Some actors and actresses struggle to get roles and only have a handful of titles to their credit. Others are very particular about the movies they agree to do and don’t jump at every opportunity that comes their way. But also, there are actors who have played so many roles in their lives, they have lost count.
Unlike what some might believe, these are not necessarily newcomers who are trying to find their breakthrough and for this reason, agree to anything and everything. On the contrary, most of the time, the movie stars whose filmography counts over a hundred titles are well-respected, famous actors. You may even find some of the highest-paid actors among them.
One fun idea for you and your movie-loving friends can be a challenge where you take one name from the actors who acted in the most movies and see which one of you has seen more of their movies. Make sure you let us know how that goes.
For this article, we collected some of the iconic celebrities who have so many titles to their credit that it makes us wonder how they even found time to do all of it. Have you watched all their movies? Vote for your favorite ones, and if you think there are other actors whose filmography makes them eligible to be a part of this list, let us know in the comments.
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Danny Trejo
Acting credits: 420
Started career: 1983, Project A
Prominent roles: Navajas (Desperado, 1995), Razor Charlie (From Dusk Till Dawn, 1996)
He is an amazing man...look at his background, where he came from and what he has done, and yes, both the bad but the good he has done since as well, he gives a lot to his community and underprivileged kids - such a sweet man...and proof you can change for the better
Christopher Lee
Acting credits: 282
Started career: 1948, Corridor of Mirrors
Prominent roles: Saruman (The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit, 2001-2014), Pastor Galswells (Corpse Bride, 2005)
Outstanding achievement: Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, 2002)
Eric Roberts
Acting credits: 666
Started career: 1978, King of the Gypsies
Prominent roles: Sal Maroni (The Dark Knight, 2008), James Munroe (The Expendables, 2010)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, nominated (Runaway Train, 1985)
Danny Glover
Acting credits: 201
Started career: 1979, Escape from Alcatraz
Prominent roles: Sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Lethal Weapon, 1987), Henry Sherman (The Royal Tenenbaums, 2001)
Outstanding achievement: Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (2021)
Anthony Hopkins
Acting credits: 144
Started career: 1964, short film Changes
Prominent roles: Hannibal Lector (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991), Anthony Evans (The Father, 2020)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Actor (The Father, 2020)
He hasn't been in as many as some of these actors, but OH BOY is he great in all of them.
Richard Riehle
Acting credits: 415
Started career: 1977, Joyride
Prominent roles: Wade (Free Willy, 1993), Tom Smykowski (Office Space, 1999)
Michael Caine
Acting credits: 176
Started career: 1950, Morning Departure
Prominent roles: Lt. Gonville Bromhead (Zulu, 1964), Alfred Pennyworth (The Dark Knight, 2008)
Outstanding achievement: BAFTA for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Educating Rita, 1983)
James Earl Jones
Acting credits: 187
Started career: 1964, Dr. Strangelove
Prominent roles: Darth Vader (Star Wars, 1977-2019), Mufasa (The Lion King, 1994)
Outstanding achievement: Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Film (The Great White Hope, 1970)
Robert Loggia
Acting credits: 225
Started career: 1956, Somebody Up There Likes Me
Prominent roles: Frank Lopez (Scarface, 1983), General William Grey (Independence Day, 1996)
Outstanding achievement: Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor (Big, 1988)
Michael Ironside
Acting credits: 247
Started career: 1977, Outrageous!
Prominent roles: Lieutenant Commander Richard “Jester” Heatherly (Top Gun, 1986), Dial (Free Willy, 1993)
Susan Sarandon
Acting credits: 163
Started career: 1970, Joe
Prominent roles: Janet Weiss (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975), Louise Sawyer (Thelma & Louise, 1991)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Actress (Dead Man Walking, 1996)
John Carradine
Acting credits: 222
Started career: 1930, Bright Lights
Prominent roles: Jim Casy (The Grapes of Wrath, 1940), Count Dracula/Baron Latos (House of Dracula, 1945)
Gertrude Astor
Acting credits: 276
Started career: 1915, Under Two Flags (short)
Prominent roles: Lillian Lyons (Stage Struck, 1925), Cecily (The Cat and the Canary, 1927)
Fred Willard
Acting credits: 291
Started career: 1967, Teenage Mother
Prominent roles: Ron Albertson (Waiting for Guffman, 1996), Mission Commander (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, 1999)
Outstanding achievement: Boston Film Critics Award (Best in Show, 2000)
Robert Duvall
Acting credits: 145
Started career: 1962, To Kill A Mockingbird
Prominent roles: Boo Radley (To Kill A Mockingbird, 1962), Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore (Apocalypse Now, 1979)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Actor (Tender Mercies, 1984)
Samuel L Jackson
Acting credits: 198
Started career: 1972, Together for Days
Prominent roles: Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction, 1994), Nick Fury (Marvel Universe, since 2008)
Outstanding achievement: BAFTA for Best Film Actor in a Supporting Role (Pulp Fiction, 1995)
Donald Sutherland
Acting credits: 199
Started career: 1963, The World Ten Times Over
Prominent roles: Merrick Jamison-Smythe (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1992), Mr. Bennet (Pride and Prejudice, 2005)
Outstanding achievement: Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in Series, Miniseries or Television Film (Citizen X, 1995)
Clint Eastwood
Acting credits: 82
Started career: 1955, Revenge of the Creature
Prominent roles: Blondie (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, 1966), Frankie Dunn (Million Dollar Baby, 2004)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Picture & Best Director (Million Dollar Baby, 2005)
Stephen Tobolowsky
Acting credits: 251
Started career: 1977, Keep My Grave Open
Prominent roles: Max (Thelma & Louise, 1991), Sammy Jankis (Memento, 2000)
Jackie Chan
Acting credits: 190
Started career: 1962, Big and Little Wong Tin Bar
Prominent roles: Chief Inspector Lee (Rush Hour, 1998), Master Monkey (Kung Fu Panda, 2008-2016)
Outstanding achievement: Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor (Crime Story, 1993)
To me, he seems to be playing the exact same character in most of his movies. Not the Asian part of it, but the character he's playing.
Bette Davis
Acting credits: 99
Started career: 1931, Bad Sister
Prominent roles: Julie Marsden (Jezebel, 1938), Margo Channing (All About Eve, 1950)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Actress (Jezebel, 1938)
Ward Bond
Acting credits: 200
Started career: 1928, Noah’s Ark
Prominent roles: Bert the cop (It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946), Buffalo Baker (Hondo, 1953)
James Hong
Acting credits: 133
Started career: 1954, Dragonfly Squadron
Prominent roles: Hannibal Chew (Blade Runner, 1982), Gong Gong (Everything Everywhere All at Once, 2022)
Outstanding achievement: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (Everything Everywhere All at Once, 2022)
Christopher Plummer
Acting credits: 119
Started career: 1958, Stage Struck
Prominent roles: Captain Georg von Trapp (The Sound of Music, 1965), Harlan Thrombey (Knives Out, 2019)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (Beginners, 2012)
Eli Wallach
Acting credits: 100
Started career: 1956, Baby Doll
Prominent roles: Calvera (The Magnificent Seven, 1960), Tuco Ramirez (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, 1966)
Outstanding achievement: BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer (Baby Doll, 1956)
Patty Duke
Acting credits: 137
Started career: 1958, Country Music Holiday
Prominent roles: Helen Keller (The Miracle Worker, 1962), Neely O’Hara (Valley of the Dolls, 1967)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (The Miracle Worker, 1963)
Ray Milland
Acting credits: 132
Started career: 1928, Moulin Rouge
Prominent roles: Don Birnam (The Lost Weekend, 1945), Tony Wendice (Dial M for Murder, 1954)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Actor (The Lost Weekend, 1945)
Mickey Rooney
Acting credits: 190
Started career: 1927, Orchids and Ermine
Prominent roles: Huckleberry Finn (Huckleberry Finn, 1939), Mickey Moran (Babes in Arms, 1939)
Outstanding achievement: Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Mini-Series or Motion Picture (Bill, 1981)
Multi-talented and delightful. If only he hadn't done Breakfast at Tiffany's
Ernest Borgnine
Acting credits: 148
Started career: 1951, China Corsair
Prominent roles: Marty Piletti (Marty, 1955), Dutch Engstrom (The Wild Bunch, 1969)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marty, 1955)
Ernie Hudson
Acting credits: 87
Started career: 1976, Leadbelly
Prominent roles: Winston Zeddemore (Ghostbusters, 1984), Reggie (The Basketball Diaries, 1995)
Outstanding achievement: Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama (Oz, 1998)
Louis Gossett Jr.
Acting credits: 177
Started career: 1961, A Raisin in the Sun
Prominent roles: Inspector James Larrimore (The Laughing Policeman, 1973), Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley (An Officer and a Gentleman, 1982)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (An Officer and a Gentleman, 1983)
Anthony Quinn
Acting credits: 152
Started career: 1936, The Milky Way
Prominent roles: Alexis Zorba (Zorba the Greek, 1964), Col. Andrea Stavrou (The Guns of Navarone, 1961)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (Viva Zapata!, 1953)
George Kennedy
Acting credits: 98
Started career: 1961, The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come
Prominent roles: Major Max Armbruster (The Dirty Dozen, 1967), Det. Phil DiNatale (The Boston Strangler, 1968)
Outstanding achievement: Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (Cool Hand Luke, 1968)
John Gielgud
Acting credits: 131
Started career: 1924, Who Is the Man?
Prominent roles: Inigo Jollifant (The Good Companions, 1933), Cassius (Julius Caesar, 1953)
Outstanding achievement: BAFTA Film Award for Best British Actor (Julius Caesar, 1954)
And there's a very sad reason for that. Most of these actors had or still have roles when they grow old. Older women are anathema to the film world. Starting at the age of about 35-40 the number of roles for older women plummets.
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And there's a very sad reason for that. Most of these actors had or still have roles when they grow old. Older women are anathema to the film world. Starting at the age of about 35-40 the number of roles for older women plummets.
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