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THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, Gavin MacLeod, 1970-77.LOVE BOAT, Gavin MacLeod, 1977-86

Pop Culture

Actors with two famous roles

Gavin MacLeod was Murray Slaughter on 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' but he also played Capt. Stubing on 'The Love Boat.' Harrison Ford played daring smuggler Han Solo, but he also played daring archeology professor Indiana Jones. A look at celebs who have not one, but two legendary parts.

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ROCKY III, Sylvester Stallone, 1982, ©United Artists/courtesy Everett Collection
RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II, Sylvester Stallone, 1985. ©TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone may be the most famous two-iconic-roles actor out there, right up with Harrison Ford. Stallone showed off his muscles in both roles, first as boxer Rocky, then as Vietnam vet John Rambo.

THE TERMINATOR, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1984. ©Orion Pictures Corporation/Courtesy Everett Collection
Conan The Barbarian, USA 1982

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger, and his massive muscles, first hit it big in movies when he starred as "Conan the Barbarian," right, in 1981. Those giant biceps came in handy again in 1984 when he played perhaps his most iconic part, that of the original Terminator in the film of the same name. He’d also earn the nickname that would follow him into politics, when he was elected California’s governor in 2003 and was promptly dubbed "The Governator."

THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, Gavin MacLeod, 1970-77.LOVE BOAT, Gavin MacLeod, 1977-86

Gavin MacLeod

Gavin MacLeod had iconic roles on two hit TV shows, playing newsman Murray Slaughter on "Mary Tyler Moore" and Capt. Merrill Stubing on "The Love Boat."

DOOGIE HOWSER, M.D., Neil Patrick Harris, Season 2, 1989-1993. TM and Copyright © 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. Courtesy: Everett Collection.
-- Neil Patrick Harris stars as Barney Stinson, on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, Monday, Feb. 20 (8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.  Photo:

Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris will forever be Doogie Howser to some, thanks to the young medical genius he played as a teen. But it's been long enough now that others think of him first as randy Barney Stinson on "How I Met Your Mother." Please don't say anyone thinks of him first from those two "Smurf" movies.

SEINFELD, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 1990 - 1998, Season 4. (c) Columbia TriStar Television/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Do you still think of Julia Louis-Dreyfus as "Seinfeld" pal Elaine? GET OUT! She's gone on to win two Emmys for playing Selina Meyer on HBO's "Veep."

THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, Mary Tyler Moore, Dick Van Dyke, 1961-66
MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, Mary Tyler Moore, on set, Studio 2, CBS Studios, Studio City, California, 1974. show: 1970-1977. Photo by: John G. Zimmerman Archive / Courtesy Everett Collection

Mary Tyler Moore

Some say Mary Richards, played by Mary Tyler Moore on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," was who Laura Petrie might have become had she divorced Rob Petrie on "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Petrie was a sweet 1960s housewife, Richards a perky 1970s TV producer. Both were -- and are -- beloved.

MARY POPPINS, MARY POPPINS US 1964 DICK VAN DYKE Date 1964. 
THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, Dick Van Dyke, 1961-1966

Dick Van Dyke

Like his "Dick Van Dyke Show" co-star Mary Tyler Moore, Dick Van Dyke also made two roles famous. He wore dirt on his face (and a questionable Cockney accent) as Bert the chimney sweep in the movie "Mary Poppins," and a dapper suit as TV comedy writer Rob Petrie on "Dick Van Dyke."

THE GODFATHER, Al Pacino, 1972
SCARFACE, Al Pacino, 1983. ©Universal Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection

Al Pacino

Don't make Al Pacino an offer he can't refuse. He may ask you to say hello to his little friend. Both of Pacino's signature roles -- Michael Corleone in "The Godfather" and Tony Montana in "Scarface" -- were terrifying, and fascinating.

THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, Andy Griffith, 1960-68
MATLOCK, 1986-95, Andy Griffith, Year 4, 1989-1990.

Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith cornered the market on folksy with his two famous roles, as Sheriff Andy Taylor on "The Andy Griffith Show" and renowned attorney Ben Matlock on "Matlock."

STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI, Harrison Ford, 1983
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, Harrison Ford, 1981. © Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford probably ties with Sylvester Stallone as the actor with the two most iconic roles. How does a movie fan choose between daring smuggler Han Solo of "Star Wars" fame and equally daring archeology professor Indiana Jones? Don't choose -- enjoy them both.

WELCOME BACK, KOTTER, John Travolta, 1975-1979
saturday night fever sat night fever

John Travolta

What? Where? How? Vinnie Barbarino may not have been the brightest Sweathog on TV's "Welcome Back, Kotter," but he sure attracted the girls. He kept that attraction when he played Tony Manero, who danced his way to disco fame in "Saturday Night Fever."

EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, Johnny Depp, 1990, TM and Copyright © 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. Courtesy: Everett Collection.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, Johnny Depp, 2003, (c) Walt Disney/courtesy Everett Collection

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp isn't afraid to all but disappear into his roles, but perhaps his two most iconic parts are the quirky "Edward Scissorhands" and the swaggering pirate Captain Jack Sparrow from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series.

MARRIED...WITH CHILDREN, Katey Sagal, (Season 11),  1987-1997. (c) Columbia Pictures Television/ Courtesy: Everett Collection. 
SONS OF ANARCHY, Katey Sagal in 'Straw' (Season 6, Episode 1, aired September 10, 2013), 2008-, ph: Prashant Gupta/©FX/courtesy Everett Collection

Katey Sagal

Katey Sagal's two iconic roles share a fondness for big hair and tight clothes, but there the similarities end. Happy, horny Peg Bundy made 'em laugh on the sitcom "Married With Children," but Peg never had to deal with the grim realities of the murderous life Gemma Teller stumbles through on biker drama "Sons of Anarchy."

BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, 1989
THE MATRIX RELOADED, Keanu Reeves, 2003, (c) Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection

Keanu Reeves

Dude! Keanu Reeves is totally a multi-facted actor! He'll never escape the legend of Ted "Theodore" Logan on "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," but he struck a cooler, calmer note as Neo on "The Matrix." He knows kung fu, dude.

Will Smith

“In west Philadelphia born and raised” … you know the rest. Will Smith’s first breakthrough role was as the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” on the 1990s TV show. Smith has gone on to fame in many movie roles, but his most iconic is the dapper Agent J from the “Men in Black” movie series.

Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox played conservative teen Alex P. Keaton on “Family Ties.” But he may be equally well-known for his movie role as Marty McFly, the ‘80s teen who travels through time in the “Back to the Future” movie series.

MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, Bryan Cranston, (Season 7), 2000-2006,
Walter White (Bryan Cranston) - Breaking Bad _ Season 5b _

Bryan Cranston

We've all heard the joke: That Bryan Cranston's meth-making Walter White from "Breaking Bad" goes into the witness-protection program and winds up as jovial dad Hal on "Malcolm in the Middle." The joke works so well because the two characters are so stunningly different, with Cranston pulling both off so well you hardly believe the same actor is playing the roles.

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