15 Actors Who Play The Same Character In Every Movie

Everyone has a favorite movie star. Whether you grew up cheering on Harrison Ford as he kicked the crap out of legions of Stormtroopers or laughed when Tom Hanks danced on a massive piano, at some point or another, an actor from Tinseltown captured your attention and forced you into a theater to witness their latest big-screen escapade. Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, and Arnold Schwarzenegger all took the world by storm in their heyday and used their incredible good looks and rock star charisma to entertain the masses, often pulling in hundreds of millions of dollars simply by having their name at the top of a poster.

Still, being a Hollywood icon occasionally has its drawbacks. Often, an actor will leap into the spotlight by playing a specific character and then get stuck playing that character for the rest of their career.  Here are 15 examples of such an occurrence — and no, it's not always bad. Read!

Most everyone will agree with including John Wayne on this list. For all his macho swagger, the Duke more or less played the Duke for 50 years, albeit with varying degrees of cool. Aside from, say, "The Searchers" or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," where he portrayed darker, more nuanced characters, it was hard to differentiate Jim McLain from John Chisum. Even when he played Genghis Khan in the 1956 dud "The Conqueror," he was still just John Wayne in a robe and mustache. 

He tried to break the mold in the late '50s, starring in a series of pictures far removed from the Old West — to say nothing of his turn as the "Dirty Harry"-inspired cop in 1974's "McQ." Audiences stuck up their noses, forcing the iconic actor to don his cowboy hat indefinitely beginning with 1959's "Rio Bravo," a picture he and Howard Hawkes subsequently remade two more times with 1966's "El Dorado" and 1970's "Rio Lobo." 

Wayne eventually won an Oscar for playing ornery old Rooster Cogburn in 1969's "True Grit," inspiring a completely useless franchise in the process. While we have no desire to speak ill of the Duke, we freely acknowledge that he was a one-trick pony — but he did that one trick so well that it hardly matters.

Mark Wahlberg has enjoyed a long and profitable career, starring in popular films like "Boogie Nights," "Three Kings," "The Perfect Storm," and "Shooter." He showed his versatility in the Will Ferrell comedies "The Other Guys" and "Daddy's Home," and proved he could stand next to the big boys in Martin Scorsese's Oscar winner "The Departed," for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination. 

The problem is he plays a variation of himself in every movie, with only subtle differences separating Elliot Moore in "The Happening" from Cade Yeager in "Transformers: Age of Extinction." Whether in a screwball comedy like "Pain & Gain" or a thriller like "Lone Survivor," Wahlberg delivers his lines with the same mix of urgency and bewilderment. When paired with the right material, he fits like a glove. Too often, though, he tends to Wahlberg a little too hard, resulting in head-scratchers like the uninspired big-screen adaptation of "Uncharted," where he played popular video game hero Victor "Sully" Sullivan ... like Mark Wahlberg. 

Who are we kidding? He's worth roughly $400 million, so clearly, he's doing something right.

Hear us out: While Tom Cruise has shown off his acting range in pictures like "Born on the Fourth of July," "Eyes Wide Shut," and "Magnolia," all too often he gets stuck playing Maverick from "Top Gun," i.e., the young, cocky upstart in dire need of humility. Everything from "Cocktail" to "Rain Man" leaned hard on this particular characterization, making his acclaimed performances feel more like outliers.

Cruise seems to have given up trying new things in his later years and instead fallen back on his earlier business acumen, choosing scripts that let him play different variations of his earlier characters. Except now, he's the older, cocky guy who's been around the block and is likewise in dire need of humility. Looking back over the last decade, the only notable performance that stands out is "Edge of Tomorrow," but only because he begins that film as a coward and eventually evolves into the Tom Cruise we know and love.

Honestly, we're not complaining. "Top Gun: Maverick" is easily the best blockbuster of the last decade, and his knack for running and performing death-defying stunts in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise never ceases to entertain. 

It's a foregone conclusion that everyone on the gosh darned planet would love to have the career of Ryan Reynolds. Since his big breakout in the TV series "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place," the charismatic star has made an art form out of Jim Carrey's "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" schtick. "Van Wilder," in particular, carries heavy Ace Ventura vibes.

To his credit, Reynolds tweaked his routine and now relies more on sarcastic, dry, deadpan humor rather than cartoonish physical comedy. Still, he is relatively one-note. Take a scene from any of his movies; most would struggle to differentiate the various characters. He did try branching out with more dramatic fare, such as 2009's "Adventureland" and 2010's "Buried," but lately appears to have realized his limitations as an actor.

Luckily, his style meshes perfectly with the comic book anti-hero Deadpool, a role he has now played on the big screen since 2016, climaxing with the 2024 blockbuster "Deadpool & Wolverine." Chances are, he's forever stuck as Deadpool ... unless an "Ace Ventura" reboot comes along in the next decade. 

Every decade brings a memorable comedian who dominates the zeitgeist for a time before giving way to the next blossoming star. Eddie Murphy dominated the 1980s, while Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell carried the 1990s and early 2000s respectively. The modern era, it seems, belongs — or belonged — to Kevin Hart. The fast-talking comedian enjoyed minor parts in films such as "Scary Movie 3" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," but made his presence known in 2012's "Think Like a Man" and 2014's "Ride Along," where his high-energy brand of humor took the world by storm.

Since then, he's enjoyed quite a bit of success. His filmography has amassed nearly $4 billion in global revenue, much of it coming from the enjoyable 2017 blockbuster "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" and its 2019 sequel, "Jumanji: The Next Level." Still, like his fellow comedians, Hart's signature style has worn thin. Audiences ignored his most recent picture, "Borderlands," and his performance during this year's NBA All-Star Game drew mixed reactions from fans. He's still popular on the standup circuit but needs to find a new approach on the big screen or risk getting passed over by fresher talent.   

Speaking of "Jumanji," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson made the leap from professional wrestling to acting and built a sturdy image as a solid leading man thanks to early hits like "The Scorpion King" and "The Rundown." Since then, he has carved a fruitful niche in Hollywood. While he never quite reached Arnold Schwarzenegger's level of success, despite following the same career trajectory, he still hit pay dirt with "Fast Five," Disney's "Moana," "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," and a handful of other quality blockbusters.

Yet, for all his muscle-packing prowess and eyebrow-raising agility, Johnson has never risen above his status as The Rock. He certainly looks cool, but his line delivery is relatively flat, and his characters become less interesting the more they speak. Johnson tried to branch out with Michael Bay's "Pain & Gain" and turned in a reasonably decent comedic performance. Mostly, though, he plays the signature stoic tough guy in each picture, a trait director Jake Kasdan relentlessly mocked in his two "Jumanji" films. 

Michael Cera gets an indefinite career pass due to his hilarious performance as George Michael Bluth in the first three seasons of "Arrested Development" (we don't talk about seasons 4 or 5), even though he's essentially played the same character in every movie since. Despite a strong filmography that includes classic comedies "Superbad," "Juno," and Edgar Wright's underappreciated "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," Cera has never strayed too far from his game, relying on the same quirky, offbeat brand of humor that led to his early success.

His dark turn in Aaron Sorkin's "Molly's Game," where he more or less portrayed Tobey Maguire, turned heads and proved his capacity for tackling heavier material. Unfortunately, he might have sealed his fate for good in 2023's blockbuster "Barbie," where he played Allan, a dorky, awkward, self-aware oddball who disapproves of the actions of Ken (Ryan Gosling). In other words, he's just George Michael Bluth.

Chances are, we'd never tell Jason Statham directly to his face that he acts the same in every movie. Then again, he's likely in on the joke at this stage in his career. It would be hard to star in dozens of action vehicles, and two giant shark movies without recognizing the reason behind their success have less to do with your acting agility than your physical abilities.

Make no mistake, Statham is a rock-solid action star, but more in the vein of Steven Seagal than Denzel Washington. Everyone knows what to expect when they hand over their hard-earned money to see "The Beekeeper": Statham eliminating scores of faceless bad guys while dishing out one-liners in a thick Cockney accent. He's not exactly catering to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, folks. And that's perfectly okay. Statham makes up for his lack of acting chops with an emphatic dose of machismo, delivering pictures that are low on I.Q. but high on entertainment value. He just kicked Snow White's butt, so it's hard to disagree with his methods.

It can be argued that Zooey Deschanel leaned too hard on the quirkiness that paved the way to success in films like "Elf" and TV's "New Girl." What once felt curiously endearing — the wide-eyed whimsy, offbeat humor, and deadpan line delivery — was used to great effect in "500 Days of Summer" but started to feel stale just a few years later in "Our Idiot Brother." When "Harold and the Purple Crayon" rolled around, the routine felt like it had run its course.

We won't complain too much — after all, "New Girl" gave us so many entertaining episodes across seven seasons — but that era feels like a distant memory. Which makes us wonder: Does Deschanel have a second gear, or was she always a one-hit wonder? Looking back at her filmography, it's hard to distinguish Trillian in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" from Alma Moore in "The Happening." If you cast Zooey Deschanel, you're getting Zooey Deschanel™ — for better or worse.

Two versions of Vince Vaughn exist: The undeniably charming, smooth-talking best buddy seen in "Swingers" and "Wedding Crashers," and the darker, daring actor that dipped his toes in riskier ventures like TV's "True Detective" and the deliciously brutal "Brawl in Cell Block 99." Unfortunately, the former tends to show up too often and has overstayed his welcome for several years.

Again, it's hard to complain after classic comedies like "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" and "Dodgeball." Still, nearly 30 years after lighting up the screen as Trent in "Swingers," you'd think Vaughn would've come up with a new comedic approach by now. Even his latest TV show, Apple TV's highly entertaining "Bad Monkey," features a modernized iteration of his signature persona. At this juncture, you either enjoy watching Vince Vaughn play Vince Vaughn, or you've grown tired of the schtick and long for the days when the actor tried on a few different hats in Gus Van Sant's "Psycho" and Tarsem Singh's "The Cell."

Like Vince Vaughn, Adam Sandler cut his teeth in the comedy scene and quickly evolved into a box office powerhouse and audience favorite. He then used that clout to dabble in more serious fare, delivering surprisingly strong performances in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Punch-Drunk Love," Mike Binder's "Reign Over Me," and Benny and Josh Safdie's "Uncut Gems."

Audiences didn't take too kindly to these side quests, prompting the Sandman to return to his goofier persona repeatedly. That's understandable, except if you've seen one, well, you've kind of seen them all. The amount of times he rips off himself is downright criminal. After the comedy trifecta of "Billy Madison," "Happy Gilmore," and "The Wedding Singer," his creative well seemed to run dry, leaving him to recycle the same lovable loser/manchild with varying degrees of uncontrollable rage for the next 25 years.

Somehow, this approach still works. "Happy Gilmore 2" releases later this year. Will Sandler find hilarious new ways to continue Happy's journey? Probably not — and for many, that's exactly the point.

How has Seth Rogen lasted this long in Hollywood? Sure, he was great in his breakout hits "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up," but he didn't appear to have enough staying power to linger in the spotlight for long. Alas, nearly 20 years later, the man is still kicking strong. Granted, he's not exactly a box office draw, but he's evolved into a savvy voice actor, writer, director, and producer. Maybe there's something to smoking weed nonstop every single day.

Admittedly, Rogen displays a bit more range than comedians like Adam Sandler and Vince Vaughn, especially in "Pineapple Express" and "The Interview," even if he's playing a variation of the lovable stoner with a cynical edge we've seen time and time again. He also willingly traverses into the unknown in films like Danny Boyle's "Steve Jobs" and Steven Spielberg's "The Fabelmans," delivering smaller, understated performances that, unfortunately, get overshadowed by the star power around him. 

Rogen has done enough to separate himself from Sandler's bunch but has yet to fully evolve beyond the persona that made him famous.

In 1996, Owen Wilson starred in Wes Anderson's "Bottle Rocket" and delighted audiences with his laid-back charm and slightly aloof persona. For the next decade, he tackled characters that fit into this narrow chasm, namely Roy O'Bannon in "Shanghai Noon" and its sequel "Shanghai Knights," the dimwitted male model Hansel in "Zoolander," the kind-hearted but slow-witted Ned Plimpton in "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou," and the girl-crazy party goer John Beckwith in "Wedding Crashers." He also lent his voice to the arrogant but redemptive Lightning McQueen in Pixar's "Cars" franchise.

And, well, that's all she wrote. "Wedding Crashers" remains the peak of Wilson's comedic career, where all his tics and mannerisms reached a delightful crescendo. He still works well in Anderson's pictures, with a unique ability to bring a playful presence to the writer/director's work. Otherwise, he has fallen into a predictable rhythm, relying on the same quirky persona that got him an early fortune. We still love the guy and believe he can do much more.

Hugh Grant is an actor practically everybody likes. His early work in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Notting Hill" catapulted him to the top of the list of bumbling yet charming Brits, while supporting roles in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," "Wonka," and "Unfrosted" have transformed him into a reliable character actor.

Recently, he appeared as the mysterious Mr. Reed in the thriller "Heretic" and earned rave reviews for his menacing performance. It's an outstanding turn for the man that sticks out mainly because, well, it contrasts so sharply with what we're used to seeing from him. Yes, Reed carries the same awkward personality traits that Grant perfected throughout his career, except drenched in a much creepier and nuanced performance. It's a knockout.

So, where was this Grant all these years? We've loved all his work, even though he always seems to adhere to the same type of character we've now seen for over 40 years.

Ole reliable Sam Elliott has a knack for popping up in pictures when you least expect it. He's not a superstar by any stretch of the imagination, but he has appeared in classic pictures such as "Road House," "Tombstone," and "The Big Lebowski." He tends to blend with the scenery, never rising above his station or marring the proceedings, doing precisely what's asked of him and little else. Until now, did you even remember him in "Road House"?

Whenever Hollywood needs a stoic, rugged presence who embodies maturity, gravitas, and hard-earned wisdom, they call Elliott. Regardless of whether he's playing General Ross in "Hulk," Ron Dunn in "Parks and Recreation," or Shea Brennan in "1883," Elliott is always the same gruff cowboy, there to impart wisdom to the main characters. There are few like him in the modern day. 

Like many on this list, we're not here to judge. Every generation needs a dependable actor capable of filling important supporting roles without rocking the boat. Elliott is doing just fine.