Which actor has played the most characters?

G . Johnson George as 45 separate roles including Mahatma Gandhi, Leonardo da Vinci, and Jesus Christ in Aaranu Njan (2017). The 45 characters are recognized as the most for any actor in a single film by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Who was the most famous actor in the 1980s?

So, here is a compilation of some of the biggest stars of the 1980s who gained significant fame following their performances. 8 Tom Cruise. 7 Robin Williams. 6 Anthony Hopkins. 5 Jack Nicholson. 4 Michael Douglas. 3 Mel Gibson. 2 Harrison Ford. 1 Robert De Niro. More items... Feb 13, 2023

Which actor has played the same character most films?

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. Frankly, Tak-hing puts every other star on this list to shame thanks to his ability to accurately portray the same character over and over again.

Who casts characters in movies?

Casting directors find the stars to bring the characters in a film or TV drama to life. They are hired by the production company to match actors to roles. Casting directors read scripts and meet with producers and directors to get a sense of the type of person they are looking for.

Who is the most played character of all time?

Dracula holds the Guinness World Record for being the most-played character in movies and TV, making him an iconic figure in popular culture.

Who has played the most iconic characters?

Although Meryl Streep is in some ways a much better answer, I can't help but mention Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise . Clint Eastwood is another. It's not that Harrison Ford played the largest number of roles, but how incredibly iconic he made the ones he had.

Who were the big 80s stars?

15 Biggest Stars of the 1980s Clint Eastwood. Actor. Producer. Director Million Dollar Baby (2004) ... Eddie Murphy. Actor. Writer. Producer The Nutty Professor (1996) ... Burt Reynolds. Actor. Director. ... Tom Cruise. Actor. Producer. ... Sylvester Stallone. Actor. Writer. ... Harrison Ford. Actor. Writer. ... Michael J. Fox. Actor. ... Paul Hogan. Actor. Writer. More items...

Who is the most portrayed character in film?

1 Sherlock Holmes The classic British detective Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed literary human character in film and television history.

What is the most common character name in movies?

John was the most commonly cited character first names, accounting for a whopping 2.71% of named characters over the past two decades – one in every 37 characters. The first thing you might note is the sausage fest of male names.

Who is the most important character in a movie?

Everyone agrees that the Main Character is the most important character in a film. Why? Because through this person, an audience experiences first-hand the emotions and consequences of the narrative surrounding them.

What actor has played the most superheroes?

Perhaps the best-known example of an actor playing more than one hero is Ryan Reynolds .

Who is the most played fictional character?

Sherlock Holmes - Wikipedia. The 'consulting detective' has been awarded a world record for the most portrayed literary human character in film & TV. As of 2016, he has appeared 254 times on screen.

What actor has had the most roles?

John Wayne has played in the most movies, with his filmography spanning 57 years. He has been in more than 170 movies and earned 5 Oscar nominations for Best Actor.

What is the longest an actor has played a character?

As of 2024, William Roache holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-serving actor in a television soap opera, having played Ken Barlow on Coronation Street since 1960.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (2024)

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (1)

The stars might get the attention, but they can't make movies alone. The supporting roles, often played by character actors might not be household names, but the great ones can elevate a film or TV show just as much as the lead. The great ones also tend to show up seemingly everywhere. This is a list of those actors, the true pros in show business.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (2)

Robert Davi

You might know him as one of the Fratelli brothers in the cast of The Goonies (alongside another great character actor, Joe Pantoliano), or as one of the Agent Johnsons in Die Hard, but you definitely know Robert Davi. He usually plays a baddie, as he does as a henchman in the Timothy Dalton-era James Bond flick Licence To Kill.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (3)

CCH Pounder

Whether it's a serious movie like Prizzi's Honor or an over-the-top movie like Face/Off CCH Pounder is always a welcome addition to any cast. She is a chameleon in her roles, something she continues to be even in the 2020s. In the '80s and '90s, she was all over film and TV with shows as varying as 227 and ER among many, many others.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (4)

Paul Gleason

If you mess with the bull, you'll get the horn, as Paul Gleason as Assistant Principal Vernon in The Breakfast Club. Of course, he's also well-known as part of the wonderful cast in Die Hard as well as playing Mr. Beeks in Trading Places. Sadly Gleason passed away way too young at 67 in 2006.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (5)

Carol Kane

Carol Kane is one of the funniest actors in Hollywood and that ensured she always had important roles in a ton of movies. Like playing the Miracle Max's wife Valerie in The Princess Bride and the hilarious Ghost of Christmas Past in Scrooged alongside Bill Murray. Whether it was Murray or Billy Crystal, or whomever, she can go toe-to-toe with some of the best comedic actors of all time.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (6)

Michael Ironside

Michael Ironside is probably best known as Jester in Top Gun, but he's got literally hundreds of other acting credits, according to IMDB. He's also appeared in movies like Total Recall, Starship Troopers, Free Willy, and much more. Plus TV shows like V: The Final Battle, ER, and Walker, Texas Ranger.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (7)

Edie McClurg

While she's best known as the secretary in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Edie McClurg is true legend who's been in many movies. In the '80s, it seemed like she popped up in every comedy, including Mr. Mom, and Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield, but maybe her funniest appearance is as the rental car agent at the airport in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles who has had enough of Neal Page (Steve Martin).

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (8)

Stephen Tobolowsky

You might not know his name (which is his passport) but you sure as heckfire know his face. Stephen Tobolowsky is so great at playing annoying characters like "Needlenose" Ned Ryerson in Groundhog's Day and oblivious characters like Werner Brandes, the hapless employee targeted by the hackers in Sneakers.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (9)

John C. McGinley

While he found his biggest success in the cast of Scrubs in the 2000s, John C. McGinley has been working hard in Hollywood for decades, mostly as a comedic character actor. Before Scrubs he was best known for playing one of the Bobs in Office Space. He was also excellent in early dramatic roles in two Oliver Stone classics, Wall Street and Platoon.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (10)

Olympia Dukakis

Many years into her career Olympia Dukakis got some of the attention she richly deserved when she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Moonstruck. Both before and after that role, she was a character actor with incredible range in movies like Deathwish, Look Who's Talking, and Mr. Holland's Opus.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (11)

Keith David

Keith David, not to be confused with David Keith, another great character actor, is a legend at this point. He's been in Best Picture winners like Platoon, cult classics like They Live with wrestler Roddy Piper, and There's Something About Mary, Gen X classics like Reality Bites, and everything in between.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (12)

William Atherton

Nobody in Hollywood plays disagreeable characters quite as well as legendary character actor William Atherton. Whether it's in comedies like Ghostbusters and Real Genius, or action movies as a cast member of Die Hard, he always plays guys audiences love to hate. Even in ill-conceived movies like Bio-Dome, Atherton shines. Truly one of the best.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (13)

Glenne Headly

Glenne Headly is most well known for her role as the supposed "United States Soap Queen" in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, but in addition to her extensive work on the stage, the late Headly was in dozens of movies. Dick Tracy, Mortal Thoughts, Mr. Holland's Opus, and movies like ER all benefited from her talents.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (14)

Annie Potts

Ghostbusters and Pretty In Pink are the two '80s movies that Annie Potts is best recognized for, but she's been in so much more. Of course, she was part of the main cast of Designing Women, but she also played some amazing supporting roles in Jumpin' Jack Flash, Who's Harry Crumb?, and as the voice of Peep in the Toy Story franchise.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (15)

Kurt Fuller

Between 1987 and 1999 Kurt Fuller appeared in over two dozen movies. He's become one of the ultimate "that guys" in Hollywood. Usually, he plays a jerk, and wow does he play them well! Like fellow character William Atherton, Fuller is just a genius at playing wholly unlikeable characters like the mayor's aide in Ghostbusters II among others.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (16)

Louise Fletcher

The late Louise Fletcher's career wasn't like a lot of other brilliant character actors on this list. Very early in it, she won an Oscar for her performance as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. In the '80s and '90s, she was best known for her supporting work in movies like Cruel Intentions, The Boy Who Could Fly, and Firestarter.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (17)

James Rebhorn

James Rebhorn, who sadly passed away in 2014, had an incredible career as a character acting, starting in the 1980s. from My Cousin Vinny to Scent of a Woman, to Carlito's Way to The Game, Rebhorn played some really memorable characters.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (18)

Eddie Deezen

You might not know his name, but you almost certainly know his face. Eddie Deezen is probably most famous for playing Eugene in Grease and Grease II, but in the '80s he was all over the place. In WarGames, he plays a character named Eddie Malvin and in Punky Brewster he played a recurring character named... Eddie Malvin! Does that mean Punky Brewster and WarGames exist in the same universe?? Whoa!

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (19)

Martha Plimpton

If you grew up in the '80s, there's a good chance that Martha Plimpton was in one of the movies you most remember. Maybe it's The Goonies, maybe it's Parenthood, or The Mosquito Coast, but no matter what you probably recognize her from something. She's still doing it all these years later too.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (20)

Miguel Ferrer

Before his death in 2017, Miguel Ferrer was one everywhere, starting in the early eighties on TV shows like Magnum, PI, and CHiPs. He also made his mark as a great character actor in the movies, playing pivotal supporting roles in RoboCop, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Deepstar Six, and dozens of others.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (21)

Lupe Ontiveros

The most important and notable role Lupe Ontiveros played in her career was the singer Selena's murderer Yolanda Saldívar in Selena. She was also a common face in many movies and TV shows in supporting roles, including As Good as It Gets and The Goonies.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (22)

Ronny Cox

Ronny Cox, like others on the list, is superb at playing jerks. Maybe his most famous example is Dick Jones, the president of Omni Consumer Products in RoboCop. He's also famous for playing Lt. Andrew Bogomil in Beverly Hills Cop who starts as a jerk but ends up the ultimate ally. He also appears alongside fellow character actor Michael Ironsides in Total Recall as Gov. Vilos Cohaagen.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (23)

Veronica Cartwright

Though she is probably most famous for a '70s movie, the original Alien, in which she played Joan Lambert. In the '80s, she was a supporting player in movies like The Right Stuff, where she played Gus Grissom's wife, The Witches of Eastwick, and Flight Of The Navigator, so if you watched cable in the '80s, you know you've seen her.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (24)

Mike Starr

Mike Starr is the definition of a first-rate character actor. In the '80s and '90s, he appeared in dozens of movies, often playing some version of a tough guy. Some notable examples include Frenchy in Goodfellas and Frankie in The Hudsucker Proxy. He's best known for playing Joe, the tough guy who has a heart attack after eating hot peppers in Dumb and Dumber.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (25)

Dabney Coleman

When Dabney Coleman died in 2024, we lost one of Hollywood's great character actors. He played a supporting role in some of the most popular movies of the eighties, including WarGames, 9 to 5, Cloak & Dagger, Tootsie, On Golden Pond, and You've Got Mail, for starters. Truly one of the best.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (26)

Barry Corbin

Barry Corbin starred as a retired astronaut in Northern Exposure in the early '90s, but outside of that, he's had a remarkable career in supporting roles. He plays a general in WarGames, a prison warden in Stir Crazy, and a police sergeant in Under Cover with Jennifer Jason Leigh, which gives you a good idea of what kind of characters he is great at.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (27)

David Paymer

David Paymer is another great example of a guy who shows in multiple movies every year. He has a remarkable range, appearing in roles like Ira (half of Ira & Barry) in City Slickers, Dan Enright in the underrated Quiz Show, and Stan Young in Mr. Saturday with Billy Crystal, which landed Paymer an Oscar nomination. He also earned acclaim for playing Leo in Get Shorty and Arthur Stegman in Payback.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (28)

Mare Winningham

Mare Winningham, who many will recognize from St. Elmo's Fire has had an astounding career as a supporting actress on TV, having been nominated for eight Emmys over her career, almost all in a supporting role. She is the exact kind of actress this list is meant to celebrate.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (29)

Bill Cobbs

Bill Cobbs' career started in the early '70s, but it was in the '80s and '90s when he became ubiquitous in movies. In the '80s he had supporting roles in Trading Places, The Cotton Club, The Color Of Money, Bird, and many others. In the '90s you might have spotted him in Demolition Man, New Jack City, The Hudsucker Proxy, Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, and That Thing You Do!...among others as well.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (30)

James Hong

It would be impossible to list all the roles that the great James Hong has played in Hollywood. His career stretches way back to the 1950s and is one of the rare few character actors to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which tells all you need to know. There is no way that any movie lover hasn't seen and appreciated Hong in multiple movies, like The Golden Child, Big Trouble In Little China, Airplane!, Blade Runner, etc... the list goes on and on. And that's not even getting into his TV work which includes playing "Bruce" in the legendary Seinfeld episode "The Chinese Restaurant."

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (31)

Penny Johnson Jerald

Penny Johnson Jerald is probably best known today for playing Sherry Palmer on 24, but in the '80s and '90s, she was everywhere on TV. She had bigger roles on The Larry Sanders Show and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and she made dozens of appearances on other shows as well, in shorter stints.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (32)

Dianne Wiest

You might not think of Dianne Wiest as a character actor, as she has two Oscars to her name, which is rarified air, but just shows how amazing she is at disappearing into characters. From Footloose to Hannah and Her Sister to Bullets Over Broadway (the latter two of which she won her Oscars for), she's been killing it for decades.

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s (33)

Lynne Thigpen

It's hard to believe Lynne Thigpen died over 20 years ago, but it's not hard to believe she left such a strong legacy, mostly as a character actor. For many people, she'll be first remembered as the host of Where In The World Is Carmen Santiago, but she was way more than a game show host. She was all over TV and movies in the '80s and '90s and she has been missed ever since she died at only age 54 in 2003.

So there it is, a list of hard-working actors that don't get the attention of the big stars, but are every bit as talented and dedicated their craft.

Hugh Scott

Syndication Editor

Hugh Scott is the Syndication Editor for CinemaBlend. Before CinemaBlend, he was the managing editor for Suggest.com and Gossipcop.com, covering celebrity news and debunking false gossip. He has been in the publishing industry for almost two decades, covering pop culture – movies and TV shows, especially – with a keen interest and love for Gen X culture, the older influences on it, and what it has since inspired.He graduated from Boston University with a degree in Political Science but cured himself of the desire to be a politician almost immediately after graduation.

More about movies

32 Movies Based On Hit Songs That Were A Mistake Being MadeAnya Taylor-Joy's Gorgeous Late Night Dress Is All Business In The Front And All Party In The Back

Latest

Knives Out 3 Called Out Fans For 'Unhinged Casting' Ideas Following Its Title Reveal, But So Many Of Them Are Genius

See more latest►

Most Popular

32 Bad Movies With Awesome Soundtracks

32 Character Actors Who Were Everywhere In The '80s and '90s

I Finally Watched Anyone But You On Netflix, And I'm Mad No One Told Me How Silly It Was

Fans Have Been Frustrated With Some Of The Recent Star Wars Shows. Why I'm Excited About The Acolyte (And You Should Be Too)

Stephen King Explains Why One Of His New Short Stories Took Him Nearly A Half-Century To Finish

32 Rom-Com Couples Who Had Absolutely Zero Chemistry

The 14 Best Romantic Comedy TV Shows And How To Watch Them

32 Times Leslie Knope Tried Too Hard In Parks And Rec

Grey's Anatomy Keeps Losing Cast Members. As A Longtime Fan, I'm Getting Frustrated

32 Great Broadway Musicals Based On Movies

The 10 Best Star Wars Lightsaber Duels From The Movies And TV Shows, Ranked