Lifetime roles

[dhermann1]

Just looking at the IJ IV thread, and seeing the hoopla over the latest Harry Potter flick, got me to thinking about actors who have played roles over many years, so that you could see them age in them. For example, Ioan Gruffudd has been playing Horatio Hornblower for years now. You could even include Peter O'Toole's 2 stints as Henry II. Any other noteworthy examples of this?

 

[imoldfashioned]

William Powell and Myrna Loy in the Thin Man films (1934-1947).

 

[LizzieMaine]

Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy -- 1938-1958. (Maybe they could still persuade him to do one more, for old times sake!)

 

[CharlieH.]

Jack Nicholson playing just about any kind of psycho...
Pretty much any voice actor fits in this category, like Mae Questel (Betty Boop), Jack Mercer (Popeye), and especially Mel Blanc (everyone else).

Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy -- 1938-1958. (Maybe they could still persuade him to do one more, for old times sake!)

Hehe, perhaps, Life Ends For Andy Hardy? Judge Hardy's Great-Great-Great-Grandchildren? Andy Hardy's Grey Hair Trouble? Andy Hardy Meets Senility?

 

[Nathan Dodge]

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy as you-know-who and you-know-who...

Hehe, perhaps, Life Ends For Andy Hardy? Judge Hardy's Great-Great-Great-Grandchildren? Andy Hardy's Grey Hair Trouble? Andy Hardy Meets Senility?

Death Finds Andy Hardy; The Scythe Comes Down on Andy Hardy; A Dirt Nap For Andy Hardy;

 

[dhermann1]

Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy -- 1938-1958. (Maybe they could still persuade him to do one more, for old times sake!)

I always wished they'd gotten Mickey Rooney as a guest star on Spin City to play Michael J Fox's goofy retired Boston pol grandfather. What a combo that would have made.

 

[imoldfashioned]

"...A Dirt Nap For Andy Hardy"

Well, my monitor is clean now that I did a spit take when reading this!

 

[dhermann1]

Mickey Rooney is such a ham, I bet if somebody came up with the dough, he'd jump at the chance to do another AH flick, regardless of the title. Mayne they could work Liza Minelli into the mix (no, that's a little scarey.)

 

[Nathan Dodge]

Mickey Rooney is such a ham, I bet if somebody came up with the dough, he'd jump at the chance to do another AH flick, regardless of the title. Mayne they could work Liza Minelli into the mix (no, that's a little scarey.)

I doubt it. Mickey couldn't even get a starring role in a TV commercial. Playing second fiddle to his wife in those life insurance ("You all know Mickey") spots. So sad. And to think that Olivier called him "America's greatest actor."

 

[BJBAmerica]

Sean Connery & Roger Moore in the James Bond series and Bruce Willis in the Die Hard series immediately come to mind.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

The family cast of The Cosby Show

 

[Doh!]

Does Robert Blake still have one more Our Gang comedy in him? Jackie Cooper could co-star.

 

[akaBruno]

You guys really missed the boat on the this one. It's in the theaters now...
The Simpsons Movie.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan
as the jungle duo 'Tarzan and Jane' (1932-1942).

 

[Quigley Brown]

We were able to see Michael J. Fox mature on the screen.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

You guys really missed the boat on the this one. It's in the theaters now...
The Simpsons Movie.

I don't believe cartoons age.

 

[FourKingTwenty]

Peter Falk as Lt. Columbo: 1968-1978 and 1989-2003
Raymond Burr as Perry Mason: 1957-1966 and 1985-1993
Peter Graves as Jim Phelps: 1967-1973 and 1988-1990

 

[akaBruno]

Don't forget the older brother of Peter Graves... James Arness as Matt Dillion.

 

[Tomasso]

Wally and the Beaver.

 

[HadleyH]

Warner Olan (1879-1938) - the first actor to portray Charlie Chan on the silver screen.