Special Report

Major Historical Figures Played by More Than One Famous Actor

Historical figures always make for compelling drama. How they shaped history, as well as their colorful, sometimes flawed personalities fascinate audiences. It’s not surprising actors love the challenge of playing these icons. Whether on the big or small screen, these…

By 247patrick
Published January 13, 2023, 10:00am ET Β· 6 min read

Historical figures always make for compelling drama. How they shaped history, as well as their colorful, sometimes flawed personalities fascinate audiences.

It’s not surprising actors love the challenge of playing these icons. Whether on the big or small screen, these thespians have taken these historical figures and made them real – someone viewers can relate to. That’s not an easy task considering that the audience is already familiar with many of history’s most famous players. Some of these celebrated real-life characters have been so impactful, in fact, that they’ve gotten the cinematic treatment more than once, enabling several actors to embody the same person – on several occasions winning Oscars for their performances.

To determine a list of some of the actors who have played the same historical figure, 24/7 Tempo drew on information from IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon, as well as rankings from other sources including the New York Times, The Guardian, the BBC, Hollywood Reporter, and Variety. This does not purport to be a definitive list of actors who have played the same historical figure, but rather a list of some of those who have given audiences the most compelling performances. (While the majority of the performances appearing here were in theatrical films, a few TV movies and series are included.)

Countless actors have portrayed Abraham Lincoln over the years, beginning with Joseph Henabery in D.W. Griffith’s controversial 1915 silent film β€œThe Birth of a Nation”, and including such luminaries as Gregory Peck, Jason Robards, and Kris Kristofferson, but the three listed here are among the best-known interpreters – with one, Daniel Day-Lewis, winning an Oscar for his performance.

Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman are among those who embodied civil rights Icon Malcolm X, while Paul Winfield and Jeffrey Wright translated the movement’s leader, Martin Luther King Jr., to the screen.

Helen Mirren had the distinct honor of playing both Queen Elizabeths – I and II. In fact, she earned an Academy Award for her portrayal of the recently deceased monarch. (These are the best movies about the Queen and British royalty.)

Click here to see more famous actors who played major historical figures

Against the backdrop of World War II, three actors – John Lithgow, Gary Oldman, and Albert Finney – were among the more than 30 who have played Winston Churchill. (Other big-name Churchill interpreters include Christian Slater, Richard Burton, Brian Cox, and Bob Hoskins.) Oldman won an Oscar for playing the British leader in the β€œDarkest Hour.” (Oldman is a sterling example of actors who cross the most genres.)

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Coco Chanel played by Audrey Tautou
> Movie: β€œCoco Before Chanel” (2009)

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Coco Chanel played by Shirley MacLaine
> Movie: β€œCoco Chanel” (2008)

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Coco Chanel played by Anna Mouglalis
> Movie: β€œCoco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky” (2009)

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Thomas Edison played by Benedict Cumberbatch
> Movie: β€œThe Current War” (2017)

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Thomas Edison played by Spencer Tracy
> Movie: β€œEdison, the Man” (1940)

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Thomas Edison played by Mickey Rooney
> Movie: β€œYoung Thomas Edison” (1940)

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Theodore Roosevelt played by Brian Keith
> Movie: β€œThe Wind and the Lion” (1975)

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Theodore Roosevelt played by Tom Berenger
> Movie: β€œRough Riders” (1997)

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Theodore Roosevelt played by Robin Williams
> Movie: β€œNight at the Museum” (2006)

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Adolf Hitler played by Bruno Ganz
> Movie: β€œDownfall” (2004)

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Adolf Hitler played by Anthony Hopkins
> Movie: β€œThe Bunker” (1981)

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Adolf Hitler played by Robert Carlyle
> Mini series: β€œHitler: The Rise of Evil” (2003)

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Queen Elizabeth I played by Cate Blanchett
> Movie: β€œElizabeth” (1998)

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Queen Elizabeth I played by Helen Mirren
> Movie: β€œElizabeth I” (2005)

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Queen Elizabeth I played by Judi Dench
> Movie: β€œShakespeare in Love” (1998)

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Cleopatra played by Elizabeth Taylor
> Movie: β€œCleopatra” (1963)

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Cleopatra played by Vivian Leigh
> Movie: β€œCaesar and Cleopatra” (1945)

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Cleopatra played by Sophia Loren
> Movie: β€œDue notti con Cleopatra” (1954)

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Joan of Arc played by Ingrid Bergman
> Movie: β€œJoan of Arc” (1948)

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Joan of Arc played by LeeLee Sobieski
> Mini series: β€œJoan of Arc” (1999)

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Joan of Arc played by RenΓ©e Jeanne Falconetti
> Movie: β€œThe Passion of Joan of Arc” (1928)

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Winston Churchill played by John Lithgow
> TV series: β€œThe Crown” (2019)

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Winston Churchill played by Gary Oldman
> Movie: β€œDarkest Hour” (2017)

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Winston Churchill played by Albert Finney
> Movie: β€œThe Gathering Storm” (2002)

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George Washington played by Kelsey Grammar
> Movie: β€œBenedict Arnold: A Question of Honor” (2003)

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George Washington played by Jeff Daniels
> Movie: β€œThe Crossing” (2000)

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George Washington played by Barry Bostwick
> Mini series: β€œGeorge Washington” (1984)

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Elvis Presley played by Kurt Russell
> Movie: β€œElvis” (1979)

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Elvis Presley played by Austin Butler
> Movie: β€œElvis” (2022)

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Elvis Presley played by Michael Shannon
> Movie: β€œElvis & Nixon” (2016)

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Catherine the Great played by Marlene Dietrich
> Movie: β€œThe Scarlet Empress” (1934)

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Catherine the Great played by Catherine Zeta-Jones
> Movie: β€œCatherine the Great” (1995)

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Catherine the Great played by Helen Mirren
> TV series: β€œCatherine the Great” (2019)

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John F. Kennedy played by Martin Sheen
> Mini series: β€œKennedy” (1983)

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John F. Kennedy played by Rob Lowe
> Movie: β€œKilling Kennedy” (2013)

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John F. Kennedy played by Bruce Greenwood
> Movie: β€œThirteen Days” (2000)

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Margaret Thatcher played by Meryl Streep
> Movie: β€œThe Iron Lady” (2011)

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Margaret Thatcher played by Gillian Anderson
> TV series: β€œThe Crown” (2020)

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Margaret Thatcher played by Patricia Hodge
> Movie: β€œThe Falklands Play” (2002)

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Steve Jobs played by Michael Fassbender
> Movie: β€œSteve Jobs” (2015)

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Steve Jobs played by Ashton Kutcher
> Movie: β€œJobs” (2013)

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Steve Jobs played by Noah Wyle
> Movie: β€œPirates of Silicon Valley” (1999)

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Queen Elizabeth II played by Oliva Colman
> TV series: β€œThe Crown” (2019-2020)

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Queen Elizabeth II played by Imelda Staunton
> TV series: β€œThe Crown” (2022)

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Queen Elizabeth II played by Helen Mirren
> Movie: β€œThe Queen” (2006)

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John Adams played by Paul Giamatti
> Mini series: β€œJohn Adams” (2008)

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John Adams played by Hal Holbrook
> Mini series: β€œGeorge Washington” (1984)

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Martin Luther King Jr. played by Paul Winfield
> Mini series: β€œKing” (1978)

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Martin Luther King Jr. played by David Oyelowo
> Movie: β€œSelma” (2014)

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Martin Luther King Jr. played by Jeffrey Wright
> Movie: β€œBoycott” (2001)

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Abraham Lincoln played by Raymond Massey
> Movie: β€œAbe Lincoln in Illinois” (1940)

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Abraham Lincoln played by Daniel Day-Lewis
> Movie: β€œLincoln” (2012)

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Abraham Lincoln played by Henry Fonda
> Movie: β€œYoung Mr. Lincoln” (1939)

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Henry VIII played by Richard Burton
> Movie: β€œAnne of a Thousand Days” (1969)

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Henry VIII played by Charles Laughton
> Movie: β€œThe Private Life of Henry VIII” (1933)

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Henry VIII played by Eric Bana
> Movie: β€œThe Other Boleyn Girl” (2008)

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Napoleon Bonaparte played by Rod Steiger
> Movie: β€œWaterloo” (1970)

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Napoleon Bonaparte played by Christian Clavier
> Mini series: β€œNapolΓ©on” (2002)

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Napoleon Bonaparte played by Charles Boyer
> Movie: β€œConquest” (1983)

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Muhammad Ali played by Will Smith
> Movie: β€œAli” (2001)

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Muhammad Ali played by Terrence Howard
> Movie: β€œKing of the World” (2000)

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Muhammad Ali played by Eli Goree
> Movie: β€œOne Night in Miami…” (2020)

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247patrick
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