20 Actors Who Reprised Their Roles In TV Shows And Movies Because No One Could Replace Them

Some pop culture characters can simply never be replaced. There have been countless TV and movie actors who have reprised their most famous roles over the years, and fans were nothing short of excited. Here are the ones who came back because honestly, who else could play them?!

Movie clapperboard showing "Take 3," indicating an active film production scene
Vlatko Gasparic / Getty Images

1.To start, Jamie Lee Curtis first appeared as scream queen Laurie Strode in 1978's Halloween.

Jamie Lee Curtis holding a kitchen knife while sitting on a brown couch in "Halloween"
Compass International Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

She last reprised her role in 2022's Halloween Ends.

Jamie Lee Curtis wearing casual clothing, standing outside in "Halloween Ends"
Ryan Green / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

2.Hugh Jackman clawed his way to the top as Logan, aka Wolverine, in 2000's X-Men.

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in "X-Men"
© 20th Century Fox Film Corp. / Courtesy Everett Collection

He gave the audiences what they were waiting for and made his much-anticipated return in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in "Deadpool & Wolverine"
Jay Maidment / © Marvel / © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

3.Tobey Maguire is one of many who've played Spider-Man over the years.

Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man
© Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

He met up with his fellow Spideys, played by Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield, in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man in "Spider-Man: No Way Home"
Sony Pictures Releasing / Via youtube.com

4.Jessica Lange became an American Horror Story fan favorite with her Murder House role as Constance Langdon.

Jessica Lange in silk pajamas and a floral robe in "American Horror Story: Murder House"
Ray Mickshaw / © FX Network / Courtesy Everett Collection

We didn't reunite with Constance until American Horror Story: Apocalypse.

Jessica Lange in a floral dress in "American Horror Story: Apocalypse"
FX / Via youtube.com

5.Jeff Goldblum portrayed Ian Malcolm in 1993's Jurassic Park.

Jeff Goldblum smiling and wearing sunglasses in "Jurassic Park"
© Universal / Courtesy Everett Collection

His last appearance in the dinosaur franchise was 2022's Jurassic World Dominion.

Jeff Goldblum sitting in the driver's seat of a car in "Jurassic World Dominion"
John Wilson / © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

6.Sylvester Stallone entered the ring in 1976's Rocky.

Sylvester Stallon shaking hands with Carl Weathers in a photo opp in "Rocky"
© United Artists / Courtesy Everett Collection

And it's no surprise we met him again in 2015's Creed and 2018's Creed II.

Sylvester Stallon wearing casual clothing and a fedora as he stands next to Michael B. Jordan in "Creed"
Barry Wetcher / © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

7.Ellen DeGeneres served as the voice of Dory in 2003's animated hit Finding Nemo.

Dory and Marlin from "Finding Nemo" swim in the center of a swirling school of fish
© Walt Disney Co. / Courtesy Everett Collection

And she kept swimming in 2016's Finding Dory.

Dory swimming in the ocean in "Finding Dory"
© Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

8.Bill Murray played Peter Venkman in 1984's Ghostbusters.

Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray suited up in "Ghostbusters"
© Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

He still ain't afraid of no ghosts in 2023's Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Ernie Hudson and Bill Murray suited up in "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire"
Jaap Buitendijk / © Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

9.Ralph Macchio mastered the art of wax on, wax off when he portrayed Daniel LaRusso in 1984's The Karate Kid.

Ralph Macchio, in a headband and tank top, kneels while waxing a wooden deck in a scene from "The Karate Kid"
© Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

He returned to the dojo in The Karate Kid spin-off, Cobra Kai.

Ralph Macchio in a karate uniform with a black belt in "Cobra Kai"
Guy D'Alema / © YouTube Red / Courtesy Everett Collection

10.Keanu Reeves entered The Matrix in 1999 when he portrayed Neo.

Keanu Reeves as Neo in "The Matrix"
© Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

He was last seen in the sci-fi franchise during 2021's The Matrix Resurrections.

Keanu Reeves as Neo in "The Matrix Resurrections"
Murray Close / © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

11.Carrie Fisher went to a galaxy far, far away when she was introduced as Princess Leia in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope"
20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection

Carrie passed away one year before making one of her final onscreen appearances in 2017's Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi.

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in "Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi"
© Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / © Lucasfilm Ltd. / Courtesy Everett Collection

12.In 1986, Tom Cruise made Maverick a household name after starring in Top Gun.

Tom Cruise as Maverick in "Top Gun"
© Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

He finally returned to the flight deck in 2022's Top Gun: Maverick.

Tom Cruise as Maverick in "Top Gun: Maverick"
© Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

13.Sarah Jessica Parker became a Sex and the City icon as Carrie Bradshaw when the show debuted in 1998.

Sarah Jessica Parker walking on a sidewalk in "Sex and the City"
© HBO / Courtesy Everett Collection

She returned in 2021 with the premiere of the SATC spin-off, And Just Like That...

Sarah Jessica Parker walking on the sidewalk in "And Just Like That..."
Craig Blankenhorn / Courtesy Max

14.Between 2009 and 2013, Bob Odenkirk portrayed Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad.

Bob Odenkirk in a suit in "Breaking Bad"
Ursula Coyote / © AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection

He reprised his role in 63 episodes of Better Call Saul between 2015 and 2022.

Bob Odenkirk in a suit in "Better Call Saul"
Ursula Coyote / © AMC / Courtesy Everett Collection

15.Cierra Ramirez and Maia Mitchell became family when they played sisters Callie and Mariana in The Fosters from 2013 to 2018.

Cierra Ramirez and Maia Mitchell in casual clothing while sitting outdoors in "The Fosters"
Tony Rivetti / © ABC Family / Courtesy Everett Collection

Their stories continued when the spin-off Good Trouble premiered in 2019.

Maia Mitchell and Cierra Ramirez standing side-by-side in "Good Trouble"
Carlos Lopez-Calleja / © Freeform / Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection

16.John Stamos became an '80s and '90s sitcom staple when he portrayed Uncle Jesse in Full House.

John Stamos holding a baby in "Full House"
© Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

In 2016, Fuller House started streaming on Netflix and brought back Uncle Jesse and many other familiar faces from the original show.

John Stamos sits at a kitchen table eating cereal next to a kid in "Fuller House"
© Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

17.The '90s were all about Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel's relationship as Cory and Topanga in Boy Meets World.

Danielle Fishel and Ben Savage sitting at a restaurant booth looking somber in "Boy Meets World"
© Touchstone Television / Courtesy Everett Collection

When the Disney Channel spin-off Girl Meets World became a thing in 2014, it was only right for Cory and Topanga to continue their love story.

Danielle Fishel and Ben Savage sitting at a kitchen table with tableware in front of them in "Girl Meets World"
Ron Tom / © Disney Channel / Courtesy Everett Collection

18.In 1981, Harrison Ford wore his iconic Indy hat for the first time in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

His globe-trotting adventures never stopped as he returned in 2023's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"
Jonathan Olley / © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

19.We all fell under the Sanderson Sisters' magic spell in 1993's Hocus Pocus.

Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, and Sarah Jessica Parker in witch costumes in a scene from the movie "Hocus Pocus"
© Buena Vista Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy bewitched us once more in 2022's Hocus Pocus sequel.

Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, and Sarah Jessica Parker in witch costumes on the set of "Hocus Pocus 2"
Matt Kennedy / © Disney+ / Courtesy Everett Collection

20.Finally, Michael Keaton transformed into Betelgeuse in the 1988 cult classic Beetlejuice.

Michael Keaton in a striped suit in "Beetlejuice"
© Warner Brothers / Courtesy Everett Collection

The ghost with the most made his killer comeback in 2024's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Michael Keaton in a striped suit in "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice"
Parisa Taghizadeh / © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

Who else would you add to this list? Share your thoughts in the comments!