Characters Played by the Most Actors
Some actors are synonymous with a role and play that same character many times, while some characters are known for being played by many actors. That’s what we’ll be discussing on this list. Interestingly, only one of these characters is original, while all the others find their roots in books, comics, etc. Also, no real people will appear on this list because that’s a list of its own. I will also be focusing on (almost exclusively) live action film roles.
James Bond- First appearing in 1962’s ‘Dr. No’ and most recently in 2021’s ‘No Time to Die,’ the real question with 007 is just, who is next? And while that question has yet to be answered, Bond has been played by 6 actors in Eon films (Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, & Daniel Craig) and appeared in a 1967 parody ‘Casino Royale,’ played by David Niven.
Batman- One of the poster boys for this kind of list, it’s almost a joke on who the next actor to take on the double role of Bruce Wayne & Batman are because they are two very different characters. First played by actors Lewis Wilson & Robert Lowery in 1943 & 1949 serial films, the first actor many people think of is Adam West, who played the TV batman and played him in the 1966 companion film. There was then quite a break before we just started getting back-to-back-bats. Between 1989-1997 we got Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney all taking on the role to various degrees of success. Then Christian Bale (GOAT Batman) took on the role for Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. I literally almost skipped over Batfleck himself Ben Affleck because he’s so forgettable despite appearing in 3 movies and making two cameos, giving himself the most appearances. Most recently Batman was taken on by Robert Pattinson (who did great). We’ve also gotten notable voice roles from Will Arnett and the legend Kevin Conroy. A young Bruce Wayne also appeared in ‘Joker’ played by Dante Pereira-Olson. We’ll see who takes on the cape and cowl next with names like Alan Ritchson, Jensen Ackles, and Jake Gyllenhaal flying around.
Joker- Of course with the bat comes the Joker, who has not been portrayed quite as many times as his arch nemesis but still has many actors to his name. Cesar Romero took his TV role to the big screen in 1966 across from Adam West. We then had Jack Nicholson take on the role in ‘89. The best version of the character came in ‘08’s The Dark Knight by Heath Ledger. Jared Leto, unfortunately, played the character in Suicide Squad and the Snyder Cut of the Justice League. Then in 2019 Joaquin Phoenix won the Best Actor Oscar for playing a protagonist version in ‘Joker.’ Finally, Barry Keoghan made a cameo as Joker in ‘The Batman.’
Alfred Pennyworth- And with every Batman comes? No, not Robin, but Alfred! Also appearing in those 40s serials played by William Austin & Eric Wilton, Alan Napier reprised his TV role in ‘66. Michael Gough played the loyal butler across the Keaton, Kilmer, and Clooney versions. Then Michael Caine took on the role for the Nolan trilogy, before Jeremy Irons took it on for the DCEU. In 2019’s Joker Douglas Hodge played the role and finally in 2022’s ‘The Batman,’ Andy Serkis took the part.
Sherlock Holmes- One of many characters that I won’t be able to list every actor for. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s prized character has been portrayed so many times, with the first film coming in 1900(!). Some notable actors who have played the role include Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Christopher Plummer, Michael Caine, Robert Downey Jr., Ian McKellen, Will Ferrell, & Henry Cavill. The actor synonymous with the role is Basil Rathbone (what a British name) who played the actor in 14 films. While Drs. Watson & Moriarty also appear in many Sherlock films, I excluded this from this list.
Tarzan- Another character with tons of actors, I’ll be honest here. Most of these films are decently old and the actors aren’t too notable. I’ll mention Christopher Lambert, Casper Van Dien, and Alexander Skarsgard. Also Tony Goldwyn & Kellan Lutz both voiced the role, with Goldwyn’s being the most famous adaptation of the character.
Count Dracula- We’re on a roll here. Dracula also has so many actors that have portrayed him. You have of course the OG, Bela Lugosi and the icon, Christopher Lee. And other actors who took on the part include Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, David Niven, Frank Langella, Gary Oldman, Leslie Nielsen, Gerard Butler, Dominic Purcell, Rutger Hauer, Thomas Kretschmann, Luke Evans, and Nicolas Cage.
Robin Hood- Robin Hood has been played by an a long list of actors. That list includes: Errol Flynn, Sean Connery, Kevin Costner, Cary Elwes, Russell Crowe, Taron Egerton, and there is an upcoming version with Hugh Jackman.
Cinderella- Finally a woman! This iconic princess has been portrayed in countless animated roles, but also has quite a few live action ones. Those include portrayals by Mary Pickford, Leslie Caron, Anna Kendrick, Lily James, Camila Cabello, & Brandy. There have also been various films that took the story (A Cinderella Story, Ella Enchanted, Sneakerella) and adapted it into different worlds, usually a modern one.
Superman- First appearing in 1948, Supes actors become synonymous with the role. Those actors are: Kirk Alyn in ‘Superman,’ George Reeves in ‘Superman and the Mole-Men,’ Christopher Reeve in 4 different entries, Brandon Routh in ‘Superman Returns,’ and Henry Cavill in the DCEU, starting in ‘Man of Steel.’ David Corenswet is set to take on the role in 2025. There was also a cameo of Nicolas Cage in ‘The Flash’ (ew) and actors who have voiced the role include Channing Tatum and John Krasinski. Actors like Dean Cain, Tom Welling, & Tyler Hoechlin also played versions of the Man of Steel on TV.
Lois Lane- Lois & Clark of course. Every Superman has their Lois, and those Lois’s were played by Noel Neill, Phyllis Coates, Margot Kidder, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, and Rachel Brosnahan, who will take on the role in 2025.
Spider-Man- Now Spider-Man (Peter Parker) really hasn’t been played by that many actors in live action films. Nicholas Hammond took on the role in companion films of the 1977 series. Spidey has of course been famously played by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, & Tom Holland, who all appeared on screen together in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ Although the animated ‘Spider-Verse’ films focus on Miles Morales’s Spider-Man, countless Peter Parker’s appear, voiced by actors like Jake Johnson, Nicolas Cage (who will take on the role in a live action TV show), John Mulaney, Chris Pine, Jorma Taccone, Josh Keaton, & Yuri Lowenthal.
Romeo & Juliet- Actors & actresses that have taken on Shakespeare’s most famous couple include: Leslie Howard & Norma Shearer, Leonard Whiting & Olivia Hussey, Leonardo DiCaprio & Claire Danes, Laurence Harvey & Susan Shentall, Douglas Booth & Hailee Steinfeld, and Kyle Allen & Isabela Merced. Many actors and actresses have played versions of the characters in more indirect adaptations (like ‘West Side Story’).
Zeus- While many members of the Greek pantheon have been portrayed a handful of times in film, their king takes the cake with the most. He has been portrayed in many different ways by many different actors including: Russell Crowe (Thor: Love & Thunder), Luke Evans (Immortals), Niall MacGinnis (Jason and the Argonauts), Sean Bean (Percy Jackson), Liam Neeson (Clash of the Titans), and Laurence Olivier (Clash of the Titans). The character was also voiced by Rip Torn in Disney’s animated ‘Hercules.’
Hercules- The son of Zeus, Hercules/Heracles has been played by many (extremely buff) stars. While he was most famously voiced by Tate Donovan the actors who have played the demigod of all demigods include Kevin Sorbo, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kellan Lutz, Lou Ferrigno, & Brett Goldstein.
Anakin Skywalker- The only original character on this list, Anakin/Vader has been portrayed through the same series but a variety of actors. Darth Vader was voiced by James Earl Jones and physically played by David Prowse in the original films. When his face is revealed in ‘Return of the Jedi’ that face belongs to Sebastian Shaw. Younger versions of the characters are played by Jake Lloyd & Hayden Christensen bringing the total to 5.
Santa Claus- I’d confidently say no one has been played by more actors in more films than Jolly Old St. Nick. I’m not going to list a single one, because that will be it’s own list when we get a little closer to the Most Wonderful Time of the Year ;)
