On Dual Roles, of the unrelated variety

[alpha_leonis]

So my TV-and-movie-watching habits have gotten me interested in actors who play dual roles within the same movie/series. These usually occur in a couple of different varieties:

1. A long-running series might have more characters available than working actors to play them. Notably in Star Trek: Tim Russ, Ethan Philips and Armin Shimerman each played multiple guest characters before they were cast as series regulars later.

2. The same actor might play multiple versions of the same character within the same episode. Brent Spiner played Data, Lore, Dr. Soong, and B-4. Jonathan Frakes played both William and Thomas Riker -- in both cases there were legitimate story reasons why the same actor played each character.

But today I'm most especially interested in:

3. The same actor plays multiple characters within the same movie/episode, for reasons that aren't driven by the needs of the story. A few examples off the top of my head:

• Jeffrey Combs played several characters in Star Trek, including the recurring DS9 characters of Weyoun and Brunt, who both appeared in the same episode at least once.
• Majel Barrett played Lwaxana Troi as well as the voice of the Enterprise computer. In at least one case they had a conversation with each other.
• Farscape's Lani Tupu played two main characters - Bialar Crais and the voice of Pilot.
• The movie "Mars Attacks" had Jack Nicholson playing two characters (with probably a false rumor saying they gave him both roles to justify his extra salary.)

Anybody know any other examples?

 

[JirinPanthosa]

So you mean cases that aren’t twins or duplicates or something like that?

In Stargate I think the actress who played Dr Frasier was also the stand in for the Asgard CGI. Which led to awkwardness because the Asgard’s eyes were about chest level and the actors were instructed to stare at her chest.

 

[EnderAKH]

Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove, playing President Muffley, Captain Mandrake, and the eponymous Dr. Strangelove.

 

[Greg Cox]

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). Alec Guiness plays nine parts, all of whom are murdered over the course of the movie!

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Elsa Lanchester plays the Bride and Mary Shelley.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). A funny example. Glenn Strange, who plays the Monster for most of the movie, injured himself during filming, so Lon Chaney Jr., who was already playing the Wolf Man in the movie, filled in as the Monster for a scene or two. Uncredited, of course.

 

[JD]

Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall both played a bunch of different unrelated characters in Coming to America, and Eddie Murphy also played a bunch of members of the Klump family in his Nutty Professor movies.
James Doohan also voiced multiple roles in episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series.
In both The Simpsons and Futurama most of the cast members voice multiple characters.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Have you ever heard of Monty Python?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The name Vaughn Armstrong immediately springs to mind, although I don't think there was ever an instance (of any Trek series) where he played multiple characters in the same episode.

And please feel free to correct me on this, but IIRC, apart from the DS9 ep with Weyoun and Brunt, the only other time a Trek actor has played multiple roles in the same episode was TOS' "Operation: Annihilate!" where William Shatner played both Jim Kirk and his (dead) brother George Jr.

 

[The Wormhole]

And please feel free to correct me on this, but IIRC, apart from the DS9 ep with Weyoun and Brunt, the only other time a Trek actor has played multiple roles in the same episode was TOS' "Operation: Annihilate!" where William Shatner played both Jim Kirk and his (dead) brother George Jr.

Unless you count Far Beyond the Stars. Or episodes where Robert Picardo has played both an EMH and Dr. Zimmerman. Or hell, now we have Captain Rios and his various holograms.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

episodes where Robert Picardo has played both an EMH and Dr. Zimmerman. Or hell, now we have Captain Rios and his various holograms.

Whoopsies.

 

[JD]

The name Vaughn Armstrong immediately springs to mind, although I don't think there was ever an instance (of any Trek series) where he played multiple characters in the same episode.

And please feel free to correct me on this, but IIRC, apart from the DS9 ep with Weyoun and Brunt, the only other time a Trek actor has played multiple roles in the same episode was TOS' "Operation: Annihilate!" where William Shatner played both Jim Kirk and his (dead) brother George Jr.

Are you not counting Brothers since someone already mentioned it up thread?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Are you not counting Brothers since someone already mentioned it up thread?

oh yeah, forgot about that one as well.

I'm pretty much batting 0 for 3 now.

 

[Turtletrekker]

In Star Trek the original series Turnabout Intruder, William Shatner and Sandra Smith both played both Captain Kirk and Janice Lester

 

[Tosk]

And please feel free to correct me on this, but IIRC, apart from the DS9 ep with Weyoun and Brunt, the only other time a Trek actor has played multiple roles in the same episode was TOS' "Operation: Annihilate!" where William Shatner played both Jim Kirk and his (dead) brother George Jr.

How about Frakes playing two different Rikers in one ep? Or Stewart playing Picard and a holodeck character? Spiner double-duties in several eps as Data/Lore/Soong. Briones plays both Dahj and Soji in ep 1 of Picard. ...probably more.

 

[JD]

Spoiler: Picard

I would not be surprised if we see her playing more characters in the next episodes too.

 

[diankra]

Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove, playing President Muffley, Captain Mandrake, and the eponymous Dr. Strangelove.

And was supposed to play one more, but couldn't due to an injury.

 

[tomalak301]

Orphan Black might be the best show you are looking for.

The lead actress plays 8 different roles, and probably more than that when all is said and done. It's also 10 episodes a season for 5 seasons so it's pretty easy to go down.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Not genre, but "Clerks" features Walt Flanagan in four different (though pretty minor) roles, and you wouldn't realize from simply watching it. Also, in "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back", both Ben Affleck and Jason Lee played two roles each (though one of Affleck's was as himself).

 

[Greg Cox]

Yikes. How could I forget? Tony Randall plays seven roles in "The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao," including Merlin the Magician, an ancient Greek oracle, the Abominable Snowman, the Greek God Pan, Medusa, etc. Granted, the movie hints that all these characters are actually avatars of the titular Dr. Lao, but Randall plays seven parts nonetheless.