To celebrate the recent releases of films like Mickey 17 and Alto Knights, we figured now was a great time to look at some of our favourite dual (or sometimes even more) performances. In the spirit of things, we even pulled double duty ourselves. With that in mind, the Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Multi-Role Performances.
Of note, this does not include roles where a character portrays multiple personalities or roles within the same character body (Split, Face/Off, etc.)
Each writer ranks their top 15 performances in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five.
5. JAKE GYLLENHAAL - ENEMY
For a film like Enemy, where the purpose of its dual performance is not so much to have audiences gawk at the spectacle, but to create an uneasiness at the mere possibility that we don't know who is truly who, Jake Gyllenhaal had a lot of weight to carry on his back. Thankfully, he was up to the task. Gyllenhaal portrays both Adam and Anthony with a stark contrast that makes them feel like different people, not just in terms of personalities, but their reactions and their insecurities. Enemy is a film that isn't so much in your face with its tone or narrative, but methodical, meaning any exaggerative beat from either of Gyllenhaal's performances would break the illusion. And yet, he never waivers. - Adriano
4. PETER SELLERS - DR. STRANGELOVE
Now, I could go on a tangent about how Peter Sellers’ multi-role performance as the US President, a British Air Force captain, and a Nazi atomic bomb expert in Stanley Kubrick's satirical masterpiece Dr. Strangelove was meant to illustrate how the American military's influence is worldwide, but I'd be wasting my time. It turns out Columbia Pictures liked Peter Sellers so much that they said they'd only finance the movie if he played multiple roles. I wouldn't be surprised if, at least on the first go, you didn't realize all three of these roles were played by Sellers, mostly because it flew over my own head. Whatever the case, Sellers injects so much character into each of them that it actually does feel like we're experiencing three different humans, however cartoonish and terrifying they are. - Adriano
3. NICOLAS CAGE - ADAPTATION
No matter what you think of Nicolas Cage's performances, there's no doubting he can play almost any kind of role, and in the instance of Adaptation, two characters at once! In Spike Jonze’s film, Cage is given the task of playing real-life screenplay writer Charlie Kaufman and his fictitious twin, Donald. He showcases his acting range by playing Charlie as the anxious, timid, and tortured type, whilst Donald is more endearing and easy-going. It proves that sometimes two is better than one, as Cage was able to snag an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for this dual performance, and deservedly so, as no one else could’ve pulled it off as well as him. In portraying Charlie and Donald so differently, his yin and yang performance unleashed his full range of talents and truly showcased everything that he’s capable of. - Paige
2. MIKE MYERS - AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME
Mike Myers's hilarious multi-role performance in Austin Powers was an easy pick for this list. I grew up quoting the iconic catchphrases made famous by Myers’ three characters in The Spy Who Shagged Me, the titular Austin Powers, his nemesis Dr. Evil, and the repulsive henchman Fat Bastard. Myers’ unrestrained dedication to the roles is stupidly funny, and each has a distinct voice and entirely different look that, thanks to the insane prosthetics, make it hard to believe they’re all played by the same actor. Myers’ performance ranges from cheeky and randy, to camp and villainous, to one of the crudest characters I’ve seen depicted on screen. Yes, Austin Powers may not have aged perfectly, but Myers’ characterizations are so campy and flamboyantly over the top that, to me, they’ll always be groovy, baby. - Katie
1. LUPITA NYONG'O - US
When I saw this Top Five concept, I thought the automatic pick was going to be one of Eddie Murphy’s multiple, genius multi-role performances. It felt right. Then I remembered one of the most recent Oscar snubs (and yes, this is an ACTUAL snub) in Lupita Nyong’o’s brilliant double performance as Adelaide and Red. It’s not just the voice, it’s the absolute dedication to the scarred, creepy, desperate wanting of her tethered character Red playing across from the reserved, loving, insecure, desperate survival mode of Adelaide. Forget recency bias, all of those emotions in two bodies, while feeling simultaneously separate but the same, is a feat that Nyong’o crushes better than most other multi-role performances in history. It introduced us to just how talented she is, and will leave a lasting impression in movie history. - Amarú
HONORABLE MENTIONS
EDDIE MURPHY - COMING TO AMERICA
MIA GOTH - X
EDDIE MURPHY - THE NUTTY PROFESSOR
TOM HARDY - LEGEND
MICHELLE YEOH - EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE