Summary

Many actors stick to the roles that accommodate them best , but this can lead to actors act practically identical characters in completely unrelated movies . There are plentitude of player who are bonk for playing Western gunslingers or celluloid noir investigator , for example . It ’s a little less mutual for actors to make two movies where they dwell a similar niche use , and this lead to some strange coincidences .

Being typecast in Hollywoodis one matter , but pick out two weirdly exchangeable roles is far weirder . Any actor can play a gangster or a soldier more than once without raise any eyebrows , but playing something a little rarer , like a stunt double or an animal brother , is strange . Many different actors have study on surprisingly standardized roles during their career , and it often seems like a conscious pick to draw latitude between two of their motion picture so that their eubstance of study can be seen holistically .

Great cop movies need protagonists who are just as interesting as the cases they investigate , and the correct worker can upgrade these character reference .

Custom image of Clint Eastwood and Denzel Washington

10Russell Crowe

The Pope’s Exorcist (2023) & The Exorcism (2024)

Although it ’s fair common for actors to toy similar roles at some point if they delight a long career , Russell Crowe has late play two strikingly similar characters just a year apart . The Pope ’s Exorciststars Crowe as an exorcist ferment in Italy . 2024’sThe Exorcismhas a different angle , with Crowe playing a picture show star , who is himself playing an exorcist .

The writer ofThe Exorcismpublicly skip that the serendipity of the two pic being unloose so confining together would give them a rise .

In a way , it seems as thoughThe Exorcismis a twist on the product ofThe Pope ’s exorciser , but there is no direct relation between the two motion picture . Thewriters ofThe Exorcismpublicly hoped that the serendipity of the two movies being released so close together would give them a boost . The Pope ’s Exorcistreceived mixed reviews from critic , but it was a surprise box agency hit .

In a dusty landscape Finn stares out into the distance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

9Michael Caine

Gambit (1966) & The Italian Job (1969)

For whatever reason , Michael Caine has always been drawn to heist movies . Perhaps it ’s his tough guy cable character which fits the archetype of on - screen British mobster so well . He lends this blackguardly appealingness toHarry and Walter Go to New York , Now You See MeandKing of Thieves . Even considering this form , his character inGambitandThe Italian Jobare strikingly similar .

For whatever reason , Michael Caine has always been drawn to heist movies . Perhaps it ’s his tough guy persona which fits the pilot of on - screen British gangsters so well .

Both movies are among thebest heist moviesever , and Caine deserves credit for providing much of their temptingness . In both moving-picture show , he plays an affable cockney stealer who enchant in build elaborate schemes . The Italian Job ’s Charlie Croker is the loss leader of a grownup crowd , whileGambit ’s Harry only enrol Nicole when he deems it to be strictly necessary , but the two men have a lot in coarse .

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

8Judi Dench

Mrs. Brown (1997) & Victoria and Abdul (2017)

Judi Dench does n’t just play similar persona inMrs . BrownandVictoria and Abdul;she plays the exact same character . Both film focus on one of Queen Victoria ’s rummy platonic relationship with male servant following the death of her hubby . This mean that not only does Dench play Victoria in both movies , but she ’s carry on with a plenty of the same emotion , and the two moving-picture show are structured in similar ways .

Dench has had the opportunity to run Victoria at two unlike stages of her life . It ’s just a shame she did n’t set about sooner .

Dench has a supreme sense of lordliness that help her play royal line . She also famously play Queen Elizabeth I inShakespeare in Love . Dench ’s Victoria is more vulnerable and human than her Elizabeth , but both portrayal showcase her powerful sieve presence . Dench has had the opportunity to play Victoria at two different stages of her life . It ’s just a disgrace she did n’t begin sooner .

Russell Crowe in The Popes Exorcist and The Exorcism

Custom image by Yeider Chacon

7Jeffrey Wright

The French Dispatch (2021) & American Fiction (2023)

Jeffrey Wright earned his first Oscar nomination for his performance inAmerican Fiction , but he had already played a similar fibre two year in the first place inThe French Dispatch . American Fictionstars Wright as Thelonious " Monk " Ellison , a highbrow author who achieves massive commercial-grade success when he dumbs down his writing and plays up to the stereotype of Black literature , with a story about inner - urban center discord pen in AAVE .

Jeffrey Wright bring in his first Oscar nomination for his performance inAmerican Fiction , but he had already played a similar graphic symbol two years in the beginning inThe French Dispatch .

In Wes Anderson’sThe French Dispatch , Wright also play an noetic writer . Here , he is Roebuck Wright , a journalist seemingly based on James Baldwin , who uses his remit as a food critic to examine the domain around him . Monk and Roebuck both have an unflappable horse sense of wholeness . They want to stay true to who they are , even when Monk learn the racial stereotyping of the publication world , and Monk see the interior of a jail cell .

6Andy Serkis

Black Panther (2018) & Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

Andy Serkis is most famous for his move - capture work . After his brainy carrying into action as Gollum in Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy , he went on to asterisk as the twenty-first century ’s two most celebrated cinematic apes , King Kong in 2005 and Caesar in thePlanet of the Apesfranchise . He has taken on more live - action roles in recent years , but he has still find himself playing similar character even when he ’s a human .

Martin Luther : The Fallen Sunis more grounded thanBlack Panther , but Serkis ' character are amazingly interchangeable .

Serkis ' most noteworthy live - natural process movie role could be his part as Ulysses Klaue inBlack Panther . Klaue is a flashy , eccentric villain who uses his technological genius to gainsay the hero sandwich . In theLuthermovie , he also play a scoundrel with a good sense of showmanship and a deep agreement of curve - edge technology . Luther : The Fallen Sunis more grounded thanBlack Panther , but Serkis ' characters are surprisingly similar .

5Ralph Brown

Withnail and I (1987) & Wayne’s World 2 (1993)

Ralph Brown had his breakthrough purpose in the British comedyWithnail and Ias Danny the drug dealer . His operation was so popular that it revolutionise Dana Carvey to indite a similar role forBrown inWayne ’s World 2.Although Brown ’s two grapheme have different names , they have monovular fashion , and they verbalize with the same laconic cockney drawl . Wayne and Garth are immediately taken in by his idiosyncratic character .

Although Brown ’s two lineament have different names , they have identical styles , and they talk with the same laconic cockney drawl .

Ralph Brown ’s character inWayne ’s World 2initially seems to be little more than a testimonial to his work inWithnail and I , but the legendary roadie produce into a much strange creation as the plot come on . Del Preston and Danny the drug dealer both spurt bizarre confederacy possibility , but Del is put in a situation of powerfulness inWayne ’s World 2,so he has the chance to drag others into his warped logic .

4James Stewart

Rope (1948) & Rear Window (1954)

Alfred Hitchcock ’s collaborations with James Stewartoften played with the theatre director ’s favourite story archetype : an ordinary man draw into a dangerous reprehensible plot . InVertigo , Stewart plays a retire detective who works as a secret center on one last display case , butRopeandRear Windowboth feature him as a regular Joe who has to take on the function of a detective , putting himself in danger in the process .

Alfred Hitchcock ’s collaborations with James Stewart often played with the director ’s favored narrative archetype : an ordinary man drawn into a dangerous criminal patch .

Ropeis a consummate feat of hold storytelling , with the intact tale playing out in one elbow room over the class of one even . Stewart play a publisher who slowly cotton on the fact that his two legion at the dinner party company have murdered one of their associates . InRear Window , Stewart is a photographer who surmise his neighbour of murdering his wife . Both movies utilize Stewart ’s charms as a relatable everyman .

3Octavia Spencer

The Help (2011) & The Shape of Water (2017)

Octavia Spencer rarely play the lead . More often than not , she make out to shine in supporting character . Spencer has an inbuilt warmth about her , and this helps her play the part of a supportive ally to the primary character . InThe Help , she delivers one of her well performances as Minny , a maid who provides a moral range for Viola Davis ' main character , as well as showing another side to the hardships that Black maids in wealthy blanched neighborhoods are forced to endure .

Octavia Spencer rarely play the lead . More often than not , she manages to shine in supporting roles .

Six years later , Spencer once again garnered praise for portraying a cleaner who help to stabilise her best friend , this time in Guillermo del Toro’sThe Shape of Water . The sci - fi love story features Sally Hawkins as a tongueless woman who falls in love with a strange amphibious creature at a authorities research facility . BothThe HelpandThe Shape of Waterare set in the early 1960s .

2Eddie Murphy

Mulan (1998) & Shrek (2001)

Although he has an instantly placeable voice , Eddie Murphy does n’t often recreate liven character . His two most famous vocalization roles are amazingly similar in some ways , even though the two case are n’t even the same species . InMulan , Murphy plays a saucy - cracking fauna sidekick to the titular grapheme , just as he does inShrek . Donkey may be a little more important to the game inShrek , but he provides mirthful backup man just like Mushu does inMulan .

InMulan , Murphy plays a wise - snap creature sidekick to the titulary character , just as he does inShrek .

ShrekandMulanare two ofEddie Murphy ’s best movies , because they both give him gratuitous rein to toy around with his character . Donkey and Mushu are a little annoying , but ultimately endearing , and their movies would n’t be the same without them . One unusual connection between the theatrical role is that Donkey ’s love stake inShrekis a dragon , although Mushu never falls in love with a Donkey .

1Ryan Gosling

Drive (2011) & The Fall Guy (2024)

In bothDriveandThe Fall Guy , Ryan Gosling plays a Hollywood stunt performing artist who has to mesh in some life-threatening extracurricular activity . Despite the similarity in their premises , DriveandThe Fall Guytake totally different overture . Driveis a tense offence thriller , whileThe Fall Guyis a fun action romcom . This allows Gosling to show two different face to his talent .

Both movies show Gosling ’s graphic symbol being move by a love interest group , played by Carrey Mulligan inDriveand Emily Blunt inThe Fall Guy .

The Fall Guyis filled with unsafe actionas a tribute to the global residential area of stunt performers , which is no surprise considering that David Leitch begin his career in Hollywood as a stunt double . Driveis just as thrilling , but it ’s less splashy and more grounded . Both movie show Gosling ’s character being motivated by a love interest , play by Carrey Mulligan inDriveand Emily Blunt inThe Fall Guy .