# TV Actors Who Played Two Roles 180º From Each Other? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 26, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382 "2010-10-26T04:36:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/41 "2010-10-26T15:46:42Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > On the other hand, his “wife” Katy Sagal went from lazy bimbo on _ **Married with Children** _ to cold-blooded biker matriarch on _ **Sons of Anarchy.** _ There’s also Ed O’Neill who went from poor shoe salesman on Married with Children to rich entrepreneur with a really hot wife on Modern Family. Though personality-wise, both characters are still kind of schlubby. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/42 "2010-10-26T16:00:19Z")
There’s Marcia Cross who went from playing a psychotic, bomb building, revenge obsessed doctor on Melrose Place to conservative, prim-and-proper Martha Stewart-wannabe on Desperate Housewives. There are however shades of that DH character on Melrose Place - in a couple of episodes she’s suffering multiple personality disorder and one of the personas she adopts is that of prim-and-proper, conservative housewife “Betsy.” I got a kick out of that when I saw the DVDs a couple of years after Desperate Housewives debuted. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/43 "2010-10-26T16:11:10Z")
> [@jali](#): > > One more; > > David Boreanaz as Angel to Bones where he plays a pretty religious FBI agent. I’m not sure how different that makes Angel & Booth. Booth believes in Heaven and hopes to go (I’m not sure sure he’s convinced that he _will_ go), whereas Angel knows there is a hell because he’s been there and wouldn’t be surprised to end up there in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/44 "2010-10-26T17:18:54Z")
**Stephen Root** ; swaggering, millionaire media mogul Jimmy James on _NewsRadio_, and sad-sack Army barber Bill Dauterive on _King of the Hill_. Actually, Root also played rich lout Buck Strickland on KotH, so here’s a guy who played two opposite roles _on the same show_. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/45 "2010-10-26T17:35:12Z")
\*\*Brent Spiner \*\*as the recurring country bumpkin guy in _Night Court_ and as Data in _ST: TNG_ ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/46 "2010-10-26T17:38:05Z")
> [@jali](#): > > Johnny Galeki was the cool boyfriend David on Roseanne. > Now he’s the nerdy Leonard on The Big Bang Theory… Dunno. I remember David as pretty nerdy, too. Timothy Olyphant played handsome, calm, cool lawmen on both _Deadwood_ and _Justified_, but also played a blotchy redneck loser on _My Name is Earl_. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/47 "2010-10-26T17:42:28Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > \*\*Brent Spiner \*\*as the recurring country bumpkin guy in _Night Court_ and as Data in _ST: TNG_ I had no idea! But there he is: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrLvtoKZfxY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrLvtoKZfxY) ---
**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:** [October 26, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/48 "2010-10-26T17:42:57Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > Ben Kingsley won an oscar for his portrayal of Gandhi, and was nominated for another for his portrayal of psychopath’s psychopath Don Logan in _Sexy Beast_. And yes, I’m aware those are films and not TV shows, but it’s still the canonical example for me. Heck, I figure Michael Gross wins, for his portrayal of the ultraliberal ex-hippie father on _Family Ties_ and his later turn as a gun-loving survivalist paranoid through the _Tremors_ franchise. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/49 "2010-10-26T17:49:56Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Heck, I figure Michael Gross wins, for his portrayal of the ultraliberal ex-hippie father on _Family Ties_ and his later turn as a gun-loving survivalist paranoid through the _Tremors_ franchise. He also played a desperate, gun-toting bank robber in this TV movie: [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095366/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095366/) For that matter, I see David Soul was also in that movie. He played a simple-minded alien on _Star Trek_, then a tough-guy cop on _Starsky & Hutch_, and then a bank robber in _In the Line of Duty_. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/50 "2010-10-26T18:01:30Z")
Alan Alda played ultra-liberal Hawkeye Pierce on MASH and conservative Senator Vinick on West Wing. > [@StusBlues](#): > > It might be argued that his affluent, generous, cynical-but-ultimately-wise dad on \*Modern Family \*is a polar opposite to his \*Married With Children \*work. > [@joebuck20](#): > > There’s also Ed O’Neill who went from poor shoe salesman on Married with Children to rich entrepreneur with a really hot wife on Modern Family. Though personality-wise, both characters are still kind of schlubby. My personal theory is that Modern Family is the spiritual sequel to MWC. Remember that the Bundy curse was lifted when Al defeated Igor in a jousting contest in Lower Uncton. The problem was that Peg was part of the curse, and she remained afterwards. I believe that after Peg died, Al was able to use his formidable talents to start a thriving shoe business, as well as finally succeed with one of the gorgeous women he was always meeting. Kelly got hit on the head again, and regained her intelligence (note that they often refer to Claire’s colorful past) and Bud finally gave up on women and embraced his true nature. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > More infamously, he played a man who killed his child and the committed suicide in **Homicide**. It raised some uproar. No, Steve played a high school geek who murdered one of the jocks who always tormented him. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/51 "2010-10-26T18:04:00Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Timothy Omundsun played the effete, clueless Brom Garrett on “Deadwood” and then the bearded town mayor/warlord/asskicker Phil Constantino on “Jericho” > > In between I think he played the smarmy yet intelligent Lt. Lassiter on “psych” which did sort of bridge the gap. _Psych_ is still ongoing, and I am pretty sure it came after _Jericho_. Maybe I should cue up _Jericho_ on Netflix to see how he does that. Hope he lasted longer than Brom Garrett did. > [@Tom Scud](#): > > This might be breaking the one-shot rule, but Walter Koenig played the naive/idealistic Checkov and the recurring character Bester on Babylon 5, who was a cynical bureaucrat in a nasty government agency (that bordered on a police state). Neither was a one-shot. Both were recurring roles. Ron Rifkin went from playing bad guy terrorist (turned good guy (?)) Arvin Sloane on _Alias_ to friendly gay Saul Holden on _Brothers & Sisters_. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/52 "2010-10-26T18:07:15Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > My personal theory is that Modern Family is the spiritual sequel to MWC. Remember that the Bundy curse was lifted when Al defeated Igor in a jousting contest in Lower Uncton. The problem was that Peg was part of the curse, and she remained afterwards. I believe that after Peg died, Al was able to use his formidable talents to start a thriving shoe business, as well as finally succeed with one of the gorgeous women he was always meeting. Kelly got hit on the head again, and regained her intelligence (note that they often refer to Claire’s colorful past) and Bud finally gave up on women and embraced his true nature. I would like to subscribe to your newsletter. _Married with Children_ was the best sitcom ever to air on television, good enough to not only survive but to thrive after the addition of Ted McGinley, the patron saint of shark-jumping. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/53 "2010-10-26T18:37:06Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > My personal theory is that Modern Family is the spiritual sequel to MWC. Remember that the Bundy curse was lifted when Al defeated Igor in a jousting contest in Lower Uncton. The problem was that Peg was part of the curse, and she remained afterwards. I believe that after Peg died, **Al was able to use his formidable talents to start a thriving shoe business** , as well as finally succeed with one of the gorgeous women he was always meeting. Kelly got hit on the head again, and regained her intelligence (note that they often refer to Claire’s colorful past) and Bud finally gave up on women and embraced his true nature. That’s an interesting theory. They never have said just what line of business he’s in on “Modern Family,” have they? Just that he’s successful at it enough to live in a big house, drive expensive sports cars and have a much younger and really hot trophy wife. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/54 "2010-10-26T18:40:19Z")
Jeff Goldblum plays roles 0º from each other. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/55 "2010-10-26T18:44:34Z")
Noboddy has mentioned Lisa Kudrow’s portrayals of the bubble head Ursula and the smart and creative Phoebe at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/56 "2010-10-26T18:45:21Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > William Shatner ~\* Star Trek\* vs. _Boston Legal_ i don’t know if the characters were 180º from each other but the acting quality was 180º. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/57 "2010-10-26T18:52:20Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > Jeff Goldblum plays roles 0º from each other. Maybe you can say he plays roles that are 360º from each other. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/58 "2010-10-26T18:52:46Z")
William Shatner–Star Trek vs. 3rd Rock ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/59 "2010-10-26T19:04:12Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > _Psych_ is still ongoing, and I am pretty sure it came after _Jericho_. Maybe I should cue up _Jericho_ on Netflix to see how he does that. Hope he lasted longer than Brom Garrett did. Jericho started in 2007; _psych_ started in 2006, so, although \*psych \*is still ongoing, it was a bit of a bridge. Although, the early Lassiter in _psych_ is a lot more pathetic and Brom Garrett-ish than he is now. Anyway, let me warn you as to _Jericho_ - it started bad, then became so-bad-its-good, then suddenly got good, and then was cancelled right when it started to go somewhere. Mayor Constantino of New Bern appears as a significant character around episode 20 of season 1. BTW, Omundson’s fellow Deadwood alum Gerald McRaney plays the mayor of Jericho. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382/60 "2010-10-26T19:09:53Z")
> [@jali](#): > > Johnny Galeki was the cool boyfriend David on Roseanne. > Now he’s the nerdy Leonard on The Big Bang Theory. David was a nerd on Roseanne. He was a whimp. He got beat up by DJ. His brother Mark was the cool, goodlooking one. David was the wimp, the smart kid, the sensitive one. Galeki plays that role on TBBT as well. Of all the guys, Leonard is the sensitive one, and is a wimp [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-actors-who-played-two-roles-180-from-each-other/558382.md?page=4)