/61 "2022-07-28T18:35:50Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > John Larroquette is going to reprise his role as Dan Fielding in the Night Court reboot that will air this fall, 38 years after he first played the role, and 30 after he last played it in the original series. Oh! John Larroquette was the narrator of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and this year, 48 years later, he did it for the update as well. ---
**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:** [July 28, 2022, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/62 "2022-07-28T18:37:09Z")
> [@Redcanoe](#): > > Charlie Brill played Arne Darvin in “The trouble with Tribbles”, Star Trek TOS 1967. He then came back in 1996 for “Trials and Tribble-ations”, Star Trek DS9. Also on DS9, William Campbell, John Colicos, and Michael Ansara reprised their roles as Klingons Koloth, Kor, and Kang from TOS. ---
**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:** [July 28, 2022, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/63 "2022-07-28T18:40:17Z")
_The Black Bird_ was a humorous sequel to the Bogart _Maltese Falcon._ Both Lee Patrick (Effie Perrine) and Elisha Cook, Jr. (Wilmer) reprised their roles from the original, 34 years later. ---
**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:** [July 28, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/64 "2022-07-28T18:41:43Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > didn’t jack Webb play joe Friday in 3 different eras starting on the radio? Two, at least, with a third that was in the works. - A radio series from 1949-1957, along with a TV series during roughly that same era (1951-1959), and a theatrical film (1954). - A TV series from 1967-1970. - A TV series, which was in development in 1982, in which he would have again starred as Friday, but which was scrapped when Webb died late that year. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/65 "2022-07-28T19:00:46Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > TV used to like to do reunion mvoies. > > Wild Wild West Revisited and More WWW aired 10 and 11 years after the show left the air, with both Robert Conrad and Ross Martin. Alas, Michael Dunn had died, so they got Paul Williams to play the angry son of Miguilito Loveless. > > But the best was Still The Beaver, a reunion move 20 years after the end of LitB, with all the original cast except Hugh Beaumont. (which also sparked the new series “The New LitB” (Hollywood is never one for originality!)) Then there’s this Kenny Rogers _Gambler_ movie: > **[The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (TV Movie 1991) ⭐ 6.5 | Drama, Western](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101933/)** > > 4h | Not Rated - [Gene Barry as Bat Masterson](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052445/) - [David Carradine as Kwai-Chang Caine](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068093) - [Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford as “The Rifleman” and Mark McCain](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051308/) - [Brian Keith as “The Westerner”](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053551/) - [Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050037/) ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/66 "2022-07-28T19:20:54Z")
Richard Rowntree looks like the leader at the moment, then. In the UK we have William Roche, who has played the same character (in _Coronation Street_, a soap) since 1960, and (on the radio) June Spencer is still playing the role she started in 1957. But neither of these actors have left their series for any significant length of time. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/67 "2022-07-28T19:32:30Z")
William Daniels has a “lock” on the Adams family. He played John Adams on Broadway in **1776** in 1970 and in the movie version in 1972, then played him again in **The Rebels** in 1979 and in **The American Revolution** in 1994 He was also Sam Adams in **The Bastard** He played John Quincy Adams in **The Adams Chronicles** in 1976. I could have sworn that he played John Quincy Adams much earlier, as well, before **1776** , but I can’t find a record of it. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/68 "2022-07-28T19:35:30Z")
Ian Holm played Napoleon Bonaparte in **Napoleon and Love** (1974) **Time Bandits** (1981) **The Emperor’s New Clothes** (2001) …for a 27 year run. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/69 "2022-07-28T19:39:03Z")
In a similar vein, Kwan Tak-Hing played Wong Fei Hung in around 130 films (!) but only for a paltry 32 years, from 1949 to 1981. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/70 "2022-07-28T19:39:49Z")
Charles Gray played Mycroft Holmes in **The Seven per Cent Solution** (1976) **The Return of Sherlock Holmes (The Bruce Partington Plans)** (1988) **The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (The Mazarin Stone and The Golden Pince-nez)** (1994) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/71 "2022-07-28T19:45:08Z")
Peter Cushing played Sherlock Holmes in **The Hound of the Baskervilles** (1959) **Sherlock Holmes** (TV series) (1968) **The Mask of Death** (1984) Nicholas Rowe played Sherlock Holmes (as a boy) in **Young Sherlock Holmes** (1985) and as an adult in **Mr. Holmes** (2015), for a gap of 30 years. ---
**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:** [July 28, 2022, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/72 "2022-07-28T19:47:58Z")
Leonard Nimoy played Spock in 2009’s _Star Trek_, 18 years after last playing him in the 1991 motion picture _Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country_. Yes, I know about his role in TNG, but that aired a week before _The Undiscovered Country_ was released. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/73 "2022-07-28T19:52:04Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Nicholas Rowe played Sherlock Holmes (as a boy) in **Young Sherlock Holmes** (1985) and as an adult in **Mr. Holmes** (2015), for a gap of 30 years. Ooh— that’s a good one. Interesting about Ian Holm and Napoleon, too (I happened to see him in “Big Night” just yesterday). ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/74 "2022-07-28T20:01:56Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > He played John Quincy Adams in **The Adams Chronicles** in 1976. I could have sworn that he played John Quincy Adams much earlier, as well, before **1776** , but I can’t find a record of it. Wikipedia says it’s a TV movie in 1952 called “A Woman for the Ages” but iMDB has the credit in question going to a “Bill Daniels.” If it’s really William, is his first screen credit. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/75 "2022-07-28T20:04:10Z")
Raymond Burr played Steve Martin in the Americanized version of **Godzilla** (1956) and played Steve Martin in the Americanized version of **Godzilla 1985** (1985 – duh!) In both cases Burr’s scenes were shot without any of the original Japanese cast participating, and well after they had shot the original scenes. At least the original version wasn’t constantly shilling for Pepsi. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/76 "2022-07-28T20:09:43Z")
Jerry Lewis starred as Julius F. Kelp in the original **The Nutty Professor** in 1963. He voiced the same character in the computer animated sequel **The Nutty Professor** in 2008 – a gap of 45 years (and, I think, the record so far) ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/77 "2022-07-28T20:16:17Z")
Has anyone mentioned Harrison Ford portraying Indiana Jones? First in **Raiders of the Lost Ark** (1981) and the last time being **Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull** (2008). I just read like yesterday they’ve announced they’re [doing a fifth Indiana Jones movie](https://variety.com/2022/film/news/boyd-holbrook-indiana-jones-harrison-ford-1235326346/) set for release in 2023. It’s untitled thus far. I would suggest a working title of, perhaps, “Indiana Jones and the Dentures of Death” ---
**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:** [July 28, 2022, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/78 "2022-07-28T21:37:11Z")
Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves played Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Ted “Theodore” Logan in _Bill and Ted Face the Music_ in 2020, 29 years after appearing in _Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey_. Also reprising their roles were Hal Landon, Jr. as Ted’s dad, Chief Logan, Amy Stoch as Missy, and William Sadler as Death. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2022, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/79 "2022-07-29T12:21:20Z")
> [@eburacum45](#): > > The character ‘Alpha Centauri’ in Doctor Who was played by Ysanne Churchman in 1972, 1974 and 2017, which must be some kind of record. The character Jo Grant first appeared in 1971 and last appeared in 2010, which is nearly as long. > If we count Doctor Who audio plays, William Russell and Carole Anne Ford have played their characters from 1963 to 2020 (so far). If you’re talking about _Doctor Who_ there are crapload of examples, including Elizabeth Sladen’s Sarah Jane Smith, numerous multi-doctor shows which do make an effort to bring back former Doctors, and Nicholas Courtney’s Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. I’m pretty sure there are even more than that, given how long the show has been on the air, those are just the ones that come to mind easily. _Star Trek_ had DeForest Kelly reprise his role as Dr. McCoy for _The Next Generation_ and also James Doohan as Scotty. Not to mention Lenoard Nimoy as Spock in the movies, a couple episodes of _The Next Generation_, and the Kelvin Timeline reboot. If I recall, some of the original Klingon commander actors reprised their roles on some episodes of Deep Space Nine. Then there’s the series _Picard_ which, as already mentioned, is full of this. ---
**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:** [July 29, 2022, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665/80 "2022-07-29T14:39:14Z")
_Burke’s Law_. 81 episodes in the early 60s. 27 episodes in the mid 90s. Both starring Gene Barry. _Perry Mason_ ran from 1957 to 1966. 30 Perry Mason tv films ran from 1985 to 1995. Cast members Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale returned for those. There were a few more Perry Mason films after Burr died with Hale appearing briefly in some. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-and-movies-that-star-the-same-actors-in-the-same-roles-decades-later/968665.md?page=5)