Dual role

Dual role (also known as Double role) refers to one actor playing two or more roles, which may be deliberately scripted in a play or film, or merely be a by-product of a low budget in one particular production. In a theatrical production where more than one actor plays multiple characters, it is sometimes referred to as an "Ironman" cast.

Theatre

In theatre, such as in the works of absurdists such as Tom Stoppard, characters played by the same actor may be of thematic significance. A good example of this is Tony Kushner's Angels in America, which has a cast of eight despite having many roles. Debate exists over William Shakespeare's use of such, with a famous example being whether the characters of Cordelia and the Fool in King Lear are one and the same. In stage productions of Peter Pan, it is a tradition for Mr. Darling and Captain Hook to be played by the same actor, a tradition often continued in film adaptations with the actors playing dual roles.

Film

In film, this technique has often been used for comic effect (though not always, as were Nicolas Cage's Academy Award-nominated roles in the film Adaptation.), examples being Peter Sellers in movies such as Dr. Strangelove and Mike Myers in the Austin Powers films. In The Wizard of Oz the farmhands also play the parts of the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow. In the German UFA film Kora Terry, Marika Rokk played two roles as twins, the evil Kora Terry & the good Mara Terry. Tamil film actor M. N. Nambiar played 11 roles in the early 1950s film Digambara Samiyar. Another Tamil Indian film actor, Kamal Hassan, played 10 roles for the 2008 film Dasavathaaram (The Ten Avatars). Sivaji Ganesan played 9 roles in the Tamil film Navarathiri. Buster Keaton played nearly every part in his 1921 film The Playhouse. Alec Guinness played all eight members of one family in Kind Hearts and Coronets. In The Nutty Professor and , Eddie Murphy played the title character and almost every member of his family. Actress Lindsay Lohan has appeared in a dual role in at least two films: the 1998 comedy The Parent Trap and the 2007 supernatural suspense movie I Know Who Killed Me. Lee Marvin won a Best Actor Academy Award for his dual role in Cat Ballou.

In some cases of low-budget films, or community theater, actors may play more than one role to save money. In one of Peter Jackson's early films, Bad Taste, he played two characters; in one scene, one of them tortures the other. In "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody", Phill Lewis portrays his regular character, "Marion Moseby", while acting as his grandmother, Rose Moseby. In one scene, as he plays both of them at the same time, the characters interact with each other.

Television

In television, soap operas will commonly use the technique to either portray twins (or even similar looking relatives), or to bring an actor back whose character has been killed. This technique is uncommon, although not unheard of, in primetime television. In Friends, Lisa Kudrow plays Phoebe and her twin sister Ursula. David Schwimmer played a character in heavy make-up named Russ, who was a parody of Ross (played by Schwimmer), both of whom appear on screen together. In the episode called the officers of the Enterprise switch places with their counterparts from a parallel universe with the actors playing dual roles.

Notable soap opera examples include:

Adam and Stuart Chandler (played by David Canary) in All My Children.

Ava Benton and Lily Montgomery (played by Leven Rambin in All My Children.

Angie and Josie Russell (played by Laurie Foell) in Home and Away.

Kirsty Sutherland and Laura DeGroot (played by Christie Hayes) in Home and Away.

Lily Snyder and her sister Rose D'Angelo (played by Martha Byrne) in As the World Turns.

Vicky and Marley Hudson (played by Ellen Wheeler, Anne Heche and Jensen Buchanan) in Another World.

Frannie and Sabrina Hughes (played by Julianne Moore) in As the World Turns.

Todd Manning and Walker Laurence (played by Trevor St. John) in One Life to Live.

Notable primetime examples include:

American Patty Lane and her Scottish cousin Cathy Lane (played by Patty Duke) in The Patty Duke Show.

Samantha and cousin Serena (played by Elizabeth Montgomery) in Bewitched.

Jeannie and her sister (also named Jeannie) (played by Barbara Eden) in I Dream of Jeannie.

Laura Palmer and Maddy Ferguson (played by Sheryl Lee) in Twin Peaks.

Martin Payne and multiple various characters (played by Martin Lawrence) in Martin.

Dorothy Zbornak and her grandmother Eleanor Petrillo (played by Beatrice Arthur) in The Golden Girls.

Steve Urkel and multiple various characters (played by Jaleel White) in Family Matters.

Clark Kent and various characters (played by Tom Welling) in Smallville

John Locke and the Man in Black (played by Terry O'Quinn) on Lost.

Numerous members of the cast of Fringe play versions of their characters from a parallel universe.

Category:Acting