Alice - Linda Lavin played the title role and appeared as Debbie Walden, Vera’s landlady
Star Trek: The Animated Series - James Doohan voices Scotty as well as Arex
The Brady Bunch - Ann B. Davis played Alice’s cousin Emma, who took over as housekeeper for a week, much to the kids’ dismay.
Arrested development - Jeffrey Tambor played George Bluth’s twin brother Oscar in 28 episodes
Diff’rent Strokes - Dana Plato plays male cousin Hans in one episode.
Patty Duke Show - Patty Duke played the roles of both Patty and cousin Cathy
Friends - Lisa Kudrow played main-cast character Phoebe Buffay and her twin sister Ursula.
Hercules: The Legendary Journal - Bruce Campbell (in drag) played Hercules’s female dance instructor in one episode.
MASH - Harry Morgan first guested as the insane Maj. Gen. Bartford Hamilton Steele and was later cast as a series regular, Colonel Sherman Potter
Tina Cole was Robbie classmate and study partner on at least 2 occasions before she guested at "Kathleen (Katie) Miller), who became the first female regular, Katie Douglas, Robbie’s wife, and mother of potential spin-off.
NEXT: It’s THAT GUY! (people who clearly made a living acting, but never became STARS):
Ann O’Dowd (did land a few semi-regular roles, but credits are mostly one-offs. Was 4 different people on L&O:TOS; 3 on L&O:SVU, and appeared once on two other L&Os)
It’s THAT GUY! (people who clearly made a living acting, but never became STARS):
Ann O’Dowd (did land a few semi-regular roles, but credits are mostly one-offs. Was 4 different people on L&O:TOS; 3 on L&O:SVU, and appeared once on two other L&Os)
Steven Root - Lots of character work including NewsRadio, King of the Hill, Boardwalk Empire, and numerous cartoons.
It’s THAT GUY! (people who clearly made a living acting, but never became STARS):
Ann O’Dowd (did land a few semi-regular roles, but credits are mostly one-offs. Was 4 different people on L&O:TOS; 3 on L&O:SVU, and appeared once on two other L&Os)
Steven Root - Lots of character work including NewsRadio, King of the Hill, Boardwalk Empire, and numerous cartoons.
Allan Melvin - Lots of recurring rules, including Sergeant Hacker on Gomer Pyle, Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner on All in the Family.
It’s THAT GUY! (people who clearly made a living acting, but never became STARS):
Ann O’Dowd (did land a few semi-regular roles, but credits are mostly one-offs. Was 4 different people on L&O:TOS; 3 on L&O:SVU, and appeared once on two other L&Os)
Steven Root - Lots of character work including NewsRadio, King of the Hill, Boardwalk Empire, and numerous cartoons.
Allan Melvin - Lots of recurring rules, including Sergeant Hacker on Gomer Pyle, Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner on All in the Family.
Burt Mustin – Casting directors must have had him on speed-dial for whenever they needed an old guy.
Ann Dowd (did land a few semi-regular roles, but credits are mostly one-offs. Was 4 different people on L&O:TOS; 3 on L&O:SVU, and appeared once on two other L&Os)
Steven Root - Lots of character work including NewsRadio, King of the Hill, Boardwalk Empire, and numerous cartoons.
Allan Melvin - Lots of recurring rules, including Sergeant Hacker on Gomer Pyle, Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner on All in the Family.
Burt Mustin – Casting directors must have had him on speed-dial for whenever they needed an old guy.
It’s THAT GUY! (people who clearly made a living acting, but never became STARS):
Ann Dowd (did land a few semi-regular roles, but credits are mostly one-offs. Was 4 different people on L&O:TOS; 3 on L&O:SVU, and appeared once on two other L&Os)
Steven Root - Lots of character work including NewsRadio, King of the Hill, Boardwalk Empire, and numerous cartoons.
Allan Melvin - Lots of recurring rules, including Sergeant Hacker on Gomer Pyle, Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner on All in the Family.
Burt Mustin – Casting directors must have had him on speed-dial for whenever they needed an old guy.
Stephen Tobolowsky - Appeared in lots and lots of shows - Alice, Cagney and Lacey, Seinfeld, The West Wing, Deadwood, CSI, Archer, et cetera, et cetera.
I just stumbled on an old Carson rerun the other night when he was the guest. So cool for Johnny to bring him on and let him tell his stories about life in the business.
It’s THAT GUY! (people who clearly made a living acting, but never became STARS):
Ann Dowd (did land a few semi-regular roles, but credits are mostly one-offs. Was 4 different people on L&O:TOS; 3 on L&O:SVU, and appeared once on two other L&Os)
Steven Root - Lots of character work including NewsRadio, King of the Hill, Boardwalk Empire, and numerous cartoons.
Allan Melvin - Lots of recurring rules, including Sergeant Hacker on Gomer Pyle, Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner on All in the Family.
Burt Mustin – Casting directors must have had him on speed-dial for whenever they needed an old guy.
Stephen Tobolowsky - Appeared in lots and lots of shows - Alice, Cagney and Lacey, Seinfeld, The West Wing, Deadwood, CSI, Archer, et cetera, et cetera.
Ian Wolfe - Often-appearing old guy, including two different roles on ST:TOS
It’s THAT GUY! (people who clearly made a living acting, but never became STARS):
Ann Dowd (did land a few semi-regular roles, but credits are mostly one-offs. Was 4 different people on L&O:TOS; 3 on L&O:SVU, and appeared once on two other L&Os)
Steven Root - Lots of character work including NewsRadio, King of the Hill, Boardwalk Empire, and numerous cartoons.
Allan Melvin - Lots of recurring rules, including Sergeant Hacker on Gomer Pyle, Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner on All in the Family.
Burt Mustin – Casting directors must have had him on speed-dial for whenever they needed an old guy.
Stephen Tobolowsky - Appeared in lots and lots of shows - Alice, Cagney and Lacey, Seinfeld, The West Wing, Deadwood, CSI, Archer, et cetera, et cetera.
Ian Wolfe - Often-appearing old guy, including two different roles on ST:TOS
J.K. Simmons - that guy in the Farmer’s insurance commercial, plus Parks & Recreation, The Closer and many others
It’s THAT GUY! (people who clearly made a living acting, but never became STARS):
Ann Dowd (did land a few semi-regular roles, but credits are mostly one-offs. Was 4 different people on L&O:TOS; 3 on L&O:SVU, and appeared once on two other L&Os)
Steven Root - Lots of character work including NewsRadio, King of the Hill, Boardwalk Empire, and numerous cartoons.
Allan Melvin - Lots of recurring rules, including Sergeant Hacker on Gomer Pyle, Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner on All in the Family.
Burt Mustin – Casting directors must have had him on speed-dial for whenever they needed an old guy.
Stephen Tobolowsky - Appeared in lots and lots of shows - Alice, Cagney and Lacey, Seinfeld, The West Wing, Deadwood, CSI, Archer, et cetera, et cetera.
Ian Wolfe - Often-appearing old guy, including two different roles on ST:TOS
J.K. Simmons - that guy in the Farmer’s insurance commercial, plus Parks & Recreation, The Closer and many others
Parley Baer - this guy was in literally scores of movies and tv shows throughout the latter half of the 20th century (notably Newhart, Bewitched, Night Court, Dukes of Hazzard, Andy Griffith Show, Lou Grant, and LA Law to name a handful)
It’s THAT GUY! (people who clearly made a living acting, but never became STARS):
Ann Dowd (did land a few semi-regular roles, but credits are mostly one-offs. Was 4 different people on L&O:TOS; 3 on L&O:SVU, and appeared once on two other L&Os)
Steven Root - Lots of character work including NewsRadio, King of the Hill, Boardwalk Empire, and numerous cartoons.
Allan Melvin - Lots of recurring rules, including Sergeant Hacker on Gomer Pyle, Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner on All in the Family.
Burt Mustin – Casting directors must have had him on speed-dial for whenever they needed an old guy.
Stephen Tobolowsky - Appeared in lots and lots of shows - Alice, Cagney and Lacey, Seinfeld, The West Wing, Deadwood, CSI, Archer, et cetera, et cetera.
Ian Wolfe - Often-appearing old guy, including two different roles on ST:TOS
J.K. Simmons - that guy in the Farmer’s insurance commercial, plus Parks & Recreation, The Closer and many others
Parley Baer - this guy was in literally scores of movies and tv shows throughout the latter half of the 20th century (notably Newhart, Bewitched, Night Court, Dukes of Hazzard, Andy Griffith Show, Lou Grant, and LA Law to name a handful)
Margo Martindale - In addition to roles in Justified and The Americans and numerous movies, she plays “Character Actor Margo Martindale” in BoJack Horseman.
It’s THAT GUY! (people who clearly made a living acting, but never became STARS):
Ann Dowd (did land a few semi-regular roles, but credits are mostly one-offs. Was 4 different people on L&O:TOS; 3 on L&O:SVU, and appeared once on two other L&Os)
Steven Root - Lots of character work including NewsRadio, King of the Hill, Boardwalk Empire, and numerous cartoons.
Allan Melvin - Lots of recurring rules, including Sergeant Hacker on Gomer Pyle, Sam the Butcher on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner on All in the Family.
Burt Mustin – Casting directors must have had him on speed-dial for whenever they needed an old guy.
Stephen Tobolowsky - Appeared in lots and lots of shows - Alice, Cagney and Lacey, Seinfeld, The West Wing, Deadwood, CSI, Archer, et cetera, et cetera.
Ian Wolfe - Often-appearing old guy, including two different roles on ST:TOS
J.K. Simmons - that guy in the Farmer’s insurance commercial, plus Parks & Recreation, The Closer and many others
Parley Baer - this guy was in literally scores of movies and tv shows throughout the latter half of the 20th century (notably Newhart, Bewitched, Night Court, Dukes of Hazzard, Andy Griffith Show, Lou Grant, and LA Law to name a handful)
Margo Martindale - In addition to roles in Justified and The Americans and numerous movies, she plays “Character Actor Margo Martindale” in BoJack Horseman.
Clancy Brown - Long list of television work including Carnivàle, ER, and Spngebob Squarepants
Paul Frees – the voice of Boris Badenov, Ludwig von Drake, Burgermeister Meisterburger and other characters from the Rankin/Bass animation studios, and the radio announcer in “Robin and the Seven Hoods”, among many, many others.