5 Actors Who Have Played The Same Character In The Most Movies

Actors have the unique ability to transform themselves into characters who are completely different from them in real-life. Some actors are given a variety of roles, while others are often typecast and play the same type of character over and over. One aspect of acting that fans have become wonderfully fond of is seeing the same actor portray the same character in multiple films. The proof is given from the universal backlash that some actors receive when they are hired to replace another beloved actor — audiences often only see one actor as perfect for a certain role.

Indeed, it’s always nice to see a familiar face in an equally familiar role. Like seeing Ian McKellan in The Hobbit still playing Gandalf years after the Lord of the Rings trilogy wrapped, or witnessing the return of Ewan McGregor in the new Obi-Wan Kenobiseries (and a possible second season). Actors playing the same character in multiple movies helps viewers gain comfort at the sight of the same character played by the same person. Here are five actors who have played the same character in the most movies.

5 Daniel Radcliffe / Harry Potter — 8 Movies

     Warner Bros. Pictures  

While it may be arguable that this doesn’t count as it is one singular film series, Daniel Radcliffe’s time as Harry Potter gets extra credit because he began at the age of 11, making a grand total of eight appearances, counting each film in the series. Since the Harry Potter franchise came to an end in 2011, Radcliffe has gone on to star in a variety of films, with his most recent role being in The Lost City. All things considered, Radcliffe may take on role after role, but he will forever be known to many as The Boy Who Lived.

4 Chris Hemsworth / Thor — 9 Movies

     Marvel Studios / Disney  

It’s impossible to have a complete list of actors who’ve played the same character the most number of times without including some members of the MCU. First up, we have Chris Hemsworth, who has played the role of Thor in a grand total of nine films within the MCU so far (including his Doctor Strange​​​​​​​ cameo), with expectedly more to come as the MCU enters its fifth phase. As a fan favorite, everyone loves to see Hemsworth bring justice to the character no matter what state he’s in. Despite all his appearances, there have been rumors that Hemsworth may be leaving the MCU soon, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

3 Hugh Jackman / Wolverine — 9 Movies

     20th Century Fox  

Another addition from the Marvel movie universe is Hugh Jackman, who has played the role of Wolverine/Logan in a total of nine installments of the X-Men franchise. He is the only actor to date who has played the classic comic book character in a live-action franchise, setting the world record for longest career as a live-action Marvel character until it was surpassed in 2021 by Hemsworth. Jackman has since branched out into films like Les Misérables and The Greatest Showman, both of which showcased his musical talents. Considering the fact that Jackman’s Wolverine was laid to rest in Logan, it’s unlikely that the actor will make any more appearances as the character, but anything is possible now that the rights to X-Men are in the hands of Marvel Studios.

2 Christopher Lee / Dracula — 10 Movies

     Hammer Film Productions  

The late Christoper Lee was a phenomenal actor whose career thrived up until his death in 2015. While younger generations would likely know him for his role in The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, older generations know him from his longest-standing role as Dracula. Among Lee’s filmography, many of his early works showed him playing the role of Dracula a total of ten times in a series of vampire films from 1958 to 1976, with a few uncredited appearances throughout the years. This led Lee into being typecast as the villain in a variety of films, from Francisco Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun to Saruman in Lord of the Rings.

1 Kwan Tak-hing / Wong Fei-hung — 77 Movies

     Dai Lei Film Company  

Kwan Tak-hing is most known for starring in a total of 77 films as the same character, Wong Fei-hung, a martial artist folk hero. Tak-hing puts every other star on this list to shame thanks to his ability to accurately portray the character. Chinese filmmakers were so in love with Tak-hing’s performance as Wong Fei-hung that modern filmmakers will only portray the martial artist’s younger self, knowing that no one would do the role justice as well as Tak-hing did. The actor sets the record for playing the same character the most number of times in cinematic history. Decades after Tak-hing’s death, this record still holds strong.