It’s surprising how many prominent TV stars can have their most famous characters be total opposites to one another. After all, it's not unusual for an actor to be typecast as a particular kind of character. This means when they subvert expectations and end up portraying a figure that couldn’t be any more different from their most notable role, it can be rather unexpected. However, these unusual castings can sometimes help crystallize a series into some of the best TV shows of all time.
Many actors prove everyone wrong after facing casting backlash, because even though they are best known for playing one type of personality, they demonstrate that they are capable of taking on a different and unexpected character. These actors show viewers that their performances aren’t limited to an archetype and that a great actor can embody all sorts of parts. Here are some of the biggest ones that stand out because their two most famous characters are just so very different.
10 Bryan Cranston
Hal In Malcolm In The Middle And Walter White In Breaking Bad
Bryan Cranston is one of most prominent examples of an actor whose two most famous characters are total opposites of one another. Cranston’s earlier career is generally remembered for his portrayal of Hal in the hit sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, a sweet but exhausted father of several sons who are constantly facing money problems. Cranston is due to return in the upcoming Malcolm in the Middle revival, and audiences are excited to see the gifted comedy actor reprise his role of Hal.
Interestingly, Hal’s financial issues are one of the only things he shares with Cranston’s other most notable TV character. In Breaking Bad, Cranston plays Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who turns to the world of drugs in order to pay for his cancer treatment and support his family. Malcolm in the Middle and Breaking Bad are by far the two best TV shows of Bryan Cranston’s career, but it’s fascinating how different the characters are. Hal is a bumbling and wholesome figure, whereas Walter has a nasty streak that becomes more and more apparent over time.
9 Adam Scott
Ben Wyatt In Parks And Recreation And Mark Scout In Severance
Adam Scott is a brilliant comedy actor who stars in several hilarious movies, but one of his most prominent TV roles is Parks and Recreations’ Ben Wyatt. Ben’s journey throughout the show is wild, starting off as a numbers man for Pawnee and ending up as an active politician once again and the husband of Leslie Knope. Ben isn’t perfect, but he learns from his mistakes even bigs ones like sinking all of his hometown's money into a failed winter sports complex or rambling on live TV so much that he becomes a laughing stock.
In recent years, however, Scott is better known for playing Mark Scout in Severance. The Apple TV+ show has a very different vibe from Parks and Recreation, but Mark is also a whole other person to Ben, too. Mark succumbs to his grief by being severed, just because he wants to avoid his problems, but Ben acknowledges where he goes wrong and takes the steps needed to be better. Mark also avoids confrontation altogether, and although Ben isn’t one to jump straight into it, he doesn’t hesitate to call people out on their mistakes or rudeness.
8 Jason Bateman
Michael Bluth In Arrested Development And Marty Byrde In Ozark
One of the most notable roles in Jason Bateman’s filmography is Michael, the only person really trying to keep the Bluth family in Arrested Development together. Michael is a typical straight-man character, contrasted against his larger family's antics man. Almost every episode saw him begrudgingly tries to fix their messes, or causing his own problems. Despite Bateman working as an actor since his childhood, playing Michael is what launched his career. However, nowadays he is known more for as Ozark’s Marty Bryde.
Marty is a money launderer for a cartel, whose wife continues to pull him further into the dark world of crime despite him wanting to get out. Marty and Michael are massively different people, despite the comical fan theory they’re the same characters. Although both are the way they are for the sake of their families, Michael hates the lying and doesn’t want to conceal anything, whereas covering things up ensures Marty’s survival. Marty often seems to be clued up, within reason, but Michael is always playing catch up and is frequently the last person to know what’s happening, too.
7 John Krasinski
Jim Halpert In The Office And Jack Ryan In Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
John Krasinski’s breakthrough character is Jim Halpert in The Office and is still loved by many. Even though the sitcom has been off the air for several years now, many are still most familiar with the actor as Jim, a paper salesman whose blooming romance with Pam allows him to grow and develop massively. Krasinski’s career is thriving, especially in recent years, but his other most famous role as Jack Ryan is a completely different personality for the actor to take on.
The former CIA analyst is thrust into a world of political warfare and secrets, and he is often at the center of many action-packed sequences and dramatic storylines, which is nothing like Jim or his villainous character in The Office’s Threat Level Midnight. However, these roles prove just how varied Krasinski’s acting range is, and he demonstrates he is just as strong as a comedic performer as he is a dramatic one.
6 Katey Sagal
Gemma Teller Morrow In Sons Of Anarchy And Peggy Bundy In Married… With Children
Katey Sagal is one of the few actresses who is incredibly well-known for both her on-screen and voice acting work on shows like Futurama. Most remember Sagal as Peggy Bundy in Married… With Children, a housewife who fails to fit the stereotype and squanders Al’s money at any given opportunity. Peggy is far from a grafter and she prefers a more relaxed lifestyle, which is a completely different attitude to that of Gemma Teller Morrow in Sons of Anarchy. While Gemma is also a wife and mother, like Peggy, their outlooks don’t match whatsoever.
Gemma doesn’t leave things to fate. If she wants something to change, she actively works toward making it happen. She never apologizes for what she’ll do to keep her loved ones safe, regardless of how obscene her actions are. Although Peggy often gets fed up with Al, she never plots to kill him, whereas Gemma does conspire to murder John at one point. Sagal is generally known for sitcoms and as a voice actor, but Sons of Anarchy’s Gemma is a much darker and more serious character for her.
5 Julia Louis Dreyfus
Elaine Benes In Seinfeld And Selina Meyer In Veep
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ heavily decorated career makes her one of the most prominent comedy performers in the TV industry. She is best known as Elaine Benes in Seinfeld, a sharp-tongued woman who runs rings around the men she is friends with. Elaine is easily the best part of Seinfeld, and while some find her unlikeable, the character is so unapologetic and boisterous that it’s hard not to find her endearing. While there are some of these qualities present in Louis-Dreyfus’ other most famous character, Veep’s brutal politician Selina Meyer, the two are quite different.
Both of them are compelling women, but Selina is far more open about being a bad person. She is aggressive toward her staff from the first episode of Veep, whereas Elaine’s flaws aren’t so abrupt or direct, and it’s simply a matter of her being selfish in general. However, Selina acknowledges being an awful person, but Elaine is so confident and doesn’t care about how she is perceived.
4 Ted Danson
Sam Malone In Cheers And Michael In The Good Place
Ted Danson is mostly recognized as Sam Malone in Cheers, one of the best sitcoms of all time, an ex-baseball player who runs the titular Boston bar. Sam is a recovering alcoholic whose struggles play a significant part in his character design, as well as his on-off relationship with Diane, and this figure is easily the most notable in Danson’s filmography. However, he is nothing like Danson’s Michael in The Good Place. Sam is the main character of Cheers, but Michael isn’t the primary focus of The Good Place, although he definitely steals the limelight.
For example, The Good Place’s season 1 finale reveals that Danson’s character isn’t what he appears to be. If there’s one thing that is guaranteed about Sam Malone, it’s that he wears his heart on his sleeve and is relatively upfront about most things. He is far from a villain like Michael initially is. Sam also always tries to seem cool and collected, whereas Michael happily proves himself to be a goofball.
3 Gillian Anderson
Dana Scully In The X-Files And Jean Milburn In Sex Education
No matter what Gillian Anderson stars in, she will forever be remembered as Dana Scully in The X-Files. The FBI agent is a hugely popular TV figure who always perseveres, despite some of the horrific things she experiences, and her skepticism complements her partner Mulder’s optimism brilliantly. Scully’s experience in the medical field is a crucial part of her character and helps with her investigations, too. Anderson’s other stand-out TV role, Sex Education’s Jean Milburn, is notably different, though.
While the differences between these two characters aren’t as obvious as others, there are some major ones. Sex therapist Jean Milburn is a lot more laid back, except when it comes to her children. Scully struggles to address her feelings for Mulder for several seasons, and while Jean initially has problems with admitting she is experiencing romantic feelings again when she meets Jakob, she doesn’t allow herself to miss out on the opportunity. One thing they do share however, is the reveal they each have a child and later discover the biological father isn’t who they think it is.
2 Olivia Colman
Sophie Chapman In Peep Show And Queen Elizabeth In The Crown
Olivia Colman’s movies are hugely popular, but many are unaware that she was primarily a comedy TV actress in the earlier days of her career. British audiences know Colman as Sophie in Peep Show, the long-suffering partner and later ex-wife of Mark Corrigan. Sophie is initially a little simple and her character relies on just being sweet, but as the show progresses, her true colors start to show and she is revealed to be rude, impulsive, and has substance abuse issues.
Those who are familiar with Colman’s portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown are often surprised that the actress is capable of playing Sophie. While Colman’s performance as the British monarch is relatively true to the late queen, Sophie couldn’t be any more different from Elizabeth. Colman depicts some of the most dramatic moments during Elizabeth’s reign with such poise and profoundness, so it’s strange to see her as Sophie with mascara running down her face, passed out in various places, and spitting vile curses at someone.
1 Matt Smith
The Eleventh Doctor In Doctor Who And Daemon Targaryen In House Of The Dragon
Matt Smith’s career is only what it is today because of his portrayal of the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who. The Eleventh Doctor is like an enthusiastic child, is always sporting ridiculous accessories, and has a giddy aura to him that is hard not to find endearing. While this incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who has his darker moments, Eleven is typically a much more light-hearted version of the character compared to some of his predecessors. Smith’s other most famous character, Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon, is not the hero that the Doctor is, however.
Prince Daemon Targaryen is ruthless and power-hungry. Despite the fact he is rather charismatic, he is incredibly controversial because of how easily he flies off the handle and his intense arrogance. Daemon’s morals aren’t as clear as the Doctor’s, either. This makes the Game of Thrones spin-off character far more unpredictable than the Time Lord, which is a truly impressive feat. Both the Doctor and Daemon are huge personalities from Smith’s career, but it’s surprising just how different the actor’s two most famous TV characters are.
