17 Characters That Have Been Played by Multiple Actors, and We Can’t Choose Whose Performance was Best

Some characters are so popular that movies and series about them appear on screen quite regularly. And of course, they are portrayed by different actors. Some of them get into character perfectly, while others are... uh... maybe not so good. But sometimes each actor does a wonderful job, so we can’t choose which of them was best.

1. Sherlock Holmes

© Sherlock Holmes / Warner Bros. and co-producers, © Sherlock / BBC Wales and co-producers, © Enola Holmes / Netflix and co-producers

Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock (2010–2017)
Henry Cavill in Enola Holmes (2020)

2. Dr. John Watson

© Sherlock Holmes / Warner Bros. and co-producers, © Sherlock / BBC Wales and co-producers

Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Martin Freeman in Sherlock (2010–2017)

3. Princess Diana

© Diana / Ecosse Films and co-producers, © Spencer / Shoebox Films and co-producers, © The Crown / Sony Pictures Television and co-producers

Naomi Watts in Diana (2013)
Kristen Stewart in Spencer (2021)
Elizabeth Debicki in The Crown (2022)

4. Jay Gatsby

© The Great Gatsby / Paramount Pictures and co-producers, © The Great Gatsby / Warner Bros. and co-producers

Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby (1974)
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Great Gatsby (2013)

5. Sabrina Spellman

© Sabrina the Teenage Witch / Paramount Network Television and co-producers, © Chilling Adventures of Sabrina / Warner Bros. and co-producers

Melissa Joan Hart in Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996–2003)
Kiernan Shipka in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020)

6. Gellert Grindelwald

© Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald / Warner Bros. and co-producers, © Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore / Warner Bros. and co-producers

Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
Mads Mikkelsen in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)

7. Pablo Picasso

© Surviving Picasso / Merchant Ivory Productions and co-producers, © Genius / 20th Television and co-producers

Anthony Hopkins in Surviving Picasso (1996)
Antonio Banderas in Genius (2018)

8. Laurie

© Little Women / Columbia Pictures and co-producers, © Little Women / Columbia Pictures and co-producers

Christian Bale in Little Women (1994)
Timothée Chalamet in Little Women (2019)

9. King Arthur

© King Arthur / Touchstone Pictures and co-producers, © King Arthur: Legend of the Sword / Warner Bros. and co-producers

Clive Owen in King Arthur (2004)
Charlie Hunnam in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

10. Dracula

© Dracula / Columbia Pictures and co-producers, © Dracula / Flame Ventures and co-producers, © Dracula Untold / Universal Pictures and co-producers

Gary Oldman in Dracula (1992)
Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Dracula (2013–2014)
Luke Evans in Dracula Untold (2014)

11. Lisbeth Salander

© The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo / Yellow Bird and co-producers, © The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo / Columbia Pictures and co-producers

Noomi Rapace in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

12. Cleopatra

© Cleopatra / Twentieth Century Fox and co-producers, © Cleopatra / Babelsberg International Film Produktion and co-producers

Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra (1963)
Leonor Varela in Cleopatra (1999)

13. Stephen Hawking

© Howking / BBC, © The Theory of Everything / Working Title Films and co-producers

Benedict Cumberbatch in Hawking (2004)
Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything (2014)

14. Henri ’Papillon’ Charriere

© Papillon / Les Films Corona and co-producers, © Papillon / Czech Anglo Productions and co-producers

Steve McQueen in Papillon (1973)
Charlie Hunnam in Papillon (2017)

15. Lady Constance Chatterley

© Lady Chatterley's Lover / Cine Artist Film GmbH and co-producers, © Lady Chatterley's Lover / Hartswood Films and co-producers, © Lady Chatterley's Lover / Netflix and co-producers

Sylvia Kristel in Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1981)
Holliday Grainger in Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2015)
Emma Corrin in Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2022)

16. Wednesday Addams

© The Addams Family / Paramount Pictures and co-producers, © Wednesday / Netflix and co-producers

Christina Ricci in The Addams Family (1991)
Jenna Ortega in Wednesday (2022)

17. Morticia Addams

© The Addams Family / Paramount Pictures and co-producers, © Wednesday / Netflix and co-producers

Anjelica Huston in The Addams Family (1991)
Catherine Zeta-Jones in Wednesday (2022)

Do you know any other actors who were great in the same role?

Preview photo credit Diana / Ecosse Films and co-producers, Spencer / Shoebox Films and co-producers, The Crown / Sony Pictures Television and co-producers

Cheery/Films/17 Characters That Have Been Played by Multiple Actors, and We Can’t Choose Whose Performance was Best

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