TV Actor/Actress that successfully played more than one popular role

[AndrewCrossett]

If you want to say who did the best job of breaking out of a typecast role by becoming accepted in a very different role, you'd probably go with Carroll O'Connor, Buddy Ebsen, or Bryan Cranston. I might also mention Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster on Jeeves and Wooster, becoming Gregory House on House. (But Jeeves and Wooster probably wasn't familiar enough to most people to actually typecast him.)

[Kirby101]

If you want to say who did the best job of breaking out of a typecast role by becoming accepted in a very different role, you'd probably go with Carroll O'Connor, Buddy Ebsen, or Bryan Cranston. I might also mention Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster on Jeeves and Wooster, becoming Gregory House on House. (But Jeeves and Wooster probably wasn't familiar enough to most people to actually typecast him.)

Or his role in Blackadder.

[Beaddle]

Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the teenage witch, Clarissa Explains It All)

[Riv86672]

I'll add Betty White for Sue Ann Nivens on Mary Tyler Moore and Rose Nyland on Golden Girls

^^^and Elka on HOT IN CLEVELAND.
Also on that show, Valerie Bertinelli who played Barbara Cooper on ONE DAY AT A TIME, Jane Leeves who played Daphne Moon on FRASIER, and to a lesser degree Wendie Malick who played Nina Van Horn on JUST SHOOT ME.

Dirk Benedict, Starbuck on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and Face on THE A TEAM.

Speaking of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, Lorne Greene played Commander Adama on that, and Ben Cartwright on BONANZA.

Speaking of BONANZA, Michael Landon played Little Joe on that, Charles Ingalls on LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, and Jonathan Smith on HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

PATRICIA HEATON in Everybody Loves Raymond, The Middle, Carol's Second Act

RUE MCCLANAHAN in Maude, Mama's Family, Golden Girls.

PATRICK DUFFY in Man from Atlantis, Dallas, Step by Step

If you want to say who did the best job of breaking out of a typecast role by becoming accepted in a very different role, you'd probably go with Carroll O'Connor, Buddy Ebsen, or Bryan Cranston. I might also mention Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster on Jeeves and Wooster, becoming Gregory House on House. (But Jeeves and Wooster probably wasn't familiar enough to most people to actually typecast him.)

I'd add Rue McClanahan to this list as she really lit up the screen as Blanche on Golden Girls, but was kind of repressed/dowdy on Maude and Mama's Family. I think she's a great example of giving an actor a chance and not pigeonholing/typecasting them. Rue really took that part to the limit and, in my opinion, was the biggest surprise among the Golden Girls cast. I'll always be a Bea Arthur fan, but Blanche made me a Rue fan for the first time.

[AJBopp]

Hmm. George Peppard as Banacek and what's his name on A-Team.

Dennis Weaver perhaps as Chester on Gunsmoke and McCloud

Mary Tyler Moore in Dick van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore Show

A stretch, but Patrick Macnee for The Avengers and Battlestar Galactica

Robert Wagner for It Takes A Thief and Hart To Hart.

[WebLurker]

Bob Newhart was Bob Hartley on THE BOB NEWHART SHOW and Dick Louden on NEWHART.

That was the same character.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

David Duchovny: The X-Files and Californication

[Riv86672]

Did anyone mention Jack Klugman yet, for Oscar Madison in THE ODD COUPLE and as/in QUINCY M.E.?

[numberthirty]

David Duchovny: The X-Files and Californication

Agent Denise Bryson

[numberthirty]

Pacey Witter/Peter Bishop

[numberthirty]

The first thing I usually think of is Jay R. Ferguson.

"Child Actor" run as Ponyboy Curtis on one season of The Outsiders and Taylor Newton on Evening Shade to a couple of short runs to Stan Rizzo on Mad Men to Pat O'Neal on The Real O'Neals.

[numberthirty]

Bryan Cranston as Hal on MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE and Walter White on. BREAKING BAD.

Mayim Bialik As Blossom on BLOSSOM and Amy Farrah Fowler in BIG BANG THEORY.

Alyssa Milano as Samantha on WHOS THE BOSS and Phoebe on CHARMED.

Danny DeVito as Louie on TAXI and Frank on ITS ALWAYS SUNNY.

Laura Prepon as Donna on THAT 70s SHOW and Alex on ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK.

Mila Kunis Jackie on THAT 70s SHOW and Meg on FAMILY GUY.

Richard Dean Anderson as/in MACGYVER and Jack O’Niell In STARGATE SG1.

Teri Hatcher as Lois on LOIS & CLARK and Susan on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.

Jensen Ackles as Dean on SUPERNATURAL and Eric on DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

Jared Padalecki as Sam on SUPERNATURAL and Dean(!) on GILMORE GIRLS.

Harry Dean Morgan as John on SUPERNATURAL and Negan on THE WALKING DEAD.

I want this acting mashup to actually exist.

[marshal88]

Richard Dean Anderson as 'macgyver' in macgyver and 'jack o'neill' in stargate sg-1.both series lasted a while with him in the lead role.

[Howard Allan]

Chi McBride Boston Public and Hawaii Five O.