20+ Actors Who Played The Same Roles, But Whose Acting Was Completely Different

Generally, famous literary works, loved by readers and recognized by critics, have seen films more than once. Many directors seek to create iconic adaptations that, of course, must have actors who fit the characters perfectly.

On the other hand, the opinions of critics and viewers about the best performances are often divided. we, from awesome.club, we remember several cases of two or more famous actors who played the same role in some classic films and we find the discussions of critics, journalists, spectators and directors comparing successful adaptations and failed ones. Check out!

The legendary English detective has already been played by Vasily Livanov in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (no translation into Portuguese, from 1979 to 1986), Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes (2009) and for Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock (2010), among other less famous actors.

In the Russian segment of the Internet, Vasily Livanov is considered the best Sherlock. The same pointed to the daughter of Conan Doyle, noting that her father would also approve of the image of the hero represented by the Russian actor. Such recognition is also due to the fact that the artist has developed a body language that perfectly reflects the literary character. Vasily Livanov is the only one of the actors who played Sherlock to receive the Order of the British Empire, Queen Elizabeth’s honorary award.

Although the image of Sherlock later recreated by director Guy Ritchie with Robert Downey Jr. is far from classic standards, the actor won the Golden Globe for Best Actor.

The modern adaptation, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, took a while to win over the public, and the contemporary representation of the classic work generated much controversy for keeping only the idea of ​​the book. But the charm of the modern Sherlock, intolerant, antisocial and diabolically insightful together with his perfect contrast, Watson, played by Martin Freeman, finally won recognition among viewers who decided to watch this “unusual Sherlock Holmes”.

Conan the Barbarian was played by two actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, in 1982, and Jason Momoa, in 2011.

Conan’s portrayal is rated as one of the best in Schwarzenegger’s career, as he is believed to fit the character well in many ways. The director worked hard with the actor to train his pronunciation, facial expression and, above all, make him master the sword and thus come out as natural as possible in the fight scenes. In addition, minimal special effects were involved in the production and spectacular scenes were created due to the professionalism of the team, whose members gave their best.

Jason Momoa was the second to act, so it’s not surprising that he’s been compared to Schwarzenegger. As Conan the Barbarian, Jason disappointed many critics as he was seen as too “thin and ridiculous”. But not everyone has this opinion. Other critics praised the actor for physically showing a completely different image of Conan. As for acting, two camps formed during the discussions: some emphasized that she was far from perfect, while others noted that her adaptation represents the man “with an innate knowledge of how to kill absolutely everyone in his path.”

Vivien Leigh played Scarlett in …Gone with the Wind, the film based on the original novel by Margaret Mitchell. Already Joanne Whalley incorporated the protagonist in the continuation of the story, whose script is based on the novel called scarlettwritten by Alexandra Ripley.

It cannot be said that the actresses were “competitors”, since they represented different phases. But even so, they could not avoid comparison by the public. Vivien Leigh played Scarlett as a young woman—a selfish, eccentric, firm, and outrageous woman. Interestingly, Margaret Mitchell created Scarlett as an antagonist, contrary to the decent Melanie, based on the writer herself. However, the audience was fascinated by the insufferable Scarlett, who became an example of a brave, temperamental woman capable of surviving any obstacle. The writer, in turn, was not at all satisfied with public opinion.

On the other hand, Joanne Whalley showed a completely different Scarlett. Mature, she became wiser, balanced, prudent and decent. Supposedly, Margaret Mitchell’s protagonist would meet the same fate, but unfortunately, the author has not written a sequel.

Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig became the most famous actors to have played James Bond, although the film world has already seen seven performances.

Connery was the only one to win the Oscar, and his performance is considered one of the most successful. The famous Scottish artist was afraid of ending up being known for a single role and intended to leave the project after the second film, but ended up starring in five adaptations.

Pierce Brosnan went a long way to get the role of Bond. He starred in four films and left filming at age 49. Mel Gibson was supposed to accept the role after Timothy Dalton, but turned it down. Interestingly, Brosnan’s “application” was approved by Sean Connery himself: “I didn’t think new James Bond movies would come out after Brosnan left the project.” According to viewers, Brosnan’s protagonist appears to be the most reliable and self-assured of them all.

Daniel Craig became the first blond Bond, in addition to being the highest paid and acting in the highest grossing films. For some, the Bond played by Craig is, first of all, a human being of flesh and blood and, only after that, a special agent.

The role of “unpretty but charming” Natasha Rostova was played by four actresses: Audrey Hepburn, in 1956, Lyudmila Savelyeva, in 1965, Clemence Poesy, in 2007 and Lily James, in 2016.

The performance of Audrey Hepburn, who was 27 years old when she took on the role, was enthusiastically received by critics. It is believed that she was able to understand and bring out all the nuances of the protagonist’s character.

The film adaptation starring Russian actress Lyudmila Savelyeva won her an Oscar and conquered the entire world. The actress received an award from the audience.

Clemence Poesy, who starred in the 2007 film, was blonde. The audience, however, “missed” the fact that the real Natasha had black hair simply because they were fascinated by the actress’ performance and especially her look. But critics found many oversights committed by the director who apparently did not know Russian culture and traditions well.

The latest version of the story, a BBC series with Lily James in the lead role, is very successful. It’s worth noting that this particular series caused quite a stir. According to critics’ remarks, the series presented the best of the novel to a section of the audience that had never read the book.

Interestingly, in an interview, Lyudmila Savelyeva said that she preferred the interpretation of Audrey Hepburn to that of Clémence Poésy.

In the post-silent cinema story, seven actresses have already played Anna Karenina, from the novel of the same name, written by Leon Tolstoy. Each had their own unique way of interpreting the character. Now, let’s talk about the four most famous ones.

In 1948, Anna’s tragic fate was shown to viewers by Vivien Leigh. But despite the actress’ talent and beauty, along with the fact that the film was shot by famous director Alexander Korda, the production was a box office failure. It is said that this happened because there was “little chemistry” between Anna and Vronsky, played by Irish actor Kieron Moore.

The 1967 Soviet adaptation, starring Tatyana Samoylova, is the most famous in the world. This film version is considered the closest to the literary work. The actress was even invited to star in the adaptation of the book in Hollywood, along with Gérard Philipe, but the Russian film studio did not let her participate in the recordings abroad.

the charming Sophie Marceau played Anna in 1997, alongside Sean Bean playing Vronsky. That film was called the “superficial, bloodless version,” and it made just $859,000. The protagonist’s performance was evaluated as “discouraged and boring”. Sophie Marceau herself said that she couldn’t identify with the heroine, as she didn’t understand what it felt like Anna leaving her son to be with a man.

the version of Keira Knightley (2012) is considered “the most courageous and decisive”. On the other hand, according to critics, the past image is closer to the present and has little to do with the book.

David Suchetwho starred in the series Agatha Christie’s Poirot (without the Portuguese translation, from 1989 to 2013), and Kenneth Branaghwho starred in the film Murder on the Orient Express (2017), are the most famous actors who played the extraordinary detective.

David Suchet impeccably embodied the character, “wanting to become Poirot himself.” His performance received positive reviews and was praised by Agatha Christie’s heirs, while the writer’s grandson, Mathew Prichard, commented, “I’m sorry I didn’t meet David Suchet. in person. He seems to be very convincing.”

Kenneth Branagh, in turn, starred in a cast of celebrities: Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Derek Jacobi, Michelle Pfeiffer and Daisy Ridley. Despite receiving controversial reviews, the film grossed over $351 million. Plus, Branagh will return to film as Hercule Poirot in the sequel. death on the nile, which will be released this year. It is worth emphasizing that the most frequent criticisms from spectators were related to “the performance of the artist hidden behind his big mustache”.

The romantic Emma in the films based on the novel by Jane Austen, Emma, was played by Kate Beckinsale, Gwyneth Paltrow (both films were released in 1996) and by Anya Taylor-Joy (2020).

According to critics, Gwyneth Paltrow delivered an “idyllic image” of Emma, ​​and the film itself focused more on the characters’ feelings.

Kate Beckinsale acted in a more realistic and dramatic film adaptation. The production team paid more attention to the customs, rules and norms of society at the time. However, critics noted that the protagonist appeared “underdeveloped emotionally”: Beckinsale failed to demonstrate the character’s full “tonality of character”.

Anya Taylor-Joy played the modern version of Emma, ​​and the script was adapted to show…