Longest-Played Roles in History

[Slimybug]

Thanks for the info, everyone, there are some ones I wasn't aware of in there. Still, it hasn't changed #1!

41. Frank Oz as Bert
40 years, 2 months, 11 days
FA: Sesame Street 1.1 Nov. 10, 1969
LA: Sesame Street - “The Planet G” Jan. 21, 2010

40. Frank Oz as Yoda
40 years, 5 months, 29 days
FA: The Empire Strikes Back May 21, 1980
LA: Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge Nov. 19, 2020

39. Mel Blanc as Pepe LePew
Ca 41 years
FA: Odor-able Kitty Jan. 06, 1945
LA: The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show 1986

38. Frank Welker as Scooby-Doo
41 years, 9 months, 9 days
FA: Scooby Goes Hollywood Dec. 23, 1979
LA: Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? - “Scooby-Doo and the Sky…” Oct. 01, 2021

37. Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa
42 years
FA: Rocky Nov. 21, 1976
LA: Creed II Nov. 21, 2018

36. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones
42 years, 18 days
FA: Raiders of the Lost Ark Jun. 12, 1981
LA: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Jun. 30, 2023

35. Mel Blanc as Foghorn Leghorn
42 years
FA: Walky Talky Harvey Aug. 31, 1946
LA: Bugs Bunny’s wild World of Sports Feb. 15, 1989


32. Harrison Ford as Han Solo
Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia
Dennis Lawson as Wedge Antilles
46 years, 6 months, 23 days
FA: Star Wars May 25, 1977
LA: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Dec. 20, 2019

31. Majel Barrett Roddenberry as the Starfleet Computer
42 years, 6 months, 25 days
FA: Star Trek - “Mudd’s Women” Oct. 13, 1966
LA: Star Trek (film) May 08, 2009

The Mel Blanc ones aren't entirely accurate. I'm finding it difficult to nail down his final appearances as each character.

[Zauriel]

Alan Hale plays Little John in Douglas Fairbanks's Robin Hood (1922) and went on to play him again in Rogues of Sherwood Forest, released by Columbia in 1950, a 28-year span.

Alan Hale also plays the same character (Little John) in Errol Flynn's The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

[Slimybug]

30. Mel Blanc as Elmer Fudd
42 years, 10 months, 4 days
FA: Egghead Rides Again Jul. 17, 1937
LA: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Bunny May 21, 1980

28. Charles Cyphers as Leigh Brackett
Nancy Stephens as Marion Chambers
42 years, 11 months, 21 days
FA: Halloween Oct. 25, 1978
LA: Halloween Kills Oct. 15, 2021

27. Mel Blanc as Sylvester the Cat
43 years, 2 months, 29 days
FA: Life with Feathers Mar. 24, 1945
LA: Who Framed Roger Rabbit Jun. 22, 1988

26. Frank Oz as Grover
43 years, 4 months, 17 days
FA: Sesame Street - “Grover Prefers Capital G” May 01, 1970
LA: Sesame Street - “The Flower Show” Sept. 18, 2013

25. Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
43 years, 5 months, 23 days
FA: Star Wars May 25, 1977
LA: The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special Nov. 17, 2020

24. Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker
43 years, 6 months, 24 days
FA: Star Wars May 25, 1977
LA: The Mandalorian - “Chapter 16: The Rescue” Dec. 18, 2020

23. Mel Blanc as Yosemite Sam
43 years
FA: Hare Trigger May 05, 1945
LA: The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show??? Sept. 1986

22. Fran Drill as Prairie Dawn
43 years, 9 months, 11 days
FA: Sesame Street 2.128 May 05, 1971
LA: Sesame Street - “The Cookie Thief” Feb. 16, 2015

21. Mel Blanc as Tweety Bird
43 years
FA: A Tale of Two Kitties Nov. 21, 1942
LA: The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show??? Sept. 1986

20. Dave Goelz as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew
43 years, 11 months, 25 days
FA: The Muppet Show - “Paul Williams” Oct. 10, 1976
LA: Muppets Now - “Socialized” Sept. 04, 2020

[ChrisIII]

Think some anime (original Japanese, usually, although some dub actors stick around) has had long-running voice actors.

Tōru Furuya and Shūichi Ikeda have been doing Amuro and Char in Gundam for nearly 50 years.

[Gaastra]

Looked it up and clarence nash was donald duck from 1934 to 1983! He was donald in parks, tv shows, tv specials, shorts and merch all those years!

[James Cameron]

James Arness played Matt Dillon for almost 40 years.

[Batgrayson]

I have always had a doubt about time perspective with actors playing the same characters for years.

For example, technically , Tom Welling played Clark Kent (10 years for a 23 episodes per season series) for more time than Harrison Ford has played Indiana Jones (5 movies), right? Doesn't tv actors deserve acknowledgement? Even if time management is different.

[Slimybug]

I have always had a doubt about time perspective with actors playing the same characters for years.

For example, technically , Tom Welling played Clark Kent (10 years for a 23 episodes per season series) for more time than Harrison Ford has played Indiana Jones (5 movies), right? Doesn't tv actors deserve acknowledgement? Even if time management is different.

Yes, so soap opera actors have put in more hours than anyone, and that could be its own list. But there's also something really fascinating about someone coming back to a role after decades and having it still be a part of their life, which is why I made this list.

19. Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode
Kyle Richards as Lindsey Wallace
43 years, 11 months, 19 days
FA: Halloween Oct. 25, 1978
LA: Halloween Ends Oct. 14, 2022

18. Paul Julian as The Road Runner
44 years
FA: Fast and Furry-ous Sept. 17, 1949
LA: ??? 1994

17. Dave Goelz as Gonzo
45 years, 1 month, 3 days
FA: The Muppet Show - “Joel Grey” Sept. 05, 1976
LA: Muppets Haunted Mansion Oct. 08, 2021

16. Leonard Nimoy as Spock
47 years, 11 days
FA: Star Trek 1.1 - “The Man Trap” Sept. 06, 1966
LA: Star Trek Into Darkness May 17, 2013

15. Dave Goelz as Zoot
47 years
FA: ??? 1975
LA: The Muppets Mayhem 2022/3

14. Mel Blanc as Bugs Bunny
48 years
FA: A Wild Hare Jul. 27, 1940
LA: Bugs Bunny’s Wild World of Sports??? Feb. 15, 1989

13. Carroll Spinney as Oscar the Grouch
49 years, 1 month, 19 days
FA: Sesame Street 1.1 Nov. 10, 1969
LA: Sesame Street - “New Years on Sesame Street” Dec. 29, 2018

12. Kathryn Beaumont as Wendy Darling
49 years, 7 months, 12 days
FA: Peter Pan Feb. 05, 1953
LA: Kingdom Hearts Sept. 17, 2002

11. Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil
49 years, 9 months, 18 days
FA: The Exorcist Dec. 26, 1973
LA: The Exorcist: Believer Oct. 13, 2023

[Powerboy]

James Arness played Marshall Matt Dillon in the television series "Gunsmoke" from 1955-1975 and then reprised the role in 5 television movies, the last in 1993. So that's 38 years from first to last time he played the character.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaft_(franchise)

Richard Roundtree played John Shaft for the first time in 1970 and for the last time, so far, in 2019. so, that's 49 years.

[Kirby101]

James Arness played Marshall Matt Dillon in the television series "Gunsmoke" from 1955-1975 and then reprised the role in 5 television movies, the last in 1993. So that's 38 years from first to last time he played the character.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaft_(franchise)

Richard Roundtree played John Shaft for the first time in 1970 and for the last time, so far, in 2019. so, that's 49 years.

Roundtree passed away last year. So there is no "so far" anymore. But that is a good catch.

[Slimybug]

Yes, those are fantastic additions! I will go ahead and post the top ten I had beforehand, but people here have really helped expand it!

10. Carroll Spinney as Big Bird
50 years, 8 months, 1 day
FA: Sesame Street 1.1 Nov. 10, 1969
LA: Sesame Street - “Let’s Go Camping” Jul. 11, 2020

9. Clarence Nash as Donald Duck
51 years, 6 months, 7 days
FA: The Wise Little Hen Jun. 09, 1934
LA: Mickey’s Christmas Carol Dec. 16, 1983

8. Mel Blanc as Porky Pig
51 years
FA: Porky’s Duck Hunt Apr. 17, 1937
LA: Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters??? Sept. 24, 1988

7. Mel Blanc as Daffy Duck
51 years
FA: Porky’s Duck Hunt Apr. 17, 1937
LA: Bugs Bunny’s Wild World of Sports??? Feb. 15, 1989

6. Frank Welker as Fred Jones
52 years, 18 days
FA: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! 1.1 - “What a Night for a Knight!” Sept. 13, 1969
LA: Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? #2.26 - “The Movieland Monsters!” Oct. 01, 2021

5. Burt Ward as Dick Grayson / Robin
52 years, 10 months, 27 days
FA: Batman 1.1 - “Hi Diddle, Riddle” Jan. 12, 1966
LA: Supergirl 5.9 - “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One” Dec. 08, 2019

4. Helen Wagner as Nancy Hughes McClosky
Ca 54 years
FA: As the World Turns Apr. 02, 1956
LA: As the World Turns 2010

3. William Russell as Ian Chesterton
58 years, 11 months
FA: Doctor Who - Pilot Nov. 23, 1963
FA: Doctor Who - “The Power of the Doctor” Oct. 23, 2022

2. William Roache as Ken Barlow
64 Years
FA: Coronation Street Dec. 09, 1960
LA: Present

1. Kathryn Beaumont as Alice
72 years, 4 months, 7 days
FA: Alice in Wonderland Jul. 26, 1951
LA: Alice’s Wonderland Bakery #2.14 - “Alice’s First Day in Wonderland” Dec. 03, 2023

[LordMikel]

I need Bob Newhart to reprise his role of Dr Hartley one more time to be on this list.

[Slimybug]

I have always had a doubt about time perspective with actors playing the same characters for years.

For example, technically , Tom Welling played Clark Kent (10 years for a 23 episodes per season series) for more time than Harrison Ford has played Indiana Jones (5 movies), right? Doesn't tv actors deserve acknowledgement? Even if time management is different.

Quoting this again in light of #1, because it's all the more obvious how little she has played the role in comparison to so many who have put in so many hours.

Not only is it the longest span an actor has ever played a role for, it's also by far the longest interval between playing the character, as she only did so in two projects. And yes, the second time was extremely brief.

[Aahz]

Yes, those are fantastic additions! I will go ahead and post the top ten I had beforehand, but people here have really helped expand it!
5. Burt Ward as Dick Grayson / Robin
52 years, 10 months, 27 days
FA: Batman 1.1 - “Hi Diddle, Riddle” Jan. 12, 1966
LA: Supergirl 5.9 - “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One” Dec. 08, 2019

I think you are missing Adam West and Julie Newmar who returned together with Burt Ward to their roles as Batman and Catwoman for the animated movies "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders" (2016) and "Batman vs. Two-Face" (2017).

[Slimybug]

I think you are missing Adam West and Julie Newmar who returned together with Burt Ward to their roles as Batman and Catwoman for the animated movies "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders" (2016) and "Batman vs. Two-Face" (2017).

Good catch!