Actors You Didn't Realize Played The Same Character

Johnny Depp seemed born to play gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Depp's skill at playing quirky, larger-than-life characters made him a natural fit for this role, despite his real-life friendship with the subject. Terry Gilliam's work.Johnny Depp and Bill Murray starred in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Where the Buffalo Roam.Based on Thompson's book, this film gave Depp the chance to deliver a full-bodied, outrageous performance. It captured the subject's ability to cause chaos everywhere.

Another famous name played Thompson before Depp. The 1980 filmJohnny Depp and Bill Murray starred in Where the Buffalo Roam.Bill Murray played theRolling Stone covered Fear and Loathing.writer. Depp played Thompson's exaggerated self better on screen. Murray played the actual man better. The movie shows Thompson's rise in the 1970s, giving the story a sense of realism.Fear and Loathing is a film.This film replicates the drug trip Thompson and his "lawyer" had in Nevada.

Neither movie was a blockbuster, butFear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a film.has built a cult following over the years.

Bruce Willis and Frank Sinatra appeared in Die Hard.This movie made Bruce Willis a hall-of-fame action hero. He plays John McClane, an NYC cop in Los Angeles, trying to save his wife from terrorists in a skyscraper. The film uses the 1979 Roderick Thorpe novel.Bruce Willis and Frank Sinatra appeared in Nothing Lasts Forever.Some details changed, like the hero's name and the family member he saves. On paper, cop Joe Leland tries to save his daughter.

Changing those details makes it hard to recognizeBruce Willis and Frank Sinatra appeared in Die Hard.Its direct link to another film.Bruce Willis and Frank Sinatra appeared in Nothing Lasts Forever.This is a sequel to Thorpe's book.Bruce Willis and Frank Sinatra appeared in The Detective.This film, a 1968 movie, stars Frank Sinatra as Leland. He investigates a murder and exposes a major cover-up.

This means the name changed forBruce Willis and Frank Sinatra appeared in Die Hard.Willis plays the same New York cop Sinatra played inBruce Willis and Frank Sinatra appeared in The Detective.The earlier film shows what Leland/McClane did before that trip to the West Coast.

Will Smith and Charlton Heston starred in I Am Legend.This movie hit big in 2007. Will Smith plays Dr. Robert Neville, the last human in New York City after a plague turned others into mutants. He seeks a cure. The film succeeded by mixing science fiction and action—two genres where Smith excels. The role fit his skills perfectly.

Richard Matheson's 1954 book of the same name inspiredWill Smith and Charlton Heston starred in I Am Legend.A weaker version of his work came out in 1971 under the titleWill Smith and Charlton Heston starred in The Omega Man.Charlton Heston plays Neville in this version. This version features one of cinema's first onscreen interracial kisses. Both movies take risks with the source material. The Smith version plays up the scary moments. These intense thrills helped the movie gain audience popularity.

The Omega ManMeanwhile, this movie is decent.I Am LegendThis film overshadowed it as the main adaptation of Matheson's novel.

In 1999, Matt Damon delivered a strong performance as Tom Ripley, the psychopathic lead inThe Talented Mr. RipleyThis movie comes from Patricia Highsmith's novel, the first of four to feature the character. Actor Alain Delon previously played Ripley inPurple NoonThis film is a 1960 French/Italian picture loosely inspired by the same book. The casting makes sense together. Damon was a young, handsome actor, similar to Delon at the time his film released.

Tom Ripley kept appearing on screen. John Malkovich played him inRipley's GameThis is a 2002 movie based on the third part of Highsmith's series. Audiences used to Damon's acting might not know Malkovich played the same man years later. This is especially true becauseRipley's GameThis film was an independent movie that did not get a wide release, unlikeThe Talented Mr. Ripleywhich was a hit from a major studio.

Martin Scorsese released it in September 1990.GoodfellasThis movie is considered the main gangster film, matched only by Francis Ford Coppola'sThe GodfatherRay Liotta plays Henry Hill. Hill grows up admiring the mob and later moves up the ranks. After getting deeply involved in crime, Hill becomes an FBI informant, exposing his crew and joining witness protection.GoodfellasThis movie is based onWiseguyNicholas Pileggi's biography of Hill.

One month before this movie released in August 1990, another film based onWiseguyhit theaters, and its tone was very different.My Blue HeavenThis is a silly comedy starring Steve Martin as Vincent "Vinnie" Antonelli, a former mobster who enters witness protection after ratting out his crew. Liotta's character is a dangerous, drug-addicted guy; Martin's is a playful troublemaker.

How do we have two very different versions of Hill's story? The answer is simple.My Blue HeavenNora Ephron, the late comedy writer who married Pileggi, wrote this.

Van HelsingThis movie made good money at the box office, but few people liked it much. Hugh Jackman plays the vampire hunter who faced Dracula in Bram Stoker's novel. This film shows him facing an army of monsters assembled by his Transylvanian enemy. He kills them all.

People remember 'Love it or hate it' most.Hugh Jackman and Anthony Hopkins played the same character in 'Van Helsing' and 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'.Many saw the movie, so people remember it. Hugh Jackman is not the only A-list actor who played the role. Anthony Hopkins played him in 1992's.Hugh Jackman and Anthony Hopkins played the same character in 'Van Helsing' and 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'.Francis Ford Coppola directed this movie. This film got a hit and better reviews, but Hopkins's performance did not impact pop culture. Gary Oldman's over-the-top Dracula, the Grand Guignol visual style from Coppola and cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, and the odd chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder overshadowed Hopkins.

Clint Eastwood and Mark Ruffalo played the same character in 'Dirty Harry' and 'Zodiac'.Clint Eastwood and Mark Ruffalo played the same character in 'Dirty Harry' and 'Zodiac'.Clint Eastwood and Mark Ruffalo played the same character in 'Dirty Harry' and 'Zodiac'.These two movies share an easy-to-miss connection. The latter, directed by David Fincher, chills viewers with its story of the Zodiac Killer hunt. The killer terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area during the late 1960s. Mark Ruffalo plays Dave Toschi, the SFPD detective who spent nine years trying to catch the killer, but failed.

Clint Eastwood and Mark Ruffalo played the same character in 'Dirty Harry' and 'Zodiac'.The movie earned high praise upon release and gained more popularity on DVD and Blu-ray.Clint Eastwood and Mark Ruffalo played the same character in 'Dirty Harry' and 'Zodiac'.Meanwhile, this film was a major 1971 blockbuster. Clint Eastwood plays Harry Callahan in his signature role. Callahan is a San Francisco cop tracking "Scorpio," a lunatic who, like the Zodiac Killer, taunts the police with notes about his murders. The entire film drew from the Zodiac case, and Callahan is based on Dave Toschi.

Regarding the real person, he liked how Ruffalo played him, statingClint Eastwood and Mark Ruffalo played the same character in 'SFGate'."I thought Ruffalo did a good job. I enjoy [Clint Eastwood and Mark Ruffalo played the same character in 'Zodiac'., but it makes me sad. Watching it makes me angry at myself because I could not close the case."

Robert De Niro and Donald Sutherland played the same character in 'Goodfellas' and 'The Big Heist'.Robert De Niro and Donald Sutherland played the same character in 'Goodfellas' and 'The Big Heist'.Robert De Niro and Donald Sutherland played the same character in 'Goodfellas' and 'The Big Heist'.Robert De Niro and Donald Sutherland played the same character in 'Goodfellas' and 'The Big Heist'.This marks an instance where a real person appeared in two very different films. Robert De Niro plays Jimmy Conway in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film. Conway is a gangster who organizes a heist of the Lufthansa vault inside JFK Airport, stealing millions in cash and jewelry. De Niro played mobsters before, but something scary about him shows here.

Although the name changed for the movie, Jimmy Conway was based on Jimmy Burke, a mobster connected to the Lucchese crime family. The Lufthansa raid was just one part ofRobert De Niro and Donald Sutherland played the same character in 'Goodfellas' and 'The Big Heist'., but it was the main focus ofRobert De Niro and Donald Sutherland played the same character in 'Goodfellas' and 'The Big Heist'., a 2001 TV movie where veteran actor Donald Sutherland plays Jimmy Burke. Sutherland's take is different from De Niro's, though it fits the film, which is lighter than Scorsese's dark, brutal picture.

Harvey Dent is an important character in Christopher Nolan'sAaron Eckhart and Billy Dee Williams played the same character in 'The Dark Knight'.Aaron Eckhart and Billy Dee Williams play 'The Dark Knight' / 'Batman'. Eckhart is a hotshot, morality-driven district attorney who aims to remove Gotham's criminals. Heath Ledger's Joker targets Dent, believing he can make Dent fail morally. This builds resentment and distrust among Gotham residents. By the movie's end, the plan succeeds; Dent is disfigured and heads toward becoming Two-Face, the Batman villain.

Harvey Dent appeared on movie screens before Eckhart played him. People remember Tommy Lee Jones's role as the villain in Batman ForeverBilly Dee Williams played Dent in Tim Burton's 1989 BatmanWilliams did a fine job; Dent is a minor part of the story and has not become his villain form. Making an impression among Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson's iconic performances proved hard.

Donald E. Westlake wrote novels about Parker, a thief in dangerous adventures under the pseudonym "Richard Stark." The 1999 Mel Gibson thriller PaybackThis film is based on the first Parker novel, The Hunter and features the actor seeking revenge on colleagues who abandoned him. Filmmakers changed the source material by renaming the lead character to Porter.

Jason Statham plays the same character in Parker. This 2013 action film adapts Flashfire, the 19th book in the series. The plot mirrors the source: the antihero hunts the accomplices who stole from him after a heist. Jennifer Lopez plays a real estate agent who helps him.

Gibson or Statham played the thief better is debatable. What is certain is that Paybackwas abox office hit, whileParker - despite the intriguing pairing of Statham with Lopez - left theaters fast.

Mike Nichols's 1967 filmThe Graduate remains an all-time classic. The young Dustin HoffmanDustin Hoffman plays Benjamin Braddock. Braddock is a recent college graduate who has an affair with his girlfriend's mother (Anne Bancroft). Nichols and screenwriters Calder Willingham and Buck Henry adapted Charles Webb's novel. This film matches or beats the source material. It launched Hoffman's career.

A less popular movie is 2005's Rumor Has It...Jennifer Aniston plays a woman who learns her mother and grandmother had an affair with Beau Burroughs (Kevin Costner). Processing this is shocking. More shocking is that Beau was Charles Webb's college roommate and might have inspired Benjamin Braddock, the hero of The GraduateHer mother is Elaine; her grandmother is the infamous Mrs. Robinson.

This idea works for a comedy.Rumor Has It...Costner's charming performance saved the box office flop.The Graduate.This film stays popular over 50 years after its release.

Baz Luhrmann adaptedThe Great Gatsby.Leonardo DiCaprio plays the title character. Tobey Maguire plays Nick Carraway, the story's main character. He writes, gets hooked on millionaire Jay Gatsby's lavish life, then grows disillusioned. Maguire earned top reviews for this work.

Thirteen years before the 2013 film, a BBC TV movie aboutThe Great Gatsby.Paul Rudd played Nick Carraway in this A&E America version. Rudd was not yet the comedy star he is now. He was an actor rising in fame forClueless.It is inspired by Jane Austen'sEmma.and another Baz Luhrmann/Leonardo DiCaprio film, Romeo + Juliet..

Many movies show Jesse James, butThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.Many consider this the best film. It did not do well in theaters, but it gained an admiring audience on home video. Brad Pitt brings his charisma to the role, showing the iconic status the real-life outlaw held. This revisionist Western shows the events leading up to and following the killing in the title.

Rob Lowe played James in another film. The 1994 HBO movieFrank and Jesse.This movie focuses on the James brothers' attempts to outrun Pinkerton agents robbing banks and trains. Critics scored it low, giving it just20% on Rotten Tomatoes.The film's small impact likely explains why many people forget Lowe's efforts, even though he was a good choice for James.

Two actors playing the same character in one year is rare. Tom Hanks and Alfred Molina both played Ben Bradlee, the legendary executive editor ofThe Washington Post.Both actors needed big roles, given Jason Robards's Oscar win as Bradlee inAll the President's Men..

Hanks's performance was more memorable of the two recent ones. He took the role for Steven Spielberg'sThe Post.A 2017 drama shows how the newspaper published the Pentagon Papers. These documents proved the government knew the Vietnam War was losing for years. Tom Hanks is central in the film, sharing scenes with Meryl Streep as owner Katherine Graham. The movie earned a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards.

The Front RunnerReleased in 2018, the film initially seemed like an awards contender, but those hopes failed. It dramatizes the infidelity scandal that ended presidential hopeful Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman). Molina plays Bradlee, the editor wrestling with publishing incriminating photos of Hart. Molina's performance is smaller than Hanks's; Jason Reitman's movie had a smaller critical and commercial draw.The Post.

Quentin Tarantino'sJackie BrownJackie Brown is based on Elmore Leonard's crime novel.Rum PunchSamuel L. Jackson plays Ordell Robbie, a gun runner and sleazy guy. He helps the title character, played by Pam Grier, when she is caught by the ATF while smuggling cash for him. Jackson and Tarantino work well; this yields results.Jackie BrownJackie Brown gave the actor a signature role. He needed to go "big," and he delivered.

Sixteen years later, actor/rapper Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) played Ordell Robbie inLife of CrimeThis movie adapts another Leonard book.The SwitchThe Switch takes place beforeRum Punchbut features characters from that later novel. Bey got good reviews for his work. Andrew O'Hehir ofSalonwrote that he "draws your attention whenever he’s on-screen, and also captures Ordell with considerable subtlety, as a guy who’s both irresistible and untrustworthy." Few people saw his performance.Life of CrimeLife of Crime flopped at the box office, making only $1.1 million domestically.

InLife of CrimeJohn Hawkes plays Louis Gara, the character Robert De Niro played inJackie Brownwhile Isla Fisher takes over Bridget Fonda's role as surfer chick Melanie.

One of Jack Nicholson's early key roles was playing Billy Buddusky in Hal Ashby's 1973 classicThe Last DetailThe character is a Navy Signalman who helps transport Seaman Larry Meadows (Randy Quaid) to prison. A simple mission gets hard when Buddusky and partner Richard “Mule” Mulhall (Otis Young) become friendly with Meadows and sympathize with his situation. Playing Buddusky was part of Nicholson's amazing early '70s performances that made him a top actor of the decade.Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, Carnal KnowledgeandOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nestwere also in that run.

The Last DetailThe story was based on a novel by Darryl Ponicsan. Ponicsan published a sequel years later.Last Flag FlyingDirector Richard Linklater made a 2017 movie called Last Flag Flying. The film shows the three characters meeting again years later. They help transport a coffin holding Meadows's son, killed in the Iraq war. Bryan Cranston plays Nicholson, though the characters' names have changed. Buddusky, for instance, is now "Sal Nealon." This likely lets the story have its own identity, separate from a classic.Last Flag FlyingCritics generally reacted well to the film and Cranston's acting. Few felt this spiritual sequel matched the original.

George Roy Hill directed the Oscar-winning film.The StingThe Sting adapted John le Carré's novel.The Little Drummer GirlThe film aired in 1984. Diane Keaton plays Charlie, an American actress. The Mossad forces her to entrap a Palestinian bomber. She pretends to be the bomber's dead brother's girlfriend, then joins his terrorist cell. Keaton earned praise for showing Charlie's moral problems. This role uses the intelligence and sensitivity Keaton skillfully combines.

In 2018, The Little Drummer Girl premiered.The Little Drummer GirlThe miniseries remade the show. Florence Pugh played Charlie. Her work came a year before her big 2019 film.Fighting with My Family/Midsommar/Little WomenFlorence Pugh was much younger than Keaton played Charlie. This heightens the danger the audience feels. Her youth makes her seem more vulnerable. The actress's work grabbed attention, showing a new star arriving.

Tom Cruise makes playing hotshot characters his trademark. In the 2017 film American Made,American Made, he takes that idea to the max.Dennis Hopper also played Barry Seal in a 1991 HBO movie called, he portrays Barry Seal, an airline pilot recruited by the CIA to take aerial surveillance photos in South America. The Medellin drug cartel notices his actions. Soon, he flies narcotics to the United States. The situation tightens when the CIA asks him to move guns to the Contras. This shows a morally gray man who thinks he can beat everyone. Cruise's usual screen look makes people believe him. This leads to one of his best performances.

Dennis Hopper played Barry Seal in a 1991 HBO movie calledDoublecrossed. WhereasAmerican MadeSeal acts in the middle of his actions. This part focuses on him after his arrest. He agrees to help the U.S. government take down the drug cartel he previously worked for. Doing this makes Seal question the government's honesty. As an actor, Hopper played big and small parts across his career.Doublecrossed.He finds him in "small" mode. This subtly shows how Seal's political views change as he sees the truth.

Jesse Plemons moved from network TV to auteur films. He played key parts for Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Spielberg, and Jane Campion. In his second role in a Martin Scorsese movie, Plemons appears two-thirds through.Killers of the Flower Moon.Jesse Plemons plays Tom White, the federal agent investigating deaths caused by "King" Hale (Robert De Niro), Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), and other white Osage County residents. White uncovers the conspiracy against the oil-owning Osage people and brings the guilty to court. The situation shows "too little, too late" because Hale's plot targets are mostly gone. Hale and Burkhart escape lasting consequences; both are eventually released from prison. The character flips classic lawman roles. This shows that while this case shaped the FBI, American institutions still failed American Indian and Alaskan Native communities.

Jimmy Stewart appears in 1959'sThe FBI Story.. This film(with heavy involvement from J. Edgar Hoover)shows the FBI's beginnings more positively. Stewart plays a mix of several agents, one of whom is Tom White. The events in Oklahoma are one case Stewart's agent solves during the film. The resolution is cleaner than the newer film shows.