The Most Portrayed Characters on Film

Remakes and sequels aren't always a fan favorite, especially when we're used to seeing a character portrayed by one actor and suddenly that actor is replaced by someone else. This change up can often ruin a movie when the changes happen within the span of a generation, but throughout time certain characters have been portrayed over a span of decades. If they are on this list, chances are your grandparents might have seen the same character in the movies back in the day as well.

Santa Claus – 800 + Times

This jolly figure has been in movies over a whopping 800 times. Perhaps the most famous portrayal of Santa was by Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34^th Street in 1947. Other notable portrayals of Santa include Tim Allen in the Santa Clause (1994) movies and by Edward Asner in the Will Ferrell favorite, Elf (2003).

Dracula – 250+ Times

If Bela Lugosi doesn't immediately come to mind when you hear the name Dracula, you need to sit down and watch the 1931 classic. If you're not a fan of old black and white movies, you might be a fan of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) in which Dracula is portrayed by Gary Oldman of The Professional, The Fifth Element and The Dark Knight. Recently, Dracula was portrayed by Luke Evans (Furious 7, The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies) in 2014's Dracula Untold, which tells of how Dracula came to be the famous monster we all know.

Napoleon – 300+ Times

It's fair to say we haven't seen Napoleon on television and film in the United States as often as we see other historical characters. However, globally he has been portrayed over 337 times! The famous emperor nearly conquered most of Europe before being exiled to the island of St. Helena where he eventually died in 1821. Here in the US, we've seen Napoleon have smaller parts in movies like the Count of Monte Cristo (2002) and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009).

Abraham Lincoln - 250+ Times

The 16th president of the United States has been portrayed over 250 times throughout film and television history. Even commercials have featured actors portraying "Honest Abe" in his signature suit and top hat. If you're a 80's kid you'll remember Abraham Lincoln's speech in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), but in 2012 Stephen Spielberg brought the president's story to life in Lincoln, with Daniel Day-Lewis in he lead. His performance won him an Oscar and this version of Lincoln's story is currently the most recognized in the US.

There are plenty of characters that have been portrayed multiple times, especially religious figures. Which ones would you add to this list?