# TV actors who have played opposite each other as regulars on more than one show **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 7, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270 "2010-06-07T14:04:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [June 7, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/1 "2010-06-07T14:04:22Z")
The recent death of Rue McClanahan reminds me that she played opposite two different actors on three different TV shows: Rue McClanahan & Bea Arthur–Maude & The Golden Girls Rue McClanahan & Betty White–Mama’s Family & The Golden Girls The other three sets of actors I could think of: Fran Drescher & Charles Shaughnessy: The Nanny & Life with Fran Bill Cosby & Phylicia Rashād : The Cosby Show & Cos Johnny Galecki & Sara Gilbert: Roseanne & The Big Bang Theory Note: Gyest stars do not count. The actor must play at least a recurring role. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/2 "2010-06-07T14:26:21Z")
Edie Falco and Paul Schulze have been in more than one episode each in _The Sopranos_ and _Nurse Jackie_ and perhaps _Oz_ and at least one movie. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/3 "2010-06-07T14:30:25Z")
Courteney Cox & Christa Miller: Scrubs & Cougar Town Sonya Walger & Dominic Monaghan: Lost & FlashForward Practically the entire casts of Oz and Law and Order: SVU ---
**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:** [June 7, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/4 "2010-06-07T14:36:02Z")
Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon – **The Lucy Show** and **Here’s Lucy** Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance – **I Love Lucy** and **The Lucy Show** Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy – **The Peter Lind Hayes Show** and **Peter Loves Mary** (It helped that they were married) Tim Conway and Joe Flynn – **McHale’s Navy, The Tim Conway Show** ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/5 "2010-06-07T14:36:16Z")
Lucille Ball & Vivian Vance were on I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/6 "2010-06-07T14:37:16Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance – **I Love Lucy** and **The Lucy Show** Damn you! ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/7 "2010-06-07T14:40:11Z")
Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance on I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show, and Lucille Ball and Gale Gordon on The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy, and Life with Lucy. Edit: Geez! Beaten to the punch by somebody else beaten to the punch; that stings. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/8 "2010-06-07T14:42:41Z")
**Gale Gordon** was a regular on Lucille Ball’s _The Lucy Show_ and _Here’s Lucy_ (he was essentially playing the same character with a different name). According to IMDb, he was a regular, guest star, or co-star on five series with Lucille Ball (if you count the _Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour_ as a separate series). **typoink** : I know the feeling. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/9 "2010-06-07T14:44:02Z")
Would you count the various versions of Mayberry as separate shows? If so, Andy, Don, Ronnie and a batch of others can make the list. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/10 "2010-06-07T14:44:33Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > Edit: Geez! Beaten to the punch by somebody else beaten to the punch; that stings. Then there was Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance. Let’s not forget them. This may be cheating a bit, but Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, and Scott Baio were all on Happy Days and Arrested Development. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/11 "2010-06-07T14:46:30Z")
This is a spinoff case, but still: David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and ‘Angel’ ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/12 "2010-06-07T14:47:23Z")
OK, Tom Poston had a recurring role (5 episodes) as Bob’s college buddy on _The Bob Newhart_ Show before being cast as a regular (the dimwitted handyman) on _Newhart_. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/13 "2010-06-07T14:48:20Z")
Well, if we’re allowed to cross genres, Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/14 "2010-06-07T14:57:20Z")
Do mini-series count? If so: Mary Louise Parker and Justin Kirk: “Weeds” and “Angels In America” ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/15 "2010-06-07T15:06:57Z")
Oh, I’ve remembered more - the whole Sorkin cast of regulars: Evan Handler, Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford: “The West Wing” and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” Mary McCormack, Josh Malina, Allison Janney: “The West Wing” and “In Plain Sight” Josh Malina and Teri Polo: “Sports Night” and “The West Wing” (I would include Lisa Edelstein, but her character was gone by the time Malina joined the cast, so they never played opposite each other.) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/16 "2010-06-07T15:07:03Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > OK, Tom Poston had a recurring role (5 episodes) as Bob’s college buddy on _The Bob Newhart_ Show before being cast as a regular (the dimwitted handyman) on _Newhart_. They can go one more. Poston also had a recurring role on Newhart’s later, less successful series,\* Bob\*. ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/17 "2010-06-07T15:32:03Z")
How about Tim Conway & Ernest Borgnine (“McHale’s Navy” & “Spongebob”)? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/18 "2010-06-07T15:33:27Z")
Martin Landau and Barbara Bain - _Mission: Impossible_ and _Space: 1999_. They’d only do shows with colons. Michael Hogan and Tahmoh Penikett of \*Battlestar Galactica \*had both been regulars on _Cold Squad_, but not in the same seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/19 "2010-06-07T15:36:43Z")
Show and a movie - Goodfellas and the Sopranos: Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperoli and Frank Vincent. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270/20 "2010-06-07T15:38:24Z")
Ben Browder and Claudia Black on Farscape and Stargate: SG-1 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-have-played-opposite-each-other-as-regulars-on-more-than-one-show/542270.md?page=2)