7 Actors Who Played Different Roles in the Same Movie, and You’d Never Guess It – Photos

These seven actors have appeared in some of the most cherished films of our time, showcasing their versatility by playing multiple roles. They have shared insights into their experiences and the dedication required to perfect these varied characters.

From the hilarious rom-com “Jack and Jill” to the fantasy classic “The Wizard of Oz,” here are the actors who skillfully portrayed several characters in the same film and the fans’ reactions to these performances.

Back to the Future Part II

“Back to the Future Part II” is a 1989 sci-fi film sequel from the “Back to the Future” trilogy. It follows Marty McFly who travels back in time to pose as his son and ends up with a predicament as the future alters the present.

Michael J. Fox portrayed the role of Marty in the film series but that wasn’t the only character he played. Much to the fans’ surprise, the now-retired actor also portrayed the role of Marlene McFly in the franchise.

Online users admitted they weren’t aware of this before. “I hate to admit I have watched these movies dozens of times and didn’t realize that,” revealed one person. Another individual confessed, “I saw these movies dozens of times as a kid, and I was about 20 before I realized it was Michael J. Fox.”

“Did not realize that when I was little. Wanted to look like her. Then again he’s really tiny and not the typical hulking guy–so it was convincing,” someone commented.

Only one individual wasn’t impressed by Fox’s portrayal of Marlene, boldly expressing, “I didn’t like Michael J Fox playing Marty’s daughter.”

Coming to America

Breaking away from the sci-fi genre, another classical film that featured an actor who mastered multiple characters is “Coming to America.” The 1988 romantic comedy follows an extremely pampered African prince named Akeem, who is determined to break family tradition.

Prince Akeem visits Queens, New York while undercover to find a woman whom he can genuinely love and respect. Eddie Murphy played the iconic role of Prince Akeem among three other roles. He also portrayed Clarence, Saul and Randy Watson, respectively.

During an appearance on the now-defunct daytime talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Murphy spoke candidly about his characters. Of the previous ones from the first film, he added an old farmer to the list making all his roles five or six in total.

Asked whether he enjoyed doing a makeup movie, the comedian admitted, “Every time I do a makeup movie, I always say, ‘This is the last time I’m doing this [expletive].'”

However, he always winds up back on the makeup chair and shared that usually happens if something occurs years later that makes enough sense to do it again.

Murphy revealed in a 2021 interview that the original idea of the film didn’t include playing multiple characters. But since the director, John Landis, knew that he could do the Yiddish accent, “he was like, ‘that would be hysterical,'” said the film star.

Having previously worked with special makeup-effects designer Rick Baker, Landis suggested Murphy could be transformed into a Jewish man. “And that’s how that stuff started,” the veteran star noted.

Jack and Jill

Another actor who underwent a dramatic transformation to play more than one role is Eugenio Derbez. The actor starred in the 2011 comedy film “Jack and Jill.”

The movie follows a family guy, Jack Sadelstein, who prepares for the annual event he always dreads – the Thanksgiving visit of his fraternal twin sister Jill.

Jill’s character is needy and passive-aggressive, and she refuses to leave her brother’s home upon her visit. Adam Sandler played both Jack and Jill in movie.

Meanwhile, Derbez portrayed the roles of Felipe and Felipe’s grandmother in the film. He briefly talked about his character during in a 2021 interview.

The Mexican native who initially struggled to break into showbiz said, “In my role in that movie, I ended up marrying Adam Sandler. Well, the female version of Adam Sandler.”

Jumanji

Similarly to Derbez another actor played two roles in the 1995 adventure film, “Jumanji.” The movie follows two kids who discover a magical board game and while playing it, they encounter a man trapped inside and attempt to free him while facing different kinds of dangers.

Jonathan Hyde portrayed the characters of Sam Parrish and Van Pelt in the classic film, much to the fans’ amazement. X users reflected on this revelation several years ago.

“Wow. I’ve seen ‘Jumanji’ a MILLION times, and I only JUST put together that Sam Parrish and Van Pelt were both played by Jonathan Hyde. #Duh,” expressed one user.

Another admitted, “After all these years, today I learned that Jonathan Hyde was both Van Pelt and Sam Parrish in ‘Jumanji.’ Never knew.”

One asked,” Why has it taken me 22 years to realize Jonathan Hyde played Sam Parrish and Van Pelt????#Jumanji#JonathanHyde#SamParrish#VanPelt”

Harry Potter Films

In the fantasy realm of the “Harry Potter” film series, which played from 2001 until 2011, another actor had more than one role. The franchise’s first instalment follows an 11-year-old orphaned boy who discovers that he is a wizard and enrolls in a school of wizardry.

Actor Warwick Davis played two characters in the franchise including Professor Flitwick and was a voice-over artist for Griphook. Davis portrayed the role of Professor Flitwick, a comical character, since the third instalment.

In contrast of the lovable Professor, he also played the deceitful and untrustworthy, Griphook. Davis revealed in a 2010 interview that he had to ensure his role of Griphook is significantly different to that of Professor Flitwick so that viewers couldn’t catch on that it was the same person.

“So it’s a complete physical change, not only the look but the way I stand, the way I walk, everything about me had to be different,” he explained. The English native played Griphook in the first film in which he did a voice-over for the character.

Asked if he found it challenging to play two roles in one movie, Davis said no while admitting it was weird somehow because he had to switch from one character to the next.

He further explained that he didn’t mix up the characters thanks to the makeup he wore for each role because they felt different. According to Davis, GripHook’s makeup was much heavier as he had bigger ears and nose. “So, I got to certainly know when I’m Griphook, he divulged.

Austin Powers

The satirical spy comedy film from 1997 “Austin Powers” also had an actor who played more than one role. The film series is based on a part time secret agent who emerges in a cryogenic state to battle his nemesis, Dr. Evil.

Mike Myers portrayed both Austin Powers and Dr. Evil in the series. He also added another character to the franchise, the morbidly obese Scottish henchman, Fat Bastard.

“I love making comedy characters and playing them,” Myers admitted in a 2019 interview. His Fat Bastard character was inspired by his own weight struggles as he first realized he had a weight issue while on “Saturday Night Live” at age 25.

Interestingly enough, the comedian didn’t have a fully formed character in mind for Fat Bastard until he came up with a famous line, “‘I eat because I’m unhappy and I’m unhappy because I eat,’ which is something that I had come to the conclusion of about my own life,” he said. This was when he came up with Fat Bastard.

The Wizard of Oz

One last classic film from the ’90s in which an actor appeared in multiple characters is the 1939 musical fantasy movie, “The Wizard of Oz.”

It follows a young girl named Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto who get swept away by a tornado from her Kansas farm home to the magical Land of Oz.

She along with three new friends embark on a quest to meet a wizard to who can return her to her home and fulfill others’ wishes.

Actress Margaret Hamilton portrayed the roles of Miss Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West in the film which is an adaption of a children’s novel.