Tunnel Vision: Actors Who You Could Never See Outside of That One Role

[Snow Apple]

Since we're talking about Soaps, Robin Wright will always be Kelly Capwell.

 I also know Sarah Michelle Geller from a teen soap called Swans Crossing. I don't remember anyone else but she was a standout which is why I remembered her and recognized her when she went on to All My Children.

[andromeda331]

2 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

Since we're talking about Soaps, Robin Wright will always be Kelly Capwell.

 I also know Sarah Michelle Geller from a teen soap called Swans Crossing. I don't remember anyone else but she was a standout which is why I remembered her and recognized her when she went on to All My Children.

I thought I was the only one who remembered that show! She's the only one I remember from it too even thought I watched it all the time.

[andromeda331]

15 hours ago, Bastet said:

It's kind of the nature of soaps; even if they don't play a character that long, you see them multiple days a week for at least a year, usually.  Anyone I knew from Guiding Light is forever their GL character to me, no matter what they've gone on to do.

In that same repeated exposure vein, and anyone who guest starred on a show I re-watch repeatedly is permanently that character to me (in terms of immediate and primary association, not that I actually can't watch them in another role without thinking of them as that one role) no matter how many things I'd seen them in before that role.

I have that too GL and other soaps. Every time Alan or Edmund turn up on a show like both on Person of Interest and Elementary but different episodes. Danny Santos showing up on Blue Bloods and Elementary. Every time I see an AD for the Baking Mystery show with Sami from Days, Cameron Mathison from All My Children. Castle used to be really good at casting soap stars for their guest spots Ryan and Greenlee, Bianca, Nikki Newman, Carly, of course Seamus Dever was on GH and Nathan Fillian was Joey on One Light to Life and Susan Sullivan from Falcon's Crest. I'm probably forgotten some but I love seeing soap stars showing up on other shows. Unfortunately Sonny Corinthos who sadly was not shot to death in his episode or garroted or any other horrible ways to die that he deserves.   

[Bort]

Kelly Ripa. I still remember her intro on All My Children as the goth Hayley.

[catlover79]

On 8/23/2018 at 3:38 PM, Browncoat said:

I saw Dale Dickey in a really good movie the other night (called Leave No Trace), and all I could think of when I saw her was Patty the Daytime Hooker from My Name Is Earl.  Her character in the movie was absolutely nothing like Patty.

To me, she'll always be Opal McHone (Christy, CBS, 1994-95).

[catlover79]

On 7/8/2018 at 7:32 PM, blueray said:

Jensen: as Jason in Smallville.

To me, Eric Brady on Days of Our Lives.

[catlover79]

On 3/7/2017 at 12:32 PM, tribeca said:

The actor who stabbed Lucy and Carter on ER.  He has been in many shows and movies but I can never forget his face when he stabbed Carter 

That's David Krumholtz. His longest-running TV gig was on Numb3rs (2005-2010, CBS), and you probably also remember him as Bernard the Elf from the first two Santa Clause movies.

[Anela]

I'm having trouble with Renee Zellweger as someone who appears to be a psychopath. Just not her usual role of cheerful pretty blonde. I can understand her wanting to change things up, but it's just a bit weird to me. 

[biakbiak]

14 minutes ago, Anela said:

I'm having trouble with Renee Zellweger as someone who appears to be a psychopath

I sort of viewed Bridget Jones as one so have no problem doing it! 

[catlover79]

Also - Donna Pescow may be Annette in Saturday Night Fever, Angie of the 1979-80 sitcom of the same name, and Even Stevens' mom - but I saw her first as Donna Garland, the mom who married an alien and had a daughter who could freeze time (a couple of years before Zack Morris did) in the 1987-90 syndicated sitcom Out of This World. Interestingly enough, she would join the cast of General Hospital years later and be reunited with Steve Burton, who played her daughter's boyfriend on OOTW.

Edited May 31, 2019 by catlover79

[Anela]

2 hours ago, catlover79 said:

Out of This World. 

I loved this, when I was a kid. I think I was around the same age as the actress, and they showed it in England, when we were out of school for the Summer. TV lineups would change a bit, to accommodate the kids at home. 

[andromeda331]

This is probably a weird one because is mostly the actor's voice. Matt Lanter voiced Anakin Skywalker on the Clone Wars. He starred on Timeless as Wyatt Logan. I tried really, really hard to get into the show because time traveling to different periods in history and he's hot (I liked the other characters too). I couldn't separate the two. I really tried. But every time Wyatt spoke it well it was Anakin's voice and kept making me think of Anakin and various stuff on that show. When they were in jail wondering what to do I kept thinking "Use the Force Anakin". When Wyatt got beat up or lost it was hard not to remember how better he fought on the other show. "Hey you kicked so-so's but in the Clone Wars", or "Try the Dark Side Anakin" I finally quit after the 7th episode. 

[kiddo82]

That's not that weird.  I've been trying to sell Bob's Burgers to my brother-in-law for years and he says he just can't because he doesn't want to see Archer as some schlubby dude.  Then the Arby's commercials with H Jon Benjamin came out and my in law's reaction was, "I hate them."

[DrSpaceman]

On ‎5‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 6:46 PM, Anela said:

I'm having trouble with Renee Zellweger as someone who appears to be a psychopath. Just not her usual role of cheerful pretty blonde. I can understand her wanting to change things up, but it's just a bit weird to me. 

It doesn't help that she just can't pull it off.  Not a role for her.  Odd choice. 

On ‎6‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 8:34 AM, kiddo82 said:

That's not that weird.  I've been trying to sell Bob's Burgers to my brother-in-law for years and he says he just can't because he doesn't want to see Archer as some schlubby dude.  Then the Arby's commercials with H Jon Benjamin came out and my in law's reaction was, "I hate them."

He was also on Master of None as himself, a friend of Aziz, and yes it is hard to reconcile him with Archer, they look so different. 

He personally is much more Bob than Archer.  But he is still great as Archer. 

[DrSpaceman]

Maggie Wheeler will always be Janice from Friends to me.  She was on Shake it Off, a Nick show I watched with my kids when they were younger as a mom. 

Tom Selleck will always be Magnum.  I don't care if he is on blue bloods or whatever now

[BaggythePanther]

I’ve been catching up on Supernatural and I realized that for me, Jared Padalecki will always be Dean from Gilmore Girls. He was only on Gilmore Girls for a few years and Supernatural has been on the air for 14 seasons, but I still associate Jared with the role I saw him in first. 

[Moose135]

On 6/1/2019 at 8:34 AM, kiddo82 said:

Then the Arby's commercials with H Jon Benjamin came out and my in law's reaction was, "I hate them."

I had no idea who that was in the Arby's commercials - they seemed to make him out to be someone we should know.  After Googling his name, and looking at what he has acted/voiced in, I still have no idea who he is.  It seems like I've seen nothing in which he as appeared.

[Lugal]

On the Soaps theme, my mom loves Stacy Haiduk as Kristen DiMera on Days of Our Lives, but she will always be Lana Lang from Superboy to me.

[BaggythePanther]

Not a personal one but, to this day, my mom still refers to John Stamos as “Blackie”. I know that is a reference to a soap opera character, but I don’t know which soap. For me, he’ll always be Uncle Jesse.

[GHScorpiosRule]

11 hours ago, BaggythePanther said:

Not a personal one but, to this day, my mom still refers to John Stamos as “Blackie”. I know that is a reference to a soap opera character, but I don’t know which soap. For me, he’ll always be Uncle Jesse.

General Hospital.

[Nordly Beaumont]

From Young Sheldon, Sheldon's dad will always be Paulie G from the Comeback to me. It's weird to see him in a role that's so different from Paulie G.