3 Great Characters Played by Two Actors (Including One You’re Not Thinking Of)

Sometimes a performer’s physicality is perfect for what a filmmaker is looking to put on the big or small screen. However, their voice isn’t the exact pitch that is needed. That is when a voice actor is brought in to serve as the other half of a now complete pie. Then there are the cases where a character needs to be particularly small, and the voice the character has needs to be grim and gravelly. Not every actor and character in that situation can be the Leprechaun and Warwick Davis, who was perfect for the role both in terms of vocal pitch and physical stature.

What follows are three great examples of when two different actors were needed to bring a character fully to life. In fact, sometimes more than two.

3) Sweet Tooth

Two people simultaneously inhabit the role of Sweet Tooth, the Twisted Metal games’ most famous character, in the Peacock show of the same name. Will Arnett of Arrested Development and Hot Rod fame provides the voice and professional wrestler Nuufolau Joel Seanoa aka Samoa Joe physically portrays him.

The truth is, as funny as Arnett is, as the character and just in general, it’s a role that could be played solely by Samoa Joe. Every little shrug or giddy jump is hysterical, with the wrestler nailing every ounce of the clown mask-wearing eccentric’s enthusiasm. He could do the voice, too, considering he provided his vocals to the game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League as King Shark, who certainly had almost as many comedic beats there as he did in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.

2) Chucky

There’s one performer who is inextricably linked to Chucky, and that is his vocal performer, Brad Dourif (who also played his human form, Charles Lee Ray, in both the original Child’s Play and Chucky). However, Dourif isn’t the only one who brought the nasty little tyrant to life.

Ed Gale was the in-suit performer in the original Child’s Play, Child’s Play 2, and Bride of Chucky. Furthermore, Debbie Lee Carrington was the in-suit performer for Curse of Chucky. Not to mention, an animatronic was used more frequently (and looked much better), which was operated by Brock Winkless in the first four films and Tony Gardner from Seed of Chucky to the TV series.

1) Darth Vader

In George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy, David Prowse wore the Darth Vader suit, James Earl Jones provided his baritone voice, and, in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Sebastian Shaw played Vader unmasked. Or, rather, he played the redeemed Anakin Skywalker. Then of course there’s Hayden Christensen, who played the younger version of Vader in the prequel trilogy (and beyond). Though that was later on, so it doesn’t quite count toward the purpose of this particular list.

Darth Vader will always be the best character played by multiple performers. The late Jones’ unmistakable voice certainly helped, as did Prowse’s towering physicality and Shaw’s tender line deliveries, but what really helps him secure the win is just how thorough the character’s arc is. He’s tormented, blinded by rage, but not incapable of change.

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