Acting is a nuanced art, and television is no stranger to great performances. Some actors take this a step further when they play more than one role in the same TV show. Dual roles are not a new phenomenon, and if added deliberately, they can make a series much more engaging than before. Sometimes, they are just casting errors.
Shows like The Vampire Diaries and Orphan Black had some of the best writing centered around the same actor playing different roles, and these roles remain iconic to date. These actors did a stellar job of portraying more than one character in a way that made them very distinct from each other.
10 Lisa Kudrow (Friends)
A popular trope in sitcoms and television is introducing a twin into the story, which was how fans were introduced to Ursula Buffay, Phoebe's no-good twin sister in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Ursula was actually a character from another show, Mad About You, played by Lisa Kudrow. The writers chose to make her Phoebe's twin in F.R.I.E.N.D.S., effectively placing the two shows in the same universe.
Unlike the eccentric and dreamy Phoebe, Ursula was antagonistic and twisted. She was churlish to her sister and used her name for questionable activities. Lisa Kudrow went seamlessly between affable Phoebe and evil Ursula, setting them apart definitively. Despite appearing only a handful of times, Ursula became an unforgettable part of F.R.I.E.N.D.S., a credit to Kudrow's acting prowess.
9 Yael Grobglas (Jane the Virgin)
Yael Grobglas added her spin to the twin storyline in the extremely binge-worthy sitcom Jane the Virgin. Petra and Aneszka were polar opposites, both in appearance as well as personality. Petra was a polished, fashionable socialite, while her twin was a mousey young woman with a Czech accent.
Outwardly, Aneszka was a nervous young woman with nefarious motives. Grobglas was able to transform herself from one role to the other, managing to show the true, duplicitous natures of the sisters even when they impersonated each other. Through every twist in the telenovela, Yael Grobglas had a firm hold on the identities of Petra and her sister, which was probably why fans were never confused when each sister came on screen.
8 Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries)
The Vampire Diaries continues to be an iconic 2010s show, largely because of Nina Dobrev's performance as the doppelgängers. Throughout, she played Elena, Katherine, Amara and Tatia, with the first two being the main characters. Dobrev developed everything from body language to voice modulations that were unique to Elena and Katherine, respectively.
Elena was a morally sound and lovable young woman, while Katherine was a cunning vampire who put survival above everything else. Playing the part of the protagonist and villain simultaneously is no small feat, but Nina Dobrev pulled it off while also stepping in to play the bit parts of Tatia and Amara. She also injected Katherine with a dose of empathy when her tragic past was revealed.
7 Peter Capaldi And Karen Gillan (Doctor Who)
Known for its time travel, non-linear narratives and numerous guest stars, Doctor Who switched things up when it invited guest actors Karen Gillan and Peter Capaldi back to play leading roles. Most fans would know that Gillan played the spirited Amy Pond from 2010 to 2012, and Capaldi appeared as the 12th Doctor from 2013 to 2017.
Interestingly enough, both Capaldi and Gillan played minor, unrelated characters in "The Fires of Pompeii" much earlier, in 2008. It was almost fateful that the soothsayer (Gillan) and Caecilius (Capaldi) got massive roles as companions and the Doctor on the show. Still, it only added to the magic that Doctor Who is known for. The show even owned the recast, working Twelve's selection of his new face into the lore.
6 Sheryl Lee (Twin Peaks)
Fans saw double when Sheryl Lee showed up in Twin Peaks again despite her character, high school queen Laura Palmer, being dead. The show began with Laura's body washing up ashore, so it was assumed that that would be the last viewers would see of her. However, Lee took on the role of Laura's identical cousin, Maddy, who came to the town after the former's death.
Laura herself led a double life, participating in drug use and prostitution secretly. Sheryl Lee depicted Laura's tragic life before death and Maddy's quest for the truth when she arrived at Twin Peaks. Getting Lee to play both roles worked beautifully when Maddy was written to start looking eerily similar to Laura in the second season, which led to many twists. Both the girls were fated to die but had individual, unique arcs.
5 Patton Oswalt (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)
Life Model Decoy is a popular concept in Marvel Comics, and the Koenig Brothers became the actual biological implementation of the technique in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Patton Oswalt played Eric, Sam, Billy, and Thurston Koenig, quadruplets who joined S.H.I.E.L.D or helped in some way or the other. Oswalt even played the part of Ernest Koenig, their grandfather.
While the brothers all shared a righteousness and moral fiber that made them want to save the world, some, like Thurston, who became an artist, and Ernest, were quite different from each other. What remained a mystery is whether the Koenigs were LMDs or actual quadruplets, although the show appeared to confirm the latter theory.
4 Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black)
The inimitable Tatiana Maslany blew minds with her performances as the Leda clones in Orphan Black. The story began with Sarah Manning witnessing the death of someone who looked just like her, consequently leading her to several other clones. All of them had deeply different cosmetic features (hair and clothing) and one-of-a-kind personalities.
Maslany played 11 clones throughout the show. A defeated detective, a precocious hacker, a brainwashed killer, a sharp con woman and a suburban mom were only a few of the personas of these clones. It can be safely said that the success of Orphan Black hinged on Maslany's acting chops, and she effectively carried it through five riveting seasons.
3 D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place)
Not only did The Good Place entertain fans with its imaginative take on the afterlife, but it also delighted fans with astounding performances from D'Arcy Carden. She played the omniscient humanoid Janet and then filled the shoes of other "Janets" who were evil or different in some way. She even played the provocative "Jeanette" from Michael's imagination.
Her take on all versions of Janet was hilarious and entertaining, but Carden upped the ante when she played the parts of the entire squad in Janet form when they entered the blank space that was her home. The concept was completely absurd, but the actress pulled it off so that viewers knew who each Janet was. She humanized several robots while still retaining their otherworldly, machine-like quality.
2 Paul Rudd (Living With Yourself)
Netflix's sci-fi comedy, Living With Yourself revolved around Miles Elliot and his sweet suburban life with his wife, which was perfect, except that they couldn't have children. Everything changed when one day, Miles went to a special spa, after which he found himself in a forest while a clone of him was living with his wife.
Paul Rudd brought out the contrast between old Miles and new Miles with heartbreaking accuracy, as both realized the reality of their situations. The show was funny but thought-provoking as it delved into ethics, the cult of self-improvement and dealing with oneself as their worst enemy. Rudd charmed audiences with his timeless expressions and spot-on comic timing.
1 Justin Theroux (Sex and the City)
Justin Theroux appeared twice in Sex and the City in totally unrelated roles. His first appearance was in Season 1, where he played the part of Jared, a New York City socialite who managed to catch Carrie Bradshaw's eye. Mysteriously arrogant and annoying Jared did not appear in more than one episode.
Theroux was then seen in Season 2 as an entirely different character, with spectacles and a buzzcut. This time, he was Vaughn, a short story writer who dated Carrie for the duration of a single episode but had issues in the bedroom. It was quite comical that the show cast the same actor in two different roles without an explanation, expecting to fool audiences with a different haircut. Still, Theroux pulled it all off impressively.