# What actor has played the most different roles multiple times? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 12, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318 "2015-06-12T04:27:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/1 "2015-06-12T04:27:58Z")
This one is a little hard to understand so as an example I’ll give you who I think is the leader with four roles he reprised in a sequel. Harrison Ford: Han Solo, Jack Ryan, Indiana Jones, and Bob Falfa (American Graffiti and its sequel) I know Christopher Lee has at least three: Dracula, Count Dooku, and Saruman. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/2 "2015-06-12T04:40:22Z")
Ben Stiller has three separate franchises going: Alex the Lion (Madagascar series), Greg Focker (Meet the Parents series), Larry Daley (Night at the Museum series). And arguably Derek Zoolander but I don’t know if you can count two movies as a series. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/3 "2015-06-12T04:43:53Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > I know Christopher Lee has at least three: Dracula, Count Dooku, and Saruman. He also played Fu Manchu in five movies and Count Rochefort in three movies. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/4 "2015-06-12T04:54:19Z")
Eddie Murphy: \*Axel Foley - Beverly Hills Cop/Beverly Hills Cop II/Beverly Hills Cop III \*Donkey - Shrek/Shrek 2/Shrek the Third/Shrek Forever After \*John Dolittle - Dr. Dolittle/Dr. Dolittle 2 \*Reggie Hammond - 48 Hrs./Another 48 Hrs. \*Sherman Klump - The Nutty Professor/Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (he actually played several roles in these movies but I only counted one) I was also thinking about Mushu but he was only in Mulan and didn’t do the sequel. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/5 "2015-06-12T05:30:09Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Eddie Murphy: > > \*Axel Foley - Beverly Hills Cop/Beverly Hills Cop II/Beverly Hills Cop III > \*Donkey - Shrek/Shrek 2/Shrek the Third/Shrek Forever After > \*John Dolittle - Dr. Dolittle/Dr. Dolittle 2 > \*Reggie Hammond - 48 Hrs./Another 48 Hrs. > \*Sherman Klump - The Nutty Professor/Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (he actually played several roles in these movies but I only counted one) > > I was also thinking about Mushu but he was only in Mulan and didn’t do the sequel. Nice. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/6 "2015-06-12T05:47:56Z")
Bruce Willis: Look Who’s Talking, Look Who’s Talking Too Die Hard series Expendables series Red and Red 2 Whole Nine Yards, Whole Ten Yards Sin City 1 and 2 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/7 "2015-06-12T05:54:11Z")
I assume we are limiting this to full-length feature films. Otherwise, Mel Blanc probably has it hands-down. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/8 "2015-06-12T06:01:41Z")
Bruce Willis Look who’s talking and Look who’s talking too Die Hard 1 though 5 The Expendables 1 2 and not 3 RED 1 and RED 2 Sin City 1 and 2 GrindHouse / Planet Terror so a 15/6 film / franchise ratio ok 17/7 with Wolf33 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/9 "2015-06-12T06:31:41Z")
Here’s an interesting one. Bill Murray has played himself in four different feature films: She’s Having a Baby, Space Jam, Coffee and Cigarettes, and Zombieland. ---
**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:** [June 12, 2015, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/10 "2015-06-12T07:49:37Z")
Buster Crabbe played Tarzan, Flash Gordon, Captain Gallant, Billy Carson and Billy the Kid, all many, many times. Most of these were serials, though. I think Fess Parker should get some mention for playing Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, both in the same costume. But that’s TV. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/11 "2015-06-12T08:34:26Z")
Natalie Portman: Padme, and Jane Foster Jennifer Lawrance: The younger Mystique and Katniss. Mark Hamill: Luke Skywalker and the Joker Samuel L Jackson: Mace Windu and Nick Fury Chris Evans: The Human Torch and Capt (Retd) America ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/12 "2015-06-12T14:51:08Z")
If its current consideration rather than career, Zoe Saldana has this hands down with major recurring character roles in three ongoing blockbuster franchises: Star Trek, Avatar, and Guardians of the Galaxy. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/13 "2015-06-12T14:55:22Z")
> [@Jack\_Burden](#): > > If its current consideration rather than career, Zoe Saldana has this hands down with major recurring character roles in three ongoing blockbuster franchises: Star Trek, Avatar, and Guardians of the Galaxy. Sorta. Jenn Lawrence has two blockbuster franchises AND Oscar material! ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/14 "2015-06-12T15:06:04Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Natalie Portman: Padme, and Jane Foster > Jennifer Lawrance: The younger Mystique and Katniss. > Mark Hamill: Luke Skywalker and the Joker > Samuel L Jackson: Mace Windu and Nick Fury > Chris Evans: The Human Torch and Capt (Retd) America Sam Jackson was also in the two XXX movies. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/15 "2015-06-12T22:36:55Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Sorta. Jenn Lawrence has two blockbuster franchises AND Oscar material! Michael Caine has TWO Oscars – and reprised as Alfred in the _Batman_ movies after reprising as Harry Palmer before being tapped to reprise his _Now You See Me_ role. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/16 "2015-06-12T23:01:36Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > Sam Jackson was also in the two XXX movies. It took me a second you realize that you were referring to the _xXx_ series. Please pass the brain bleach… ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/17 "2015-06-12T23:19:00Z")
Hugo Weaving: Elrond (5 movies), Agent Smith (3 movies), Rex the Sheepdog (Babe 1 and 2), Megatron (3 movies), Noah the Elder (Happy Feet 1 and 2) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/18 "2015-06-13T04:15:38Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The Nutty Professor/Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (he actually played several roles in these movies but I only counted one) Anybody got the time to add all of Frank Oz’s outings as Yoda to all the movies where he played Miss Piggy – and all the movies where he played Cookie Monster, and all the movies where he played Fozzie Bear, and all the movies where he played Bert, and all the movies where he played Animal, and all the movies where he played Grover, and all the movies where he played Sam The Eagle – plus maybe we throw in him reprising his role from _Blues Brothers_ in _Blues Brothers 2000_? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/19 "2015-06-13T05:37:28Z")
As per IMDB, Jackie Chan – who of course played Chon Wang in both **Shanghai Noon** and **Shanghai Knights** – apparently has **Karate Kid 2** and **Kung Fu Panda 3** and **Rush Hour 4** in the works. And he reprised his role as Chan Ka Kui in **Police Story 2** and **Police Story 3** , and reprised his role as Wong Fei-Hung from **Drunken Master** in **The Legend of Drunken Master** , and reprised his role as Ma Yue Lung from **Project A** in **Project A 2** – and reprised his role from **Armour of God** in **Armour of God 2** , and reprised his role from **My Lucky Stars** in **My Lucky Stars 2** , and even if we don’t count his roles in **Cannonball Run** and **Cannonball Run 2** we’ve _still_ got a ways to go. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318/20 "2015-06-13T16:29:19Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Anybody got the time to add all of Frank Oz’s outings as Yoda to all the movies where he played Miss Piggy – and all the movies where he played Cookie Monster, and all the movies where he played Fozzie Bear, and all the movies where he played Bert, and all the movies where he played Animal, and all the movies where he played Grover, and all the movies where he played Sam The Eagle – plus maybe we throw in him reprising his role from _Blues Brothers_ in _Blues Brothers 2000_? Are there sesame street movies? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-actor-has-played-the-most-different-roles-multiple-times/722318.md?page=2)