Seeing double: Nine stars who have had multiple roles in one film or television series

Paul Rudd said playing two roles in Living With Yourself is 'exhausting' - so who else has done the same?
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This week Paul Rudd described the process of playing two characters in the same series as “exhausting”.

The actor, 50, is starring in Living With Yourself, which sees him playing a struggling husband who is replaced by a doppelganger after visiting a mysterious spa.

Due to the filming schedule of the show, Rudd has said he often had to film as both characters on the same day to save time.

And while Rudd’s intense work commitments can be sympathised with, not many people know what it’s like to play two roles in the same production.

So which other actors have doubled up their workload for entertainment?

Twinning: Rudd plays two characters in his new show
Netlfix

Here are 9 other stars who have played several characters in one film or television show.

After a few guest roles on Reaper, Gossip Girl, a lead role in psychological thriller Blackout and the title role as evangelist Billy Graham in Billy: The Early Years, Hammer’s acting profile was raised significantly after his portrayal of identical twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss in the Social Network.

To prepare for the roles Hammer and his body double – actor Josh Pence who played Tyler – enlisted in a “twin boot camp” to learn the subtle movements and speech patterns of the twins.

Later on, Hammer's face was digitally applied to Pence's body for the film. Hammer's preparation was later given a nod when was nominated for a SAG award.

Arsenio Hall

Hall and his co-star Eddie Murphy both starred as multiple in roles for the rom-com Coming to America. Hall’s credits consisted of Semmi, Reverend Brown; Morris the barber plus two women.

Coming to America was nominated for two Oscars – Best Costume Design and Best Makeup – thanks to the work on Hall’s and Murphy’s appearances. A sequel, Coming 2 America, is tipped for a 2020 release.

While Phoebe Buffay was Kudrow’s main focus for the 10 years that Friends was on screens, she also played Phoebe’s estranged twin sister, Ursula. The pair were very different characters – with Phoebe’s loveable, ditzy and moral personality contrasting Ursula’s selfish, amoral and abrasive nature.

Their estranged relationship was a long-running gag in the show but also subject to a couple of storylines. In The One With The Stain, Phoebe starts dating Ursula’s ex boyfriend, Eric, played by Sean Penn, who later mixes the two up. And The One With Two Parts Part 1 and Part 2, Joey, played by Matt Le Blanc, goes on a date with Ursula, causing friction in his friendship with Phoebe. Phoebe later pretends to be Ursula to break up with Joey when her twin refuses to end their dalliance.

Getty Images

While Van Dyke’s character portrayal of Bert in the 1964 film Mary Poppins was an iconic role for the actor, pushing him into the limelight, he also portrays the role of wealthy banker Mr. Dawes Sr.

The big reveal was only made at the end of the film when the closing credits said the elderly character was played by Navckid Keyd. The letters then jumble up to reveal the name is an anagram for Van Dyke.

For millennials, the Parent Trap was an iconic film that was a staple in any child’s VHS collection. Mischief, a challenge, a happy ending – it was the perfect movie. It also helped break Lohan into the industry and land her coveted roles in teenage classics such as Freaky Friday and Mean Girls.

Double trouble: Annie and Hallie are played by Lindsay Lohan
Disney

Lohan played Hallie Parker and Annie James, eleven-year-old twin sisters who were separated after birth.

Myers’ extensive career has seen him portray a variety of roles – such as Wayne Campbell in Wayne’s World, The Cat in the Hat in the eponymous movie and green ogre Shrek in the franchise.

New Line Cinema

But it was his impressive portrayal of Austin Powers and antagonist Dr Evil that saw him scoop several awards. The second and third films also saw him take on another character – Fat B*****d.

Hey now, hey now…TWO Lizzie McGuires?! Well, not quite. The Lizzie McGuire movie – a spin-off of the popular Disney series – saw our favourite "every girl" teenager go on a dream school trip to Rome.

While she’s there, she discovers she looks identical to a famous Italian popstar (don’t we all?) called Isabella Parigi. The movie sees the pair joining forces later on against Isabella’s troublesome ex Paolo, who nearly sabotages Isabella’s career and embarrasses Lizzie.

The Back to the Future star took up the baton of Marty McFly for the second and third instalments of the trilogy in the late 80s and early 90s. The second film sees Fox reprising the role of hero Marty again but he also plays his character's daughter, Marlene, and son, Marty Jr.

He also played his ancestor, Seamus, in the third instalment. While the second and third films weren’t given the same plaudits as the original Back to the Future, they both were huge box office successes.

And...Eddie Murphy

While he’s already mentioned in this line-up for Coming to America, we can’t ignore his work in the Nutty Professor. Murphy played total of seven characters in the film – from Professor Sherman Klump and his alter ego Buddy Love to Sherman’s grandmother, Ida Mae.

Murphy’s talents and hard work did not go unnoticed – he was nominated for a Golden Globe in the best actor in a musical/comedy category.

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