# Who played the most different characters on a series? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265 "2008-01-28T02:38:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/1 "2008-01-28T02:38:53Z")
Actor Allan Melvin, who died recently, was a guest star on “The Andy Griffith Show” 8 times. He portrayed a different character in each episode. I know Rachel Dratch had a cameo as a different character on each episode of the first season of “30 Rock”, but other than that, who holds the record for portraying the largest number of different characters on a single television series? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/2 "2008-01-28T02:45:13Z")
I’ll go with Carrol Burnett, or one of the regulars on her show. Regulars: Vicki Lawrence Harvey Korman Tim Conway ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/3 "2008-01-28T02:47:52Z")
Jeffrey Combs played many many roles in Star Trek (I think 7) . Not quite the same thing because he played them on several different series but all of them in the Star Trek universe. Most of the characters were important ones that had several appearances each. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/4 "2008-01-28T02:48:19Z")
I think the record has to go with Tito Fedderson, wife of producer Don Fedderson (parents of Mike Minor of “Petticoat Junction” fame). She had an uncredited “cameo” in just about every episode of “The Millionaire.” (Normally “cameo” refers to a brief appearance of a well-known actor/actress.) But to add a few more names, Doug Mossman, Kwan Hi Lim, and Daniel Kamekona each played over 15 different roles in the 12-year run of “Hawaii Five-O.” ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/5 "2008-01-28T04:16:28Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] I’ll go with Carrol Burnett, or one of the regulars on her show. Regulars: Vicki Lawrence Harvey Korman Tim Conway [/QUOTE] Surely the OP meant to exclude sketch comedy shows without a continuing narrative, or else Darrell Hammond of _Saturday Night Live_ would win hands down. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/6 "2008-01-28T04:20:53Z")
[QUOTE=Fiver] Surely the OP meant to exclude sketch comedy shows without a continuing narrative, or else Darrell Hammond of _Saturday Night Live_ would win hands down. [/QUOTE] Yes, I would exclude variety and sketch comedy shows. Situation comedies or dramas is what I was thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/7 "2008-01-28T04:26:50Z")
I first read this as “most different” meaning different in quality rather than quantity, and was going to suggest Garrett Dillahunt as the cockeyed gutter rat Jack McCall in season one of Deadwood, followed by the sophisticated, almost foppish Francis Wolcott in season two. Just two roles, but they were “most different”. ---
**Author:** ![p4poetic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@p4poetic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/p4poetic)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/8 "2008-01-28T04:31:42Z")
Just about every New Zealand actor on Xena and Hercules 😛 Honestly, I haven’t a clue. I completely would of missed all the said examples. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/9 "2008-01-28T05:26:52Z")
Dan Castellaneta, Harry Shearer, or Hank Azaria on **The Simpsons**? I guess we’ll be excluding _animated_ situation comedies now. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/10 "2008-01-28T05:39:59Z")
Not the record, apparently, but [Wayne Alexander](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0018795/filmoseries#tt0105946) had five different roles on _Babylon 5_, one of them recurring. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/11 "2008-01-28T06:01:33Z")
Bonus points for Patty Duke for playing two characters at the same time for so long. John Lovitz guest starred twice as different people on NewsRadio before becoming a regular as a third character. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/12 "2008-01-28T14:31:42Z")
Clark Howat, Art Balinger, Al Shelly, Virginia Gregg, and Ed Deemer all played 10+ different roles in the four year run of the 1960s “Dragnet.” Jack Webb had a pool of actors that he recycled a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/13 "2008-01-28T15:11:05Z")
[QUOTE=Fiver] Surely the OP meant to exclude sketch comedy shows without a continuing narrative, or else Darrell Hammond of _Saturday Night Live_ would win hands down. [/QUOTE] Maybe not hands down; surely he has some rivals. For instance, Bob Odenkirk and David Cross sometimes played multiple characters within the same sketch on Mr. Show. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/14 "2008-01-28T18:35:19Z")
[QUOTE=Earl Snake-Hips Tucker] Clark Howat, Art Balinger, Al Shelly, Virginia Gregg, and Ed Deemer all played 10+ different roles in the four year run of the 1960s “Dragnet.” Jack Webb had a pool of actors that he recycled a lot. [/QUOTE] That’s what I would have said. Virginia Gregg was the first one who popped into my head. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/15 "2008-01-28T19:02:31Z")
Scott Bakula played at least two characters (himself and the person he leaped into) in every episode of Quantum Leap. There were 95 episodes so that puts his total at at least 96. ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/16 "2008-01-28T21:50:25Z")
Larry David played many characters on _Seinfeld_. He was the first Newman, Steinbrenner, Mr. Costanza’s accountant, a jerk on a plane, a mad scientist (or spaceman or something) in a TV show Jerry was watching, and a few other characters. Don’t have a complete list. ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/17 "2008-01-28T21:52:53Z")
In the old detective series Columbo, they re-used actors many times in different roles. A guy named Michael Lally was in at least 19 different episodes, each time as a different character. Granted that many of those weren’t much more than an extra in the background, still he was there. Also in Columbo, John Finnegan was in 11 episodes as about 9 different characters (he repeated the character of Barney the Café Owner in about three episodes). And Peter Falk’s wife, Shera Danese, was in 6 episodes, all fairly big parts, all different characters. But Mike Lally at 19 seems to be up there for the record. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/18 "2008-01-28T22:44:16Z")
[QUOTE=Fern Forest] John Lovitz guest starred twice as different people on NewsRadio before becoming a regular as a third character. [/QUOTE] Assuming animated series have not yet been eliminated, Lovitz also “appeared” on the Simpsons’ at least five times in separate roles and, I believe, three times as Artie Ziff. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/19 "2008-01-28T22:50:53Z")
Terry O’Quinn played 3 different characters on The X-Files, two in the TV series and one in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265/20 "2008-01-28T23:19:55Z")
Mel Blanc played quite a few characters on the Jack Benny Program over the years. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-played-the-most-different-characters-on-a-series/435265.md?page=2)