With all the remakes and story franchises, for both shows and movies, there is a variety of reasons for actors to be swapped out for different roles.
Some performances may be more memorable than others, but it is also interesting to see how different the characters are depending on the actor that plays them.
Here are 10 actors who, you may or may not have known, played the same roles.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne: Stephen Hawking
Eddie Redmayne won the Oscar for Best Actor thanks to his performance in the 2014 film Theory of Everything, but did you know that in 2004 Benedict Cumberbatch played the same role for a BBC television film called Hawking?
Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Gulaczyk and Willem Dafoe: Vincent Van Gogh
While we’re on the topic of Benedict Cumberbatch and famous icons, in 2010, Cumberbatch played Van Gogh in a drama-documentary entitled Van Gogh: Painted with Words. The dialogue of the documentary was sourced from letters between Van Gogh and his brother, and other documents written by the people around them.
2017 brought with it the first ever feature film to be fully painted, Loving Vincent, and Gulazcyzk’s performance of Van Gogh. A year later, Willem Dafoe presented his own rendition of the artist as well in At Eternity’s Gate.
Anthony Perkins, Vince Vaughn, and Freddie Highmore: Norman Bates
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho came out in 1960, with Anthony Perkins as the motel owner with mommy issues, Norman Bates. In 1998, Gus Van Sant brought the film back to the big screen with Vince Vaughn in the lead.
Norman Bates is also given life by actor Freddie Highmore in the 5 seasons of the show Bates Motel, which premiered in 2013.
Jodie Foster and Lindsay Lohan: Annabel Andrews / Anna Coleman
Based on the children’s novel by Mary Rodgers, the 1976 and classic 2003 Freaky Friday stars two legends: Lindsay Lohan and Jodie Foster.
There is also a 2018 Disney version of the movie, but that one is a musical and… we don’t have to talk about that.
Burt Reynolds and Adam Sandler: Paul Crewe
The Longest Yard 1974 and 2005 pits inmates against prison guards in a game of good ol’ American football. Reynolds and Sandler coach the motley team of inmates as Paul Crewe, a former football star doing some time. Burt Reynolds actually makes a comeback in Sandler’s 2005 remake as Coach Nate Scarborough.
Gary Cooper and Adam Sandler: Longfellow Deeds
Continuing the Adam Sandler remake streak, Sandler’s 2002 Mr. Deeds was based off the 1936 film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. Longfellow Deeds is just a small-town boy livin’ in a lonely world… I mean, who finds out that he inherited a fortune in the city… They both take the midnight train going anywhere (to the city) to discover what the city life is really like.
In Sandler’s Mr. Deeds, he performs alongside actress Winona Ryder who has had her own share of the same roles with different actors, case-in-point: Jo March from Little Women, a role she shares with Saoirse Ronan.
Frank Sinatra and George Clooney: Danny Ocean
With high stakes heists, elaborate plans, people with very specific specializations and twists on twists on twists, the Oceans films haven’t changed much over time. Although the titles sure did: Ocean’s 11 (1960) versus Ocean’s Eleven (2001).
The casts may change, but they are always star studded to the max (including Sandra Bullock’s amazing and beautiful team in Ocean’s 8).
Gwyneth Paltrow and Anya Taylor-Joy: Emma Woodhouse
Both the 1996 and 2020 versions of Emma are Academy Award nominees, based off the Jane Austen novel bearing the same name. Gwyneth Paltrow and Anya Taylor-Joy portray the notoriously privileged matchmaker Emma, also emulated by Alicia Silverstone in the classic 1995 Clueless, as Cher Horotwitz, which was inspired by Austen’s novel.
Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, and Sam Riley: Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy
The 1995 British television drama Pride and Prejudice, stars Mamma Mia! Legend, Colin Firth. In 2005 the film role was given to Matthew Macfadyen. In 2016, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies came into cinemas with leading man Sam Riley. The film was based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s book which placed the world of Pride and Prejudice into one infested with zombies.
Of course, each Mr. Darcy could not shine as bright without their corresponding Lizzies. Colin Firth starred opposite Jennifer Ehle, Matthew Macfadyen with Keira Knightly and Sam Riley with sword yielding Lily James.
Alan Cumming and Tom Hiddleston: Loki
Adapted from The Mask comics and the original 1994 film The Mask, starring Jim Carrey, 2005’s Son of the Mask brought the hyperactive green faced character back to the big screen. Alan Cumming plays Loki, the owner of the mask, God of mischief indeed.
Tom Hiddleston’s Loki first appeared in 2011’s Thor, making so many more notable appearances, garnering his very own show which premiered this year. Very different takes of the same character, nonetheless still very mischievous.
Every time a filmmaker decides to revive a character, they are given new life by the performance of the actors playing them. At the end of the day, the question remains… Who did it better?
Other POP! stories you might like:
5 sports comedies to watch (and laugh at) this Olympics season
Vin Diesel’s “Got Family” memes take over Twitter as fans celebrate F9
Artist turns Hollywood celebrities into live-action Disney characters
