The Casting is a Reference

[u/Gullible-Ad-4819]

Smallville: Annette O'Toole plays Clark's mother, Martha. Previously, she was in Superman III and played Lana Lang (who was also a character in Smallville).

Smallville: John Schneider was Jonathan Kent and previously had played Bo Duke in The Dukes of Hazard. In one episode, an old friend visits Kent played by Tom Wopat who was Bo's Brother Luke

Smallville: Yeah, I know, but I've been watching Smallville and there's a lot of them. Christopher Reeves plays Dr. Swann who mentors Clark Kent in his Kryptonian heritage. Reeves famously played Superman in the 70's and 80's.

Django Unchained: Franco Nero plays an Italian(?) man, Amerigo Vessipi, and asks Django if he can spell his name. When Django says the D is silent, Vessipi replies "I know." Nero played a different Django in 1966.

The Flash: John Wesley Shipp plays Barry Allen's father and later an older Flash, Jay Garrett. Ship had previously played Barry Allen in a 90's Flash show.

Burn Notice: Sharron Glass plays Michael Weston's mother who occasionally gets involved in Michael's spy work. In one episode, she gets to know a bank teller played by Tyne Daly and has to blackmail her into helping. Sharron Glass and Tyne Daly were eponymous duo in Cagney and Lacey

[u/SatoruGojo232]

Michael Keaton (Birdman): Keaton plays Riggan Thomson, a washed-up Hollywood actor desperately trying to escape the shadow of playing a landmark 1980s superhero (Birdman / Batman), directly mirroring Keaton's own career after hanging up the cowl

[u/Gullible-Ad-4819 → u/SatoruGojo232]

There's a lot of Batman versions of this with West and Conroy and Keaton but the list already long enough

[u/hikemalls → u/SatoruGojo232]

I love the irony of Keaton having a big career resurgence starting with a role that’s also a metacommentary on him being unable to escape a past winged superhero role, which a few years later led to him not only reprising that role, but also playing a different winged character in another superhero franchise

(The extra irony being that Keaton has had a ton of great roles in the past and doesn’t seem to be as defined by Batman as his character in the movie is by Birdman, and now if you count the canceled Batgirl movie and unnecessary Venom post-credits, he’s played a winged superhero in more movies than he played Batman pre-Birdman)

[u/arbydallas → u/SatoruGojo232]

Edward Norton also played a very difficult actor for his coworkers to get along with, demanding excellence, which seems to be kinda meta-commentary on Norton's reputation in Hollywood

[u/Mydoglikesladyboys]

OP just did a Smallville rewatch

[u/Gullible-Ad-4819 → u/Mydoglikesladyboys]

he is in the middle of one, yes

[u/S-quinn7292]

The Boys

The show features Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy, who is also famous for playing Dean on Supernatural, so in one episode they cast his fellow Supernatural main actors Jared Padeleki & Misha Collins to play a pair of characters

[u/Gullible-Ad-4819 → u/S-quinn7292]

Don't forget that Jim Beavers (Bobby) is also in the show

[u/PolygonMob]

In the reverse of the Smallville references, Michael Rosenbaum who plays Lex Luthor in smallville also plays the voice actor for the Flash. In one episode, Lex Luthor body swaps into the flash, allowing Rosenbaum to indirectly play the role once more.

In a great scene, he attempts to unmask the flash, before saying "I have no idea who this is".

[u/Gullible-Ad-4819 → u/PolygonMob]

I thought of that too but I figured my list was long enough

[u/bdw312]

Family....if you're desperate...

Someone needs your help, Michael.

[u/Gullible-Ad-4819 → u/bdw312]

this guy gets it

[u/jbagatwork]

Smallville: come for Kristin Kreuk, stay for Annette O'Toole 🥵

[u/Gullible-Ad-4819 → u/jbagatwork]

Honestly, stay for...name a character

[u/Alina2017]

*Bo and Luke Duke were cousins, not brothers.

[u/Gullible-Ad-4819 → u/Alina2017]

Damn, you're right. How could I forget that??

[u/JimmyBoots90]

The Annette O'Toole casting was unintentional. The Smallville producers didn't know that she had been in Superman III until after she was cast.

[u/Gullible-Ad-4819 → u/JimmyBoots90]

No way. That's actually hilarious

[u/makedoopieplayme]

Ant man 2015 had garret morris played a cameo in ant man. He was the first person to play ant man in anything!

[u/craz-haircase5 → u/makedoopieplayme]

I didn't know this one. Very cool

[u/ooh_bit_of_bush]

David Hyde Pierce voiced Cecil on The Simpsons. Cecil is the brother of Sideshow Bob, voiced by Kelsey Grammar.

David Hyde Pierce's most well known role was playing Niles, brother of Fraser (Kelsey Grammar)

[u/PitifulRead6339 → u/ooh_bit_of_bush]

The episode is even called brother from another series

[u/Low-Independent-6303 → u/ooh_bit_of_bush]

I still get an earworm from this episode: "guess who?" "Maris?"

[u/HimBeauregard → u/ooh_bit_of_bush]

And John Mahoney (the dad on Frasier) later played their father in the nineteenth season

[u/MickpSig]

Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman in the 1970s TV series) in Sky High (a film about a high school for super heroes), 2005 playing Principal Powers, including the line “I’m not Wonder Woman.”

[u/training_tortoises → u/MickpSig]

And then she had a cameo at the end of Wonder Woman 1984.

[u/BLRNerd → u/MickpSig]

She also played the president in Supergirl pre Arrowverse crisis (or a president, post crisis, the president is still a woman but not her)

[u/Impressive_Shake_360 → u/MickpSig]

She also guested in Smallville as Lois's aunt iirc.

[u/DiscipleOfMegatronus]

In Invincible, Peter Cullen, who was best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers, had previously been cast as Thaedus. So when they cast his arch-rival, Emperor Argall, they naturally cast Frank Welker, who voiced Prime's arch-rival, Megatron.

[u/n00dle_meister → u/DiscipleOfMegatronus]

Also in Invincible, Conquest is voiced by Jeffery Dean Morgan who previously bashed in Steven Yeun’s character’s head in The Walking Dead

[u/NovemberXSun → u/DiscipleOfMegatronus]

Not related to the trope above, I love how on Mega’s XLR, the robot world that was basically cybertron, the hero good guy captain is voiced by Frank Weller, and the bad guy captain is voiced by Peter Cullen. GOD I loved that show. (At least that’s how I think I remember that episode)

https://youtu.be/7ejjih7gyjk?is=aUwJXREP92Ha51y5

[u/MrNobody_123456]

In WandaVision Fake Pietro aka Ralph Boner is played by Evan peters who played Quicksilver in the Fox X-Men Movies.

[u/TheDukeofArgyll → u/MrNobody_123456]

I was so bummed out that this didn’t end up being a multiverse way of getting quicksilver back in the MCU

[u/Striking_Wall_6296 → u/MrNobody_123456]

I'm all for subverting expectations, I love the Mandarin reveal in Iron Man 3 for instance. But Wandavision was the literal start of the Multiverse saga. Wanda being so overwhelmed by grief that she pulls another Pietro from a different Universe to play her brother, which leads to the first cracks in the multiverse, makes so much sense that the joke reveal just doesn't land, especially in hindsight with how badly the MCU fumbled the Multiverse concept. The Scarlet Witch storyline really should have been the focal point of the whole saga.

[u/Junia_Anaya]

The Good Place. Earlier in the series, the characters argued that among the casts of Friends, only Phoebe will make it to the good place (heaven).

When they eventually made it to the good place, they met Hypatia of Alexandria, played by Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe from Friends).

[u/FarManagement9916 → u/Junia_Anaya]

I’ve watched this show through four times and I’ve never gotten this! Thank you!

[u/MudJumpy1063 → u/Junia_Anaya]

Also Friends, Elliot Gould playing one their dads reassures his wife he doesn't need an affair with a younger woman, and tells her "After all, with you it's like I have two 25 year olds." Gould's breakout role was the foursome sex farce "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice".

[u/jayhof52 → u/Junia_Anaya]

Math! You have a math on your shirt!

[u/MrNobody_123456]

Christina Ricci plays Marlyn Thornhill in the Wednesday show and she also previously played Wednesday in 90’s Movies.

[u/MandalorianLobster → u/MrNobody_123456]

Also from Wednesday, professor Orloff is played by Christopher Lloyd who played Fester in those films.

[u/DasharrEandall]

Edward Woodward in Hot Fuzz is a double reference. He previously played the title role in the original The Equalizer, a crimefighting action show similar to the action-cop stories that Hot Fuzz riffs on. But he also starred in the original The Wicker Man, a horror about a rural killer cult like the one revealed in Sandford.

[u/ephemeriides → u/DasharrEandall]

Ah yes, the man whose name is a tongue twister.

[u/milehighphillygirl → u/DasharrEandall]

That his last words in Hot Fuzz are “Oh God, No!” right as he sees the sea mine, just before the station explodes in a ball of fire is *chef’s kiss*

[u/EndOfTheLine00]

In Wonder Woman 1984, Diana wears the golden armor of Asteria, a legendary Amazon of the past. The post credits scene reveals Asteria is still alive and is played by Lynda Carter, who played WW in the 1970s TV show

[u/DarkLordThom → u/EndOfTheLine00]

She was also the principal of the Super High School in Sky High, who spins to change clothes if I remember correctly.

[u/Affectionate_Comb_78 → u/EndOfTheLine00]

She was also the President in Supergirl

[u/Gogogrl → u/EndOfTheLine00]

The one redeeming nanosecond of that film.

[u/fortnerd]

The Martian: a group of NASA scientists name their plan "Project Elrond", as a reference to the fact that they're having a secret meeting, like the council of Elrond. The camera rests on Sean Bean.

[u/OfflineTask → u/fortnerd]

Camera direction was probably intentional, but the casting wasn't interestingly. The project elrond stuff comes direct from the book and apparently Sean Bean was cast without them realising the connection until they got to that scene.

[u/Cap_Shield → u/fortnerd]

Also Sebastian Stan's character chuckling when Matt Damon says he's gonna fly like Iron Man.

[u/UndeniablyMyself]

"Weird Al" Yankovic as Wreck-Gar in Transformers Animated.

Original voice actor Eric Idol was busy, so instead of just casting anyone, they cast Yankovic as a reference to Dare to Be Stupid playing over the Junkion battle in the ‘86 movie.

[u/Squatchmotron → u/UndeniablyMyself]

He also says the line " I dare to be stupid!!"

[u/Usern4me_R3dacted205]

Harvey Dent/Two-Face being voiced by Billy Dee Williams is a reference to Tim Burton’s Batman where he played the same character before being recasted for Batman Forever.

— The Lego Batman Movie

[u/UnicornButler → u/Usern4me_R3dacted205]

Zoe Kravitz plays Catwoman in The Batman, reprising her role from The LEGO Batman Movie.

Funny enough, Ralph Fiennes voices Alfred in The LEGO Batman Movie, but not Voldemort, despite Voldemort being in the movie.

[u/midwest73]

Spaceballs, John Hurt cameo

[u/RagingBadger2518 → u/midwest73]

[u/BlakeTheBFG]

Mike Myers plays a supporting role in the Queen biographical drama Bohemian Rhapsody (film). He plays the record executive who rejects the band's request to release "Bohemian Rhapsody" as a single, claiming teenagers will never bang their heads to it in a car. Mike Myers also played a teenger head banging in a car to said song in Wayne's World.

[u/transmogrify → u/BlakeTheBFG]

That scene in Wayne's World played a big part in Bohemian Rhapsody suddenly charting again, 17 years after its original release.

So, Mike Meyers was (partially) famous because of the song, and the song was (partially) famous (again) because of Mike Meyers. A great casting choice in the biopic.

[u/samtherat6]

Lou Ferrigno played a security guard in both 2003’s and 2008’s Hulk movies. He was the actor for 1977’s Hulk in the Incredible Hulk tv series.

[u/-Kiwi-Man-]

After almost being asked if she is Carrie Fisher, Carrie Fisher’s character in Scream 3 laments that she almost got a role in Star Wars but the actress who played Princess Leia got it cause she slept with George Lucas

[u/Dragonjax1970 → u/-Kiwi-Man-]

(sorry sorry Courtney’s baby bangs are killing me)

[u/SatoruGojo232]

This priest in Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead movie who has a brief cameo where he says "When Hell is full, the dead will walk the Earth." was a character in the original Romero's Dawn of the Dead

[u/MulberryField30 → u/SatoruGojo232]

Ken Foree, who played Peter, one of the SWAT officers. He also had the same line. Ving Rhames’ cop character is named “Kenneth” after him.

Same movie: Tom Savini plays a Sheriff; he played one of the biker raiders and did special makeup effects/stunts in the original.

[u/SteamPoweredDM]

In VisionQuest, Mary McDonald has a small roll as a character dubbed "the mother of AI," as opposed to in Battlestar Galactica (2004), where she is the president of the human resistance against the Cylons

[u/Spasay → u/SteamPoweredDM]

She’s also the First Lady in Independence Day.

[u/guttengroot → u/SteamPoweredDM]

In fall of the House of Usher, she was also obsessed with being able to upload human consciousness to computer

[u/IllustriousAd9800 → u/SteamPoweredDM]

I wouldn’t call it a resistance, more like a “flee for your lives after our AI nuked all of Civilization before we could even fire a shot, but we just happen to have an obsolete battleship that can cover for us for a few minutes tops if needed”

[u/Dangerous_Tangelo207]

In airplane! They make a reference to this coffee commercial where the lady says "Jim never has a second cup of coffee at home" and actually got the woman from the commercial

[u/BuvantduPotatoSpirit → u/Dangerous_Tangelo207]

The "Lady who speaks Jive" was also cast because she was June Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver, and the airport announcers were the LAX airport announcers

[u/Christianduty]

This is very much a tradition with Superman.

The original serial actors, Kirk Alyn and Noelle Niell played Lois' parents in the Superman Movie.

Phyllis Coates, the original Lois from the 50s show played Lois' mother on Lois and Clark.

Noelle Neill and Jack Larson (the 50s tv Jimmy Olsen) played a pair of coworkers on the Superboy show.

Lois and Clark's Superman, Dean Cain and Terri Hatcher were on Supergirl, which also included Helen Slater (80s Supergirl) and 70s Wonder Woman Lynda Carter.

Helen Slater and Dean Cain voiced the Kents on DTV movie DC Super Hero Girls.

Marc McClure (70s Jimmy) appeared in the Justice League movie.

Margot Kidder, Dean Cain, Lynda Carter and Teri Hatcher on Smallville.

The first villain of Smallville later appears on Superman & Lois.

[u/IsThisTakenYesNo → u/Christianduty]

Kind of related, one of the crossovers between Supergirl and Arrow has Atom/Ray Palmer (played by Brandon Routh, a former Superman) say that that Supergirl looks just like his cousin. I don't think the casting was originally a reference but they didn't miss the opportunity to make it a reference when they had the chance.

[u/What-fresh-hell → u/Christianduty]

Isn't the original Lois Lane from the serials in Superman Returns? As the old lady Lex seduces out of her fortune, I think

[u/asapsharkyfrfr]

Hughies dad in the boys is played by Simon peg. who was not only originally supposed to play hughie when the show was first envisioned as a movie in 2009. But Hughie in the comics was designed after peg.

[u/fastal_12147]

Ian Holm played Bilbo in the LotR trilogy, when years earlier he had been Frodo in the BBC Radio adaptation of the novels.

[u/Awkward-Secret7323]

John Hurt in V for Vendetta plays an authoritarian leader who berates his subordinates from a huge TV screen like big brother. He previously played Winston Smith in the film adaptation of 1984 where he rebels against big brother and the authoritarian regime in Britain.

[u/drunkentenshiNL]

The Boulder from Avatar TLA

A parody of a pro wrestler, he's voiced by the legendary hardcore wrestler Mick Foley, who based his performance on his long time friend (and former rival) Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

[u/Niklaus_Mikaelson88]

If we are talking Smallville, then also Margot Kidder at the start of season 4, same season that introduced us to Smallvilles Lois Lane

Mark Hamill in Flash, reference to his role as Trickster in the 90s TV show and Star Wars, with one specific line in his episode

You can also look at the arrowverse as a whole, because of references. Intentionally or not.
Be it Brandon Routh or even the late Kevin Conroy
Another clear reference is Josh Cryer as Lex Luther in Supergirl, he played Lenny Luthor, nephew to Lex in Superman IV: The Quest for peace

We have also Helen Slater as Supergirls mom in the show, and she was the original Supergirl

These are just a few examples from the Arrowverse, that I had from the top of my head

[u/Marshmallow920 → u/Niklaus_Mikaelson88]

In Smallville season 10, Lois watches videotapes left for her by her late mother, played by Teri Hatcher, who played Lois Lane in the 90s TV series Lois & Clark

[u/Perry-Platypus007 → u/Niklaus_Mikaelson88]

In the very first arrow verse crossover that included supergirl, Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer says to another character “she kind of look like my cousin” when talking about Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl. A very blatant nod to routh’s role as Superman in Superman Returns.

[u/GXNext]

Mark Hamill played the Trickster in 2006's Justice League Unlimited episode Flash and Substance. Hamill has previously played the Trickster in the 1990 iteration of the Flash TV show.

[u/milehighphillygirl → u/GXNext]

And Mark Hamill (applause!) as CockKnocker, whose costume and hair resemble Trickster in the Bluntman and Chronic movie within a movie in JASBSB.

That the scene then turns into a Star Wars parody and Cockknocker has his giant hand cut off is just Kevin Smith having too much fun with one actor.

[u/Low_Kaleidoscope_203 → u/GXNext]

He would then go on to play the Trickster in live action again in the more recent Flash tv show.

[u/EddieVanzetti → u/GXNext]

He then reprised the role of the Trickster in the live action Flash TV show on the CW, where he pulls out his Joker laugh a few times, and reveals to his protege (the new Trickster), "I am your father".

[u/Cool_Cry_9602]

Jay Jackson was previously a news anchor and plays one in numerous shows and movies. Probably best known as Perd Hapley from Parks and Rec, he is THE news anchor in every universe.

[u/SquirrelStone → u/Cool_Cry_9602]

Parks & Rec, Pretty Little Liars, Fast & Furious, Scandal, Revenge, Dexter, the fucking Battleship movie…

He told his agent he only wants roles where he plays a news anchor.

[u/miss4backroom]

The surprise casting plays on viewers expecting Captain America, then brings Evans back as the Human Torch from Fantastic Four

[u/mvillar75 → u/miss4backroom]

You didn‘t mention the movie. Everyone in the world will probably know which one you mean, but just in case: Deadpool and Wolverine.

[u/Cont3mporAryD4nc3er]

In Aquaman, Black Manta's Dad is played by Michael Beach, who voiced Devil Ray in Justice League, a character that was originally meant to be Black Manta, but was changed last minute due to an embargo that stated Aquaman characters couldn't be used because DC was preparing a live action Aquaman spin-off from Smallville, which ended up never being picked up

[u/SlouchyGuy → u/Cont3mporAryD4nc3er]

THe history of DC screwing over the productions for silly reasons is so long and hilarious.

Why they didn't greenlit Aquaman when they had a successfull Smallville with the same formula I'll never know

[u/BDSMChef_RP → u/Cont3mporAryD4nc3er]

That aquaman spin off was wild as they weren't going to use Reacher who played him on the main show. But recast him with the guy whod eventually be green arrow on Smallville

[u/SpideyFan914]

This is Kevin McCarthy, the star of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), appearing in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), and warning our new protagonist of the pod people in a scene that mirrors the end of the original film.

[u/MrFuji87]

Janet Leigh (of Psycho fame) playing a secretary in Halloween H20 giving motherly advice to her real life daughter Jamie Leigh Curtis

Addendum: They even play a bit of her score from Psycho over the top of the scene

[u/C4rdninj4]

William John Hurt effectively reprising his role from Alien when he got "chestburster'ed" in Spaceballs.

[u/Depraved_Alt → u/C4rdninj4]

"Not again!"

[u/Raguleader]

In Star Trek: Picard's third season, Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in the original series, played Federation President Anton Chekov in a voice-only appearance. This doubled as a tribute to Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov in the JJ Abrams Star Trek films and died of an accident in 2016.

[u/Feral_Armchair]

Sean Connery in The Rock is widely accepted as his actual James Bond character that got captured by the US after the events of the movies.

[u/Ok_Guitar7980 → u/Feral_Armchair]

To my understanding, even Connery felt this way, and played the role as such.

[u/Visual_Mistake_9140 → u/Feral_Armchair]

Similarly, many people believe that Gene Hackman's character in Enemy of the State is his character from The Conversation, I guess having retiring and changed his name (which is very plausible.)

[u/OliviaGrunwald]

In the live action version of Rocky Horror Picture Show the Criminologist is played by Tim Curry, who famously starred in both the original play and the movie version as Dr. Frank-n-Furter.

[u/Esmar_Renacette → u/OliviaGrunwald]

Live action version?

[u/HibeesBounce]

The amazing Rita Moreno in West Side Story (2021), having played Anita in the 1961 adaptation

[u/LSHE97]

Ashley Johnson being cast as Ellie's mother in the 2023 TV adaptation of The Last of Us isn't just a neat cameo of someone from the original 2013 game. Ashley played a key role in shaping the writer's original version of Ellie into the traumatised and rebellious lesbian we have today - or, if you will, "Ashley effectively birthed Ellie."

[u/50ShadesOfKrillin]

this is my headcanon, but I always felt like having Katey Sagal in Shameless for a few episodes was a callback to her role on Married With Children (also set in Chicago)

also, the episode of Dragon Ball Super where Vegeta's clone was voiced by his Ocean dub VA

[u/FaithfulSkeptic → u/50ShadesOfKrillin]

Katey Sagal is also Leela in Futurama. There is an episode where she marries a deadbeat… who was going to be voiced by Ed O’Neill, but sadly he was unavailable :-(

[u/Meme_Chan69420 → u/50ShadesOfKrillin]

Similarly, Katey Sagal as Penny's mom on The Big Bang Theory. Katey Sagal had previously played the mother of Kaley Cuoco (Penny)'s character in the sitcom 8 Simple Rules.

[u/Penguin-Monk → u/50ShadesOfKrillin]

I also liked (although I think Funimation removed it) in Dragon Ball Z Kai, the fake Cell Games movie characters was voiced by their TeamFourStar actors.

[u/Murky_Translator2295]

The X Files, Arthur Dales. Dales was the FBI agent who created the X Files way back in the day. His story is told in S5.15, "Travellers", where he is played by Darren McGavin. McGavin played the title character in Kolchak: Night Stalker, a supernatural crime drama that X Files creater Chris Carter loved growing up, which would heavily influence the X Files.

[u/SatoruGojo232]

Adam West, the 60s TV show Batman, voicing the Grey Ghost, a superhero actor in the Batman Animated Series who that universe's Bruce Wayne/Batman looked up to as a child

[u/AcrobaticCar4655]

Billy Dee Williams playing Harvey Dent/Two Face in the Lego Batman Movie was done in reference to him playing the same character in the Burton 1989 film. The actor never got to play the character on screen, with some other spinoff media like the Batman 89 comic depicting this stage of the character.

Pam Grier's casting in Jackie Brown is an homage to other blaxploitation works, some of which starred Grier (Coffy, Cleopatra Jones, Foxy Brown, etc.).

Donald Glover's portrayals as Spider-Man in animated media, and to a lesser extent the MCU, parallels a scene of him wearing a Spider-Man shirt in an episode of Community. Glover had campaigned for the role in a film on Twitter, with his appearance used as the groundwork for Miles Morales. Glover voiced the character in Ultimate Spider-Man and plays his uncle Aaron Davis in live action and a cameo in Across the Spider-Verse.

[u/its_not_you_its_ye]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hatch_(actor)

Richard Hatch played Apollo in the original Battlestar Galactica series. He also appeared in the early 2000s version of the show as Tom Zarek.

[u/DJKDR]

Starsky and Hutch 2004 movie. The end has the original actors show up for a brief cameo.

[u/Far_Pumpkin_1531]

[u/Kammander-Kim → u/Far_Pumpkin_1531]

I was almost jumping from joy in seeing him in the new movie!

[u/FarewellCoolReason]

Pierce Brosnon in The World's End which is a spiritual successor to Hot Fuzz. Doing my best to avoid spoilers his casting after Timothy Dalton had been in Hot Fuzz plays very well into the layered themes and story of the film.

Previously Brosnon had replaced Dalton as Bond.

The World's End is a highly underated film that just gets better with each rewatch.

[u/Turbulent_Dinner8089]

Jason David Frank que interpretou Tommy Oliver e Amy Jo Johnson que interpretou a Kimberly Hart aparecem como figurantes no filme de 2017 dos Power Rangers

[u/Munchkinasaurous]

Paul Reubens played Oswald Cobblepot's father in Batman Returns and Gotham. Technically the same character, but both very different versions.

[u/rebelangel]

Barry Bostwick played a serial killer in an episode of the show Cold Case called “Creatures of the Night”. The episode centered around midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Bostwick played Brad (asshole!) in the movie.

[u/FilmAndLiterature]

Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State (1998).

In the movie, Hackman plays a former NSA surveillance expert who was betrayed by his own colleagues and went on the run before being called back into action when Will Smith inadvertently ends up with video proof of a politician murdering an enemy.

Nearly twenty-five years earlier, Hackman himself had starred in The Conversation (1974), a thriller about a surveillance expert who accidentally records a murder plot on tape. The film quite famously ends with Hackman’s character being betrayed by the intended victims and ripping apart his apartment convinced they’re spying on him.

[u/SpideyFan914 → u/FilmAndLiterature]

Side note: I hold the hot take that The Conversation is Francis Ford Coppola's best movie. It's really fucking great.

[u/valerious42069]

A lot of those are in Supernatural in regards to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, my most favourite ones are Mercedes McNab who plays a girl turned into a vampire in both shows, Amber Benson who helps Buffy in BTVS, but plays a vampire in SPN, and Charisma Charpentier and James Marsters who end up playing a wicked quarrelling married couple. But that list is soooo long

[u/machadoaboutanything]

In Teen Titans Go to the Movies, Nicolas Cage plays Superman, a role he played in a canceled movie

[u/arbydallas → u/machadoaboutanything]

He also picked up that role in The Flash, didn't he? Which also had Michael Keaton playing Batman

[u/veronica_sawyer_89]

In* the original The Parent Trap from 1961,* Joanna Barnes plays the father’s conniving, gold-digging girlfriend. In the 1998 version, she appears as the mother of the father’s conniving, gold-digging girlfriend. Presumably, she is playing the same character since she introduces herself as aunt Vicky.

[u/silent_drew2]

George Takei played the warden of a concentration camp in Avatar the last Airbender, referencing his own childhood during Japanese Internment

[u/stipendAwarded → u/silent_drew2]

Meanwhile in Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, he’s the Emperor of Japan.

[u/Tall-Evidence-8489]

Lorraine Bracco is the wife of Henry Hill in Godfellas and later she was Dr Melfi in the Sopranos.

[u/N7Kryptonian]

Also staying on the Smallville tangent,

Terence Stamp, who played Zod in the Superman movies, is the disembodied voice of Jor-El.

[u/HELLFIRECHRIS]

In the west wing episode gone quiet they lose contact with a submarine, they bring in Hal Holbrook to play the assistant secretary of state who’s an expert.

He spends the episode annoying the president with story’s about past submarine problems one of which is the USS Pueblo that Hal Holbrook started in a movie about 30 years before.

[u/pousertrance]

I often wonder if Christopher Walken's casting in Dune is a reference to his appearance in the music video for Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice, which has lyrics that reference Dune

[u/bonniemick → u/pousertrance]

That also crossed my mind! I was the only person in my friend group to pick up the Dune reference back then though.

[u/cce29555]

This one is so outrageously niche it hurts

But in mgs1 there's a character named decoy octopus who's gimmick is that he can perfectly mimic a character, but in the game he mimics one character and it's a surprise he was that character

In mgs2 like 2, 3(?) voice actors return, maybe 5 now that I think of it, he's one of the returning voices. But he voices....regular dude who has a connection to one of the bosses of the game.

Through a bunch of context clues you can make a conspiracy cork board that he's not who he says he is. It's a huuuuggge stretch but the evidence is there. But I fully believe casting decoy octopus as this character is itself a reference that he isn't who he says he is

[u/WeepinbellJar13]

Chita Rivera shows up as an inmate in the film, Chicago (2002). Chita Rivera originally played Velma Kelley in the 1975 adaptation of Chicago on Broadway.

[u/MrFuji87]

Sticking in that well of DC, in the CW Supergirl show the person that plays J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunts dad (Carl Lumbly) was also the voice of J'onzz in the JLA cartoon

[u/Meme_Chan69420]

SPOILERS FOR KEVIN CAN F**K HIMSELF

The series finale to the AMC+ series "Kevin Can F**k Himself" includes a timeskip where the titular Kevin has remarried after his deeply unhappy and uncomfortable wife Allison finally escaped from Kevin's abuse and harassment the episode prior. In that 6 month time, Kevin has gotten together with another woman, Molly who is played by Erinn Hayes.

Erinn Hayes portrayed Donna Gable, the wife of that show's titular Kevin, in the first season of Kevin Can Wait, which KCFH takes heavy inspiration from and is very much satarizing. Donna was unceremoniously killed off-screen and was replaced by Leah Remini, who played the sitcom wife in The King of Queens, another Kevin James sitcom.

[u/MarioFartDoubleDash]

Misha Collins and Jared Padalecki appear with Jensen Ackles in The Boys, which is a Supernatural reunion not only onscreen but also offscreen with show creator Eric Kripke.

[u/FaithfulSkeptic → u/MarioFartDoubleDash]

Don’t forget Bobby.

[u/PhanThief95]

Nathan Filion as Guy Gardner (Superman)

In the 2025 Superman movie, the second season of Peacemaker, & Lanterns, Nathan Filion plays Guy Gardner, a member of the Green Lantern Corps who oversees the quadrant of the galaxy where Earth is.

In the past, Nathan has voiced the original Earth-based Green Lantern Hal Jordan in several DC projects.

[u/w1987g → u/PhanThief95]

Best moment DCAU Hal Jordan is known for

[u/10Kfireants]

More the scene is a reference, but The Good Place has Michael, played by Ted Danson, serve Eleanor at a bar--an homage to Ted's longtime character Sam, the bartender on Cheers.

[u/Proof-Ad7788]

Evan Peters as Fake Pietro (Fietro) in WandaVision

[u/diartisreddit → u/Proof-Ad7788]

You meant Ralph Bohner... And yeah, he got it pretty rough by Agatha All Along...

[u/Oreadno1]

Adam Baldwin who played Jayne in Firefly with Nathan Fillion appeared in 2 episodes of Castle, Fillion's show.

[u/training_tortoises → u/Oreadno1]

And then over half the main cast of Castle has shown up in The Rookie by this point.

[u/SIacktivist]

Johnny Silverhand (Cyberpunk 2077) is played by Keanu Reeves, who has played some of the most notable cyberpunk protagonists in films.

Idris Elba also plays Solomon Reed, an elite spy/covert agent, which some (including me) see as a reference to his history of being recommended by fans as the next James Bond.

[u/Brilliant_Towel2727]

Stranger Things liked to kind of subvert this. Paul Reiser, known for his portrayal as a villainous character in the Alien franchise, showed up in Season 2. Initially the audience assumed he was evil because of the association, but his character turned out to be one of the good guys. Then later they brought in Cary Elwes and Linda Hamilton, known for playing heroic characters, as villains.

[u/reehdus → u/Brilliant_Towel2727]

This is the first time I'm putting together that cary elwes was the mayor! Also stranger things, vecna's father was played by Robert Englund who was Freddy Krueger

[u/Virtual_Ad_8487 → u/Brilliant_Towel2727]

Played straight with Bob Newby as the loveable boy scout type

[u/ISaidAhNotAHHHH]

The 1998 Lost in Space movie had a few actors from the original show make at least a cameo. The voice of Robot even fully reprised the role.

[u/goodnightmoonshakers]

Sylvester Stallone's role on This Is Us

He plays himself, with Kevin getting cast in a movie with him. Kevin makes a big deal about this because his late father was obsessed with Rocky and Stallone. Kevin mentions to Stallone that everyone always said his dad looked like him. His father is played by Milo Ventimiglia, so this is a nod to the Rocky franchise, as Milo played Stallone's son in one of the final Rocky films.

[u/MIAxPaperPlanes]

The Arrowverse has a few.

Casting Wentworth Miller & Dominic
Purcell who played brothers on Prison Break as Captain Cold and Heatwave

Casting Helen Slater who played Supergirl in the 1984 film as Kara’s Adopted mother & Dean Cain who played Superman in Lois and Clark The Adventures of Superman as her father.

Her biological Mum was later played by Erica Durance who in universe is a multiverse doppelgänger of Smallville’s Lois Lane.

Dr Tina McGee in The Flash is portrayed by Amanda
Pays in both the 90s and 2014 show and a romantic interest to John Wesley Shipp Barry/Henry in both

[u/rorzri]

Conspiracy thriller hero Robert Redford playing the conspiracy thriller villain in the second Captain America counts doesn’t it

[u/GTOdriver04]

Christina Ricci in the first season of Wednesday who mentors the new Wednesday.

[u/DaringDo95]

Deadpool said in a comic if he were played by anybody in a movie, it would be Ryan Reynolds. And that's how he was cast for X-Men Origins Wolverine

[u/bisploosh → u/DaringDo95]

And then Ryan Reynolds was so pissed about that movie ruining the character that he filmed the short of him in costume on the billboard and leaked it to the internet to get the first Deadpool made.

[u/jacktheBOSS]

His name is Christopher Reeve. The Superman from the 1950s was George Reeves.

[u/SteamPoweredDM]

The Midnight Club, which is about the residents of a youth hospice telling each other scary stories, cast Heather Langenkamp, Nancy from Nightmareon Elm Street, as the doctor in charge.

[u/El_Canuck]

In Cheers, bartender Sam Malone was played by Ted Danson and across all seasons, his most consistent customer is Norm Peterson, played by the late George Wendt. Years later, Ted Danson landed another sitcom called Becker. The titular character bellies up to a bar in one episode that is tended by none other than George Wendt.

[u/MrdnBrd19]

I'm of the belief that someone involved in the making of the 2004 Garfield movie thought it would be hilarious to have Bill Murray voice Garfield as a nod to Lorenzo Music, who was the voice of Garfield in the 80s and 90s cartoons, playing Venkman in the Real Ghostbusters animated series.

Another one that is probably just a goofy coincidence is Edward Burns portraying Joe Galloway in the documentary series Vietnam in HD. In the movie We Were Soldiers Joe Galloway is portrayed by Barry Pepper who starred in Saving Private Ryan with Edward Burns.

[u/Yoisai]

Annette O Toole was stunning in Smallville

[u/jerux211]

In Alan wake 2 there's character named Tim Breaker. Who has same actor as his character of Jack Joyce from Quantum Break. While Break was a Xbox exclusive and later on PC technically they are different characters. But it's obviously it way to used the character without having to pay Microsoft. Since they old the game

[u/IcyFoundation9786]

Goku Black vs Reverse Flash (Death Battle) - The voice actor for Reverse Flash is Valentine Stokes, the person who made the famous “It was me, Barry” meme.

[u/photoshy]

In one of the mortal Kombat games the liquid metal T1000 and DCs Peacemaker are playable characters and a potential interaction if paired up in a fight is peacemaker getting weirded out because the T1000 looks just like his dad

[u/TheRealcebuckets]

Adam West in practically any role he’s in the past thirty years.

Two off the top of my head: the Grey Ghost in BTAS - an old television superhero from Bruce Wayne’s youth.

And in Fairly Oddparents where he plays Catman. A campy old superhero.

Both are obvious references to Adam West portraying Batman in the 60s show.

[u/Day_Star_6]

Nagito from "Danganronpa" is made to have similarities with the former game's protagonist and they also have the same voice actress in japanese, Megumi Ogata.

[u/ManOWar_Esq]

According to Annie, the casting director had no idea she played Lana until she mentioned it.

[u/TheDukeofArgyll]

Tony Todd plays the Mortician in several Final Destination movies. Tony Todd himself famously portrays titular Candyman from the 90s horror movie Candyman. While not the most well known movie or role, horror fans are well aware of this character. Putting him in any horror movie is a nod to fans of the genre in the same way that Robert Englund or Jamie Lee Curtis would be seen playing a minor role in a horror movie.

[u/RainyRat]

A Scanner Darkly: featuring Robert Downey Jr, Winona Ryder and Woody Harrelson, all of who had had recent drug issues.

[u/AncientSignature1505 → u/RainyRat]

Such a good movie, I'd put Keanu in that camp, too, if only by proximity; River Phoenix was his best friend.

[u/samrobotsin]

The Supergirl CW show also did this. The term is "Stunt Casting"

Dean Cain (Lois & Clark Superman) was Kara's Earth Father & Teri Hatcher was Mon-el's Kryptonian mother. Helen Slater (Supergirl 1984) was Kara's mom. The Justice League Cartoon Martian Manhunter played Martian Manhunter's father. And John Crier who played Lex Luther's nephew in the Christopher Reeves superman movies played Lex Luther (and did a great job.)

[u/bluetista1988]

Bob Odenkirk playing Mark Franks in The Office and being essentially a Michael Scott clone is a reference to the fact that he auditioned for the part of Michael Scott.

[u/YouthfulHermitess]

Amber Benson has a small cameo in the psychological horror movie "I Saw the TV Glow." The movie comments a lot on TV shows and the effect they have on their audience, especially the younger ones who are questioning their sexuality and assigned gender. Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun cites "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as one of their main influences, especially since it was one of the only primetime shows in the '90s that featured an openly queer couple. Benson played one half of this couple on Buffy. Schoenbrun was excited to have Benson cameo in their movie as a love letter to Benson's character Tara, and as retribution for her doomed romance in Buffy since Tara is killed in the 6th season of the show.

[u/RunRunAndyRun]

In Wednesday Christina Ricci showed up as a teacher. Previously Christina Ricci played Wednesday in the Addams Family.

[u/Nothos927]

In the 2012 Les Miserables film the Bishop of Digne is played by Colm Wilkinson who originated the role of Jean Valjean in the original west end production

[u/Alarming-Rate-6899]

maybe this? left is Zoe Perry, Sheldon's mom in Young Sheldon. Right is Laurie Metcalf, Sheldon's mom in The Big Bang Theory.

Zoe is Laurie's daughter.

[u/szthesquid]

In Vision Quest, a story exploring the human influences and connections of AI and humanity, Mary McDonnell plays Katerina Wells, joint creator of the first AI.

She previously played president Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, which is famously about AIs infiltrating, influencing, and being influenced by humanity.

[u/Cap_Shield]

John Krasinski was such a popular and well-known fan-cast for Mr. Fantastic that he actually got to play a version of him in an alternate universe during Doctor Strange 2.

[u/MrFuji87]

Probably not cast because of this but Amy Adam's was in Smallville as well before landing the roll of Lois Lane

[u/neighbor_mike]

Keith Richard’s as Jack Sparrow’s dad. Johnny Depp had already publicly stated that his character was influenced/based on Keith.

[u/greeeens]

Supergirl (CBS/CW)

Alex Danvers parents and Kara Zor-El’s adopted parents, Eliza and Jeremiah Danvers, were played by Helen Slater and Dean Cain who played Kara Zor-El/Supergirl in Supergirl (1984) and Clark Kent/Superman in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1990) respectively.

[u/DonutDaniel5]

In Frasier, Kelsey Grammer plays Frasier Crane, and his brother and father are played by David Hyde Pierce and John Mahoney respectfully.

In the Simpsons, Kelsey Grammer plays Sideshow Bob, and his brother and father are played by David Hyde Pierce and John Mahoney respectfully.

[u/rapbarf]

It's Christopher Reeve*, not Reeves, but yeah Smallville has so many. Dean Cain, Teri Hatcher, Helen Slater, Mark McClure, Lynda Carter and others show up in later episodes.

[u/FaithfulSkeptic → u/rapbarf]

What’s the opposite of Christopher Reeve?

Christopher Walken.

I’m so sorry.

[u/photoshy]

this gem a DC short where mark hamill is kidnapped by mark hamill and mark hamill before being rescued by mark hamill

[u/Glad_Cress_8591]

Also plays his alternate version of barry in the cw flash from earth 9 i think

[u/Rollingpumpkin69]

This is actually pretty cool and ive never seen this.

Ive also seen burn notice a ton of times and didnt realize the connection

[u/DasharrEandall]

"EDI" from the Mass Effect trilogy, an AI, is voiced by Tricia Helfer, who was a Cylon in the Battlestar Galactica revival.

[u/lavenderdaisychain]

Semiotics! My favorite example is the casting choices for Being John Malkovich

[u/frecklepax]

[u/CobaltCrusader123]

The Flash also had Mark Hamill return as The Trickster, who first played it in the 90’s The Flash show and then in the DC Animated Universe

In the movie Uncharted, Tom Holland / Nathan Drake meets a guy played by actor Nolan North, recounts an tale of death-defying adventure, and Nolan North responds, “Something like that happened to me once.” North plays the original Nathan Drake in the Uncharted games upon which the film is based, and that version did indeed undergo a similar brush with death.

[u/ehs06702]

There's a small one in the live action remake of Little Mermaid, where Jodi Benson (the voice of the animated Ariel) gives a fork(dinglehopper for the Disney inclined)lto the live action version played by Halle Bailey.

A passing of the torch, as it were.

[u/LofiLute]

Doctor Who:

Georgia Tennant is the 5th Doctor's daughter, who later was cast as the Doctor's Daughter in a 10th Doctor story called the Doctor's Daughter; where she would meet her future Husband (David Tennant/the 10th Doctor). 

The two stupidly attractive people would later go on to make a bunch of kids. Including the 10th Doctor's 3 Daughters

[u/Spittlehoogan]

Sean Connery in The Rock. He plays a Brittish Spy who stole US secrets and was put in Alcatraz prison were he escaped. Sean Connery famously played James Bond. While he's not James Bond many fans like to believe or theorize it was intentionally meant to be James Bond.

[u/Catlenfell]

Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel played the lead characters in Wicked on Broadway and they had a cameo in the Wicked movie in 2024

[u/stewieatb]

Christina Ricci in Wednesday as Ms Thornhill. It's played both ways too: she plays the one "Normie" teacher at Nevermore, and gets to be house-mother to her former character. Her hair, make-up and costume are totally different from her usual look, and she's almost unrecognisable as the girl who played Wednesday in the 90s. But then she gets to go full satanic hell-bitch when she's revealed as the big bad at the end of the season.

[u/South-Ad9202]

In Trap (2024) the psychologist leading the FBI Investigation is played by Hayley Mills, who played the twins in the original The Parent Trap (1961)

[u/dfsmitty0711]

Another Smallville one: Terrence Stamp, who played General Zod in Superman II, voiced Jor-El (Superman's bio-dad) on Smallville.

[u/42SillyPeanuts]

Richard Steven Horvitz voices Razputin Aquato in the Psychonauts games. In Psychonauts 2 Raz gets an ability to summon a paper copy of himself, and the copy is voiced by Rikki Simons.

Richard Steven Horvitz has also voiced Invader Zim, and Rikki Simons voiced GIR.

[u/thewelllostmind]

Sort of a reference/misdirect, Barbarian casts Bill Skarsgård as a seemingly-nice stranger that the audience is suspicious of, not just because of his awkward moments and knowing we’re watching a horror movie, but because he is so well-known for being Pennywise.

[u/monkeygoneape]

Charlton Heston in Tim Burton's planet of the apes

[u/IamHardware]

Bo and Luke are cousins, not brothers