Sometimes, actors take on the challenge of bringing more than one character to life in the same story! These performers played multiple roles in the same movie and it went right over many of our heads.
Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool 2
After the blockbuster success of Deadpool, the release of Deadpool 2 was a nearly guaranteed success when it was released in 2018.
Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool 2
In addition, Ryan Reynolds donned the hat of another character that’s familiar to MCU fans. Almost unrecognizable in his other role, Reynolds was the man behind the mask of Juggernaut as well.
Sylvester Stallone – Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
Most audiences think of Sylvester Stallone and relate him to the action roles he was so famous for throughout the 1980s. Yet, Stallone isn’t afraid to play family-friendly roles either.
Sylvester Stallone – Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
He proved this with his roles in the 2003 movie Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. He played a few different quirky characters in the movie such as Sebastian or “The Toymaker” as well as a handful of side characters. It’s easy to see as an adult but many kids missed it at first.
Margaret Hamilton – The Wizard of Oz
There is an actress in The Wizard of Oz that played a dual role as well. In this case, the honor goes to Margaret Hamilton.
Margaret Hamilton – The Wizard of Oz
Most people recognize Hamilton from this movie immediately as her more heavily made-up role as the Wicked Witch of the West. She appears in the movie earlier than that, though, as Miss Almira Gulch. Gulch is the neighbor that Dorothy runs into before she goes to Oz – a real-life reflection of the witch.
Tom Hanks – Cloud Atlas
Tom Hanks is another immediately recognizable actor. At the very least, he usually is but you might have missed his other roles in this film.
Tom Hanks – Cloud Atlas
Cloud Atlas premiered in 2012 and Hanks left audiences stunned when he came on screen as six completely different characters throughout its run time. This wasn’t just showing off what Hanks could do. It was a part of a larger plot as the storyline jumps through time and between characters.
Warwick Davis – Harry Potter
The Harry Potter films stretch across a wide expanse of films and books with a fantastical cast of characters. This means that there are plenty of makeup choices that may hide an actor’s face.
Warwick Davis – Harry Potter
That’s why first-time viewers might not notice that the goblin Griphook and Filius Flitwick, the Charms professor at Hogwarts, are actually played by the same actor. If you watch closely, you’ll even notice that Warwick Davis played a third role in the series as the goblin bank teller at Gringotts during the events of the first film.
Michael J. Fox – Back to the Future Part II
There’s no way you’ll miss that Michael J. Fox is back in Back to the Future Part II. After all, how could the films go on without Marty McFly?
Michael J. Fox – Back to the Future Part II
What you might not have noticed so easily, though, is that Fox plays more than one role in this entry in the film series. He briefly makes a secondary disguised appearance as Marlene, the would-be teenage daughter of McFly and his high school sweetheart, Jennifer. Of course, it helps in keeping the resemblance strong.
Dick Van Dyke – Mary Poppins
Disney is famous for a wide array of films and many of them have stolen hearts over the years. Among one of the earlier works by the company is a classic: Mary Poppins.
Dick Van Dyke – Mary Poppins
The multi-talented actor in this film is none other than Dick Van Dyke. He’s easy enough to recognize in his role as Bert, the titular character’s energetic sidekick. Yet, eagle-eyed fans will notice that Dick Van Dyke also played the role of the bank director, Mr. Dawes Sr., later on.
Eddie Murphy – Coming to America
Eddie Murphy is already a double-threat thanks to his talents as an actor and a stand-up comedian. He showed off his range as an actor in the movie Coming to America.
Eddie Murphy – Coming to America
He plays the main role in the movie, Prince Akeem, who moves to New York as the main plot of the movie. In addition to that, he also plays a few characters in the neighborhood he moves into as well. These characters are primarily seen in the barbershop that the movie heavily features.
Hilary Duff – The Lizzie McGuire Movie
While this is an example that might leave adults thinking it’s obvious, it went over the heads of many of the audience members it was targeted at: children who were fans of Disney movies.
Hilary Duff – The Lizzie McGuire Movie
Just like in the show, the movie stars Hilary Duff as Lizzie McGuire. Rather than the standard school day, the movie follows a senior class trip to Rome where Lizzie meets pop star Isabella. Looking back, it’s pretty easy to see that Isabella is also played by Duff.
Armie Hammer – The Social Network
If you ever wondered what occurred to make Facebook the titan of social media it is today, you might want to check out the movie The Social Network which tells the story of its creation.
Armie Hammer – The Social Network
One set of characters in the film was the Winklevoss twins. When the movie came out, many audience members assumed that the twins in the movie were portrayed by actual twins in real life. Instead, both twins were the work of Armie Hammer.
James Remar – Django Unchained
For Quentin Tarantino fans, the release of Django Unchained in 2012 was exciting, to say the least. Even for those who didn’t follow Tarantino carefully, it was easy to see the value of the movie.
James Remar – Django Unchained
The actor in question in this entry is James Remar. He enters his first scene as one of the Speck Brothers, the adversary for Dr. King Schultz, played by actor Christoph Waltz. He appears again later on in the film, this time as Butch Pooch who discards Shultz, the man who discarded Speck!
Michelle Williams – Oz the Great and Powerful
There are few films with the same following and recognition as The Wizard of Oz. That’s why fans were so excited to hear about the 2013 movie Oz the Great and Powerful.
Michelle Williams – Oz the Great and Powerful
The cast was star-studded but it was Michelle Williams that took on multiple roles. Her primary role in the film was as the familiar Glinda the Good Witch. On top of that, she played the role of Annie who the film reveals to be the future mother to Dorothy from the original film.
Benedict Cumberbatch – Doctor Strange
Another entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange premiered in 2016. The star in the titular role of Doctor Strange is none other than Benedict Cumberbatch.
Benedict Cumberbatch – Doctor Strange
However, Marvel fans might miss the first time they watch that this popular English actor actually takes on another crucial role in the movie. That is, he’s also the voice behind Dormammu. That information gives a whole new meaning to the final battle pitting Doctor Strange against Dormammu.
Arsenio Hall – Coming to America
Before leaving Coming to America behind and moving on, we would be remiss to fail to mention another talented actor who played multiple roles in the movie: Arsenio Hall.
Arsenio Hall – Coming to America
The main role he played was the right hand to Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem, Semmi. Much like Murphy’s roles in the film, the secondary roles that Hall played were characters from the barbershop. Together, the Arsenio Hall and Eddie Murphy are the dynamic duo that make this movie work.
Ben Stiller – Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Ben Stiller’s style of comedy works well when he’s placed in more bizarre roles. This includes his role as the star in the Night at the Museum movies.
Ben Stiller – Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
As the star, he plays a night watchman for the museum named Larry Daley. His sole job is to guard the museum after hours – right when it comes to life. There are plenty of exhibits that come to life and cause trouble and Stiller even plays one! His other role is as Laaa, a Neanderthal who thinks he’s Daley’s son.
Mel Brooks – Spaceballs
Mel Brooks isn’t afraid to insert himself into the cast of his own films and that usually comes with a high rate of success. He did it in several of his films including Spaceballs.
Mel Brooks – Spaceballs
In this satire, a genre Brooks creates and plays well, he dons the hats of both President Skroob and Yogurt. Funnily enough, while the costuming and makeup of these characters look different, anyone who is familiar with Brook’s acting style would recognize him quickly once they realize.
Dean-Charles Chapman – Game of Thrones
While the events of Game of Thrones played out over the course of several seasons of television rather than a single movie, there were worthwhile performances that deserve attention.
Dean-Charles Chapman – Game of Thrones
In theme with this list, the actor Dean-Charles Chapman comes to mind. He plays both Tommen Baratheon, the 19th Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and younger brother to Kin Joffrey, as well as another in-show performance as Martyn Lannister, a young man discarded by Lord Rickard Karstark.
Frances O’Connor – Bedazzled
The concept behind Bedazzled is a fantastical one where the main character has the chance to make their wishes come true. Starring Brendan Fraser, the main character Elliot sells his soul to the devil for this power.
Frances O’Connor – Bedazzled
He has seven wishes but he mainly wants his dream girl, Allison, to fall in love with him. Allison is played by Frances O’Connor but she takes on another role in the movie. By the end of the movie, Elliot falls in love with Nicole instead, also played by O’Connor.
Mike Myers – Austin Powers
Mike Myers is one of the most recognizable talents in the industry starring in everything from cult classic to raunchy comedy and even movies for kids. He even played multiple roles in Austin Powers.
Mike Myers – Austin Powers
Of course, Mike Myers plays the role of Austin Powers himself across the entire franchise. He also played his own arch-villain in the movie named Dr. Evil. He even played a couple of other characters over the course of the films including one where he uses the same voice as Shrek.
Eddie Murphy – The Nutty Professor
We’ve already covered that Eddie Murphy can take on the work and has the talent to play two roles in a film. He showed that skill off again in The Nutty Professor in 1996.
Eddie Murphy – The Nutty Professor
This movie came out right when Eddie Murphy was trying out family-friendly comedy compared to his often inappropriate stand-up acts. He played four unique characters in this 1996 remake of the film including Grandma Jenson, Papa Cletus Klump, Ernie Klump Sr., and Lance Perkins.
Mark Hamill – Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Where would Star Wars be without Mark Hamill? This talented yet notoriously underachieving actor hit the ground running in the ’70s with his iconic role as Luke Skywalker.
Mark Hamill – Star Wars: The Last Jedi
In 2017, Hamill reprised the role of Luke in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, playing an old, jaded version of the character that received mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. Not many know though that Hamill also did the motion-capture performance for the character Dobbu Scay.
Elsa Lanchester – Bride of Frankenstein
There is no denying that Elsa Lanchester is probably best known for her role as the titular character in Bride of Frankenstein. Her costume and makeup is iconic and has been reenacted by many women for Halloween.
Elsa Lanchester – Bride of Frankenstein
What many might not realize though is that Lanchester also played the role of Mary Shelley, who is seen in the first scene of the movie, telling Lord Byron that she has more of the story to tell.
Christian Bale – The Prestige
Shortly after starring in Christopher Nolan’s awesome Dark Knight trilogy as Batman, Christian Bale played an aspiring magician who’s rival is played by Hugh Jackman in the 2006 thriller The Prestige. Bale plays both Alfred “The Professor” Borden, and Berard Fallon.
Christian Bale – The Prestige
Eventually, though, it is revealed that the two are twins, who are covering for each other during their audacious tricks. As you can see, the prosthetic nose, beard, and glasses were more than enough to hide Bale’s second character from the audience.
Jack Nicholson – Mars Attacks!
There is no denying that Jack Nicholson has always been known for playing eccentric characters in his movies. But many didn’t realize that the seasoned actor was responsible for more than one character in the wacky alien invasion movie Mars Attacks! Of course, most remember him for playing President James Dale.
Jack Nicholson – Mars Attacks!!
However, he also managed to conceal his identity while playing the character Art Land, a sleazy land developer who meets his fate when a replica Earth globe roles over the hotel he’s staying in.
Hugo Weaving – Cloud Atlas
There is no denying that Wachowskis were extremely ambitious with their adaptation of the David Mitchell novel Cloud Atlas. The fantasy story focuses on characters in a variety of storylines across six different time periods and sees the cast play multiple roles in various settings.
Hugo Weaving – Cloud Atlas
One of the lead actors is Hugo Weaving who plays a number of nefarious characters, including Nurse Noakes. Tom Hanks and Halle Berry also play multiple roles in the movie.
Anthony Daniels – Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
There is no denying that C-3PO is one of the most iconic characters in all of Star Wars. The protocol droid is one of the only characters to have appeared in every one of its single cinematic features.
Anthony Daniels – Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
In Attack of the Clones, Daniels doesn’t just play Threepio, although he does have a pretty fun adventure, swapping his head with a battle droid at The Battle of Geonosis. Daniels also plays a stranger at the club that Anakin and Obi-Wan enter.
Eddie Murphy – Norbit
There might not be an actor more famous for playing multiple roles in the same movie than Eddie Murphy. After doing it in The Nutty Professor and Coming to America, Eddie was at it again in the slapstick comedy Norbit.
Eddie Murphy – Norbit
Not only does he play the titular, dim-witted character, but he also plays his intimidating wife Rasputia. Due to extreme prosthetics, Eddie is able to get completely lost in the latter character, ultimately serving as the villain of the movie.
Taika Waititi – Thor: Ragnarok
It would be an understatement to say that Taikia Waititi is a jack of all trades. Not only does the New Zealander direct and write many of his movies, but he also stars in some of them too. For Thor: Ragnarok, Waititi played a character that captured the hearts of many moviegoers, Korg.
Taika Waititi – Thor: Ragnarok
Despite his huge stature, Korg is softly spoken and retains the New Zealand accent of Waititi. Not many people know though that he also played Surtur, the fire giant.
Doug Jones – Pan’s Labyrinth
An actor who usually gets overlooked because he is often covered in makeup and prosthetics is Doug Jones. Many regard him as the king of practical effects, having starred as masked characters in movies such as The Shape of Water.
Doug Jones – Pan’s Labyrinth
In Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, Jones plays the titular fawn character, Pan, who helps a young girl through the horror she experiences. He also plays the Pale Man, a monster who feeds on children.
Anthony Hopkins – Bram Stoker’s Dracula
While it was polarizing for critics, many fans deeply love Francis Ford Coppola’s retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. One of the best characters in the story is Van Helsing, the vampire hunter who is played by the marvelous Anthony Hopkins.
Anthony Hopkins – Bram Stoker’s Dracula
What many viewers only realize after second viewings though is that Hopkins plays another character, in the first scene of the movie. When Vlad Tepes loses his wife Elisabeta, he renounces his faith to the priest, played by Hopkins too.
Jeremy Bulloch – The Empire Strikes Back
The character of Boba Fett is arguably one of the most enigmatic characters in all of Star Wars. Many fans back in the 1980s were desperate to see who was under the mask of this mysterious bounty hunter. In the prequels, we find out that he looks something like Temeura Morrison.
Jeremy Bulloch – The Empire Strikes Back
However, it was Jeremy Bulloch who wore the Mandalorian armor back in The Empire Strikes Back. He also played an imperial guard who prevents Princess Leia from warning Luke of a trap.
Peter Sellers – Dr. Strangelove
Before Eddie Murphy and Mike Myers were playing multiple random characters in the same movie and making a living out of it, Peter Sellers was the man doing it in a lot of his movies. One of his most memorable movies is, without a shadow of a doubt, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Peter Sellers – Dr. Strangelove
In the movie, which is a satirization of the Cold War, Sellers plays Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, President Merkin Muffley, and the titular character, Dr. Strangelove.
Dan Aykroyd – Nothing But Trouble
It is arguably the most berated movie on this entire list. Nonetheless, we have to acknowledge Dan Akroyd’s portrayal of multiple roles in the movie Nothing But Trouble, which was his directorial debut. Akroyd plays the character, Judge Alvin “J.P.” Valkenheiser, the 106-year-old grandfather of John Candy’s character, Dennis.
Dan Aykroyd – Nothing But Trouble
He also plays Bobo, one of the two troll-like creatures who happen to be the Judge’s grandchildren. It’s a mess of a movie, but a lot of fun.
Kevin Kline – Wild Wild West
Here is another example of an actor who didn’t just play two roles in the same movie, but whose roles converged and both played extremely important parts in the storyline. In Wild Wild West, Kevin Kline plays Artemus Gordon, the partner of Will Smith’s James T. West.
Kevin Kline – Wild Wild West
Also, he plays President Ulysses S. Grant and it’s the two lead roles of protecting him from a variety of threats during the American Old West.
Rose McGowan – Grindhouse
This is kind of a cheat addition, seeing that Rose McGowan technically stars in two movies, not one. But if you ask Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, their movies Death Proof and Planet Terror are a double-package. One star that overlaps into both movies is McGowan.
Rose McGowan – Grindhouse
In Planet Terror, she plays Cherry Darling, a woman with a pretty audacious weapon in place of one of her legs. In Death Proof, she plays Pam, a ditsy blonde who takes a ride with Stuntman Mike, with devastating consequences.
Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother
The popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother got the main cast playing multiple characters throughout the series. One of the classic examples came when Lily and Marshall vowed to only start trying to have a baby when they saw all of their gang’s doppelgangers.
Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother
The only friend they had left to find was Barney Stinson’s doppelganger. When visiting “Dr. Stangel,” they weren’t buying it and were convinced it was just Barney dressed up.
Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black
This one isn’t exactly a subtle example on this list. This is because the entire plot of Orphan Black is about a young woman who is just one of many clones. Tatiana Maslany plays a variety of “different” women.
Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black
She is Sarah Manning, Alison Hendrix, Helena, Cosima Niehaus, and Rachel Duncan at various points of the show, and that’s not even all of them. This is certainly the most impressive in terms of how many different characters the same actor played.
Thomas F. Wilson – Back to the Future
Back to the Future is famous for using its main characters and showing older and younger versions of themselves depending on what time Marty and Doc have traveled to. One character who we see in a variety of time settings is the villain, Biff.
Thomas F. Wilson – Back to the Future
The first Biff we see is in 1985 – a middle-aged, nasty individual who bullies Marty’s dad. When we travel back in time, Biff is pretty much the same – he just looks much younger. In Back to the Future II, we see Biff as an old man.
Lisa Kudrow – Friends
As if one “Phoebe” wasn’t enough. We even see one of the main characters of arguably the most iconic sitcom of all time play more than one character. Lisa Kudrow was amazing as Phoebe – that’s for sure.
Lisa Kudrow – Friends
But when we see her alongside her twin sister Ursula, there were many first-time viewers who simply assumed that Lisa Kudrow had a twin who was also an actress. It just goes to show how awesome of a job Kudrow did during these episodes.
Peter Capaldi – Doctor Who
There have been a variety of stars in Doctor Who have appeared as one character only to appear years later as another. However, we don’t remember the last time someone featured in an episode, only to come back years later as the Doctor!
Peter Capaldi – Doctor Who
That’s exactly what Peter Capaldi did. Having appeared earlier on in the show’s run as a Roman called Caecilius, the Scottish actor ended up taking up the reigns of the alien time traveler a few years later.
Amy Adams – Night at the Museum 2
This one is kind of cheating, but we are going to allow it! There is no denying that Amy Adams’s portrayal of Amelia Earhart was one of the highlights of Night at the Museum 2. During the movie, the revolutionary pilot develops a close bond with Ben Stiller’s character.
Amy Adams – Night at the Museum 2
At the end of the movie though, after saving the day, Stiller bumps into a woman who looks just like Earhart. Unsurprisingly, she was also played by Adams.
Donald Glover – Atlanta
While Donald Glover’s character is pretty normal, all things considered, the rest of Atlanta can be pretty surreal in large parts. But arguably the most bizarre episode is the one that revolves around the insane character that is, Teddy Perkins.
Donald Glover – Atlanta
This washed-up musician ends up completely transforming himself and yes, that is Donald Glover underneath all of those prosthetics. For many viewers, this was definitely one of the weirdest hours of TV they have watched in a long time.
Ewan McGregor – Fargo
The movie Fargo and the anthology TV series that came after it are laden with interesting characters – most of them being pretty unsavory, to say the very least. Ewan McGregor’s two characters, Ray and Emmit Stussy very much fulfill that criteria.
Ewan McGregor – Fargo
This really gave McGregor a chance to show what diversity he was capable of as the two twins are very different in terms of personality. We won’t spoil what happens in the show, but put it this way – things don’t go well between the two brothers.
Ahmed Best – Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Many fans of Star Wars are in agreement that the worst character in the entire saga is Jar Jar Binks. However, the man who played the CGI character, Ahmed Best, is in reality a very talented individual and actually had more than one role in Attack of the Clones.
Ahmed Best – Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
If you pay close attention during the bar scene at the beginning of the movie, you will find Best hanging out at the bar with some friends.
Cobie Smulders – How I Met Your Mother
As previously mentioned, all of the main characters in How I Met Your Mother have doppelgangers that show up throughout the show’s run. This includes the one of Robin Scherbatsky, who is played by Cobie Smulders.
Cobie Smulders – How I Met Your Mother
While we don’t see so much of Robin’s doppelganger, the brief shot of this macho version of her, walking down the street and spitting in public is pretty funny, to say the very least. She’s even sporting a catching glove and a baseball.
Jake Gyllenhaal – Enemy
Again, there are some characters in movies played by the same actor who is disguised by costume and makeup. Others are so obvious we have to wonder how audiences missed it at first.
Jake Gyllenhaal – Enemy
There were a number of people who were surprised after their first viewing to learn that Jake Gyllenhaal plays two roles in the 2013 movie Enemy. He’s featured as both Adam Bell and Anthony St. Claire. The whole movie even has a plotline where the characters are surprised by their resemblance.
Jonathan Hyde – Jumanji
While Jumanji has its own remakes now, the 1995 version is what we’re concerned with here. You may not have noticed but actor Jonathan Hyde plays a couple of roles in this film.
Jonathan Hyde – Jumanji
In the intro of the movie, Hyde is introduced as a character named Sam Parrish, a businessman and Alan’s father. Later on, we meet the rival to Alan: a poacher named Van Pelt. The two characters have wildly different appearances, they have similar arcs, making this an interesting link.
Jesse Eisenberg – The Double
Jesse Eisenberg is recognizable in a variety of films. This includes his 2013 dual performance in The Double. Again, this is a movie where it’s surprising anyone missed this after a first viewing.
Jesse Eisenberg – The Double
The premise of the movie is that one character, Simon James, comes to work one day to see a co-worker that looks identical to him. Unfortunately, no one else sees how this character, James Simon, looks like Simon James. Eisenberg expertly pulls off both of these roles.
Jason Isaacs – Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a classic tale that has been retold countless times. One theme that seems common in these tellings is having actors play a real-world and Neverland counterpart.
Jason Isaacs – Peter Pan
This was particularly surprising in the 2003 film Peter Pan. The audience first sees actor Jason Isaacs on-screen in the real world as Mr. Darling. In perhaps a metaphor that many audiences missed, Isaacs also played the antagonist Captain Hook in Neverland throughout the movie as well.
Ben Mendelsohn – Captain Marvel
Marvel has made plenty of blockbuster hits over the last few years and their release of Captain Marvel was no different. The villain in this movie was Talos, played by Ben Mendelsohn.
Ben Mendelsohn – Captain Marvel
However, you might not see much of Mendelsohn’s actual face as he plays Talos. After all, he is a Skrull, meaning that he has plenty of makeup and prosthetics for the role. On the other hand, you can see his real face in the movie since he also plays the role of Keller, Nick Fury’s boss.
Comments