In the vast movie and television industries, it isn’t uncommon for the same character to appear in two or more unrelated projects. This typically happens a lot with stories about real-world figures. For example, John F. Kennedy has been featured in numerous productions over the years. That said, there have been cases of fictional characters showing up elsewhere after their creators came to an agreement and all proper licenses were acquired. These incidents tend to be even more fascinating (though sometimes confusing) when the individuals are portrayed by the same actors.
Such developments are mostly influenced by the magnificent performances that the actors gave the first time around. When one person puts their stamp all over a role, there is never the need to offer it to someone else. The following are just a few of the instances where actors reprised their iconic roles in non-sequel or non-franchise capacities.
10Michael Keaton as Ray Nicolette in Jackie Brown (1997) & Out of Sight (1998)
Michael Keatonfirst appeared in Quentin Tarantino’sJackie Brownas Ray Nicolette, a resourceful ATF agent eager to bring down the notorious gunrunner Ordell Robbie. Armed with charm and a leather jacket, Nicolette was the typical ‘90s lawman. Even though he was the secondary protagonist, the character was granted the honor of killing the villain and getting the lion’s share of the glory. Keaton then played the same character in a supporting capacity in Steven Soderbergh’sOut of Sight.
What Made It Possible
Jackie BrownandOut of Sightare both adaptations of Elmore Leonard’s novels, but they aren’t connected, narratively speaking. Nicolette only appears inRum Punch,thebook Tarantino based his crime drama on. Because both movies were being filmed at the same time, Miramax allowed Universal and Soderbergh to use the character without offering any form of financial compensation.
Keaton later stated that he agreed to appear in both movies because he found the idea awesome. “The notion that a character shows up again in a whole other movie… that’s the fun of this stuff for me," he toldEntertainment Weekly.
9Nigél Thatch as Malcolm X in Selma (2014) & Godfather of Harlem (2019-Present)
As the key figures of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X occasionally crossed paths, despite having different ideologies. Thanks to career connections, the latter appears briefly inSelma— a biographical film about King’s legendary march from Selma to Montgomery (meant as a form of protest against the lack of voting rights for Black people). The character is played byNigél Thatch, who would later reprise the role in one ofthe most underrated gangster shows,Godfather of Harlem.
Godfather of Harlemis the story of Bumpy Johnson, a Black mob boss who tussled with New York’s Gambino, Colombo, and Lucchese crime families for control of the city’s underworld. This raises the question of how Malcolm fits into his story. Well, one of the little-known facts about Bumpy is that he was friends with the Civil Rights leader. Malcolm preferred a violent approach to fight for justice, so someone like Bumpy came in handy. Bumpy would later offer Malcolm protection when he fell out with the Nation of Islam.
As for Thatch’s involvement, he not only resembles X, but he had also given an incredible performance inSelma, hence there was no one better suited for the role.
8Sung Kang as Han Lue in the Fast and Furious Franchise & Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)
Sung Kangis best known for portraying one of thefan-favoriteFast & Furiouscharacters, Han Lue. The character starts out as a street racer and small-time hood in Tokyo before joining heist king Dominic Toretto’s gang. Well, the expert driver wasn’t exclusively created for the Universal franchise. He was first seen as a member of a notorious high school criminal faction in the indie drama,Better Luck Tomorrow.
BothBetter Luck TomorrowandFast & Furious: Tokyo Drift(Han’s introductory movie in the franchise) were directed by Justin Lin. Because Kang and Lin have a great collaborative relationship, the director found no shame in recycling the character and developing him into a racer. In both universes, Han’s mannerisms and principles are the same, so the latter film serves as an unofficial origin story.
7Jamal Woodward as The Notorious B.I.G. in Notorious (2009) & All Eyez on Me (2017)
Hollywood is packed withbiopics about musical geniusesandNotoriousis among the best ones. The film chronicles the life of the highly-rated rapper Christopher Wallace, aka, The Notorious B.I.G. The ‘90s Hip Hop star is played byJamal Woodward, and years later, the actor reprised the role in the Tupac Shakur biopic,All Eyez on Me.
At the height of their careers, The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur were fierce rivals, so it made sense for each of the individuals to appear in the other’s story. Woodward had also received plenty of praise for his portrayal of Wallace in the 2009 film, so it made sense for him to be cast again. In addition to that, Woodward’s physical appearance was a major boost. He, more than any other Black actor, resembled Wallace the most.
6Ian Hart as John Lennon in The Hours and Times (1991) & Backbeat (1994)
John Lennon’s life was an eventful one, soThe Hours and Timesonly covered his widely talked-about vacation with The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein in Barcelona.Backbeat, on the other hand, covered the early years of The Beatles as the group was residing in Hamburg, Germany. In both films, the musician was played byIan Hart.
Because one movie features a younger Lennon and the other features an older Lennon, the producers of both movies would have been justified if they chose to use different actors. However, it was impossible to ignore Hart, given the strength of his performance the first time around. Besides that, the actor didn’t have any other major role lined up, so casting him again as Lennon was easy.
5Jamie Foxx as Django Freeman in Django Unchained (2012) & A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
Django Unchainedand Seth McFarlane’sA Million Ways to Die in the Westare two movies with little in common. The former was praised by critics, while the latter was panned. The former is also one ofthe bloodiest westerns ever made, while the latter is a laugh fest. Surprisingly,Jamie Foxxmanaged to appear in both movies as the freed slave, Django Freeman. In the Tarantino flick, Django’s goal is to free his wife, but in the comedy, he only shows up briefly to shoot the racist manager of a fair.
Foxx and McFarlane are great friends, so making the cameo happen wasn’t such a chore. The cameo appearance suited Foxx perfectly because Django is a revenge-minded character who has a strong stance against racism. The scene where the Black cowboy shoots a racist person could have easily fit intoDjango Unchained. Furthermore, the character was being featured in a parodic manner, and for years, McFarlane has had carte blanche when it comes to such storytelling devices.
4Judi Dench as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown (1997) & Victoria and Abdul (2017)
Mrs. Brownexplores the age-old rumor that Queen Victoria had a secret relationship with her servant, John Brown, after the death of her husband, Prince Albert.Victoria & Abdulalso tells a similar story, only that this time it’s Queen Victoria’s relationship with the young Indian servant, Abdul Karim. In both movies, the British ruler is portrayed byJudi Dench.
There are always favorites for certain roles, and for a long time, Dench has been the first choice for the role of influential British women. When it came time to tell yet another story about Queen Victoria, Universal Pictures couldn’t have looked in any other direction. After all, the screenplay was very similar to the one she had handled before. Besides that, Dench had earned herself an Oscar the first time around.
21 Actors Who Have Played Multiple Comic Book Characters
Some of these actors have portrayed as many as five comic book characters total, and they perform brilliantly every step of the way.
3Raymond Olita as Idi Amin in Mississippi Masala (1991) & The Rise & Fall of Idi Amin (1981)
The story of the infamous Ugandan tyrant, Idi Amin Dada, has been told numerous times, most recently inThe Last King of Scotland,starring Forrest Whitaker. However, prior to that,Raymond Olitagot to play him twice. He first starred in the biographical film,The Rise & Fall of Idi Aminbefore appearing as the dictator again,alongside Denzel Washingtonin the romance dramaMississippi Masala.
Olita’s uncanny resemblance to Idi Amin did the trick for him. The biopic wasn’t a Hollywood production, but it garnered enough attention worldwide to make the actor a household name. Olita had to bear with not getting another major role for years, but when it came time to make another movie featuring the sadistic ruler, the producers new exactly who to call. As was the case the first time, Olita didn’t disappoint.
2Danny Trejo as Machete Cortez in Spy Kids (2001-2011) & Machete (2010)
For most of his career,Danny Trejohas been content with taking supporting roles, so he made headlines when he took on the lead role of the former Mexican Federale Machete Cortez inMachete. This wasn’t the first time he had played the charming and bloodthirsty hero; he initially portrayed a tamer version of Machete in the popularSpy Kidsfranchise.
Robert Rodriguez served as the director of all the films featuring Machete Cortez, hence he was at liberty to use the character as he pleased. Additionally, Rodriguez and Trejo have had a great working relationship for years. Before Machete Cortez came into existence, Rodriguez directed Trejo inDesperadoandFrom Dusk Till Dawn. In a Hollywood landscape where most directors mainly work with trusted collaborators, it made total sense for Rodriguez to cast Trejo again in a wilder version of the same role.
1Charlton Heston as Mark Antony in Julius Ceasar (1970) and Antony and Cleopatra (1972)
Charlton Hestonisn’t remembered as fondly as other Golden Age of Hollywood stars, yet his films remain essential viewing.The Ten Commandmentsis the perfect biblical tale, whereasBen-Huris the best example of how to create an epic. Heston’s other notable role is that of the Roman politician and general, Mark Antony. The actor starred as the legendary historical figure inJulius CeasarandAntony andCleopatra.
Heston received plenty of praise for his performance as Antony inJulius Ceasar, but he wasn’t pleased with the film in general, claiming the entire cast was unfit for their roles. This prompted him to tell another story about his own character. Consequently, the movieAntony and Cleopatrawas born. In the movie, Heston served as both the director and the lead actor. Interestingly, his project received worse reviews and was a huge flop at the box office.
