Actresses Who’ve Played the Same Character Over 20+ Years

Sticking with the same role for more than two decades takes a mix of stamina, timing, and a bit of luck with how long a story keeps going. Some actresses have grown up alongside their characters on daytime soaps, others have kept voicing animated heroes for entire generations of viewers, and a few return to the same film role every time a franchise comes back around. Here are actresses whose careers have been closely tied to a single character for 20 years or more, across live-action television, anime, and long-running movie series.

Mariska Hargitay – Olivia Benson in ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’

Mariska Hargitay has played Olivia Benson on ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ since the show’s debut and has stayed with the series across more than two dozen seasons. Benson begins the series as a detective in the New York Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and is later promoted to captain and commanding officer. Industry coverage notes that Benson is the longest-running character in American primetime drama. Hargitay’s responsibilities on the series have expanded over time to include producer and director credits alongside her on-screen role.

Susan Lucci – Erica Kane on ‘All My Children’

Susan Lucci portrayed Erica Kane on the daytime drama ‘All My Children’ for the entire network run of the character on ABC. She joined the series very early in its history and continued through its final broadcast episode on the network, appearing in thousands of installments. Lucci’s performance made Erica central to numerous long-running storylines, from family conflicts to business ventures and political scandals in the fictional town of Pine Valley. Over that span she received 21 nominations for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and eventually won the award after a long run of nominations.

Deidre Hall – Dr. Marlena Evans on ‘Days of Our Lives’

Deidre Hall has played Dr. Marlena Evans on ‘Days of Our Lives’ for multiple stretches that together add up to more than four decades in the role. She first joined the series as a psychiatrist character who became closely linked with the core families in the show’s fictional town of Salem. Hall has returned after several breaks and is now recognized as one of the longest-serving performers in daytime drama, with Marlena woven into supernatural plots, medical crises, and extended family arcs. Her portrayal has earned numerous industry awards, including multiple Soap Opera Digest and Soapy Awards recognizing her as a lead actress and for her contributions to the genre.

Melody Thomas Scott – Nikki Newman on ‘The Young and the Restless’

Melody Thomas Scott took over the role of Nikki Newman on ‘The Young and the Restless’ and has remained associated with the character for more than forty years. Nikki began as a troubled young woman and developed into a central figure in Genoa City’s business, romantic, and family storylines. Scott’s tenure has seen Nikki involved in major arcs around alcoholism, chronic illness, and high-stakes corporate battles, often linked with the powerful Newman family. Her longevity in the role has helped make Nikki one of the core characters anchoring the series’ long-term continuity.

Barbara Knox – Rita Tanner on ‘Coronation Street’

Barbara Knox has played Rita Tanner on the British soap ‘Coronation Street’ across several decades, with her association with the role stretching back to an early guest appearance followed by a return as a full-time cast member. She first appeared briefly as Rita Littlewood before rejoining the show later as a regular, and has since logged thousands of episodes. Knox’s character runs a newsagent’s shop on the famous Weatherfield street and has participated in storylines involving fostering, marriages, and local community disputes. She is now cited as one of the longest-serving performers in world television soap opera, second only to fellow ‘Coronation Street’ actor William Roache in that category.

Julie Kavner – Marge Simpson on ‘The Simpsons’

Julie Kavner has voiced Marge Simpson since the character’s earliest animated appearances in shorts on ‘The Tracey Ullman Show’ and the subsequent launch of ‘The Simpsons’ as a full series. In addition to Marge, Kavner also voices several members of the extended Bouvier family, including Marge’s mother and sisters. Her work covers television episodes, feature films, and short specials featuring the Simpson family. Over more than three decades, Kavner’s performance has defined Marge’s distinctive raspy voice and has remained consistent across changing animation styles and story formats.

Nancy Cartwright – Bart Simpson on ‘The Simpsons’

Nancy Cartwright has been the voice of Bart Simpson since the character’s first animated shorts and has continued in the role through the long-running series and related projects. She initially auditioned for Lisa but requested to read for Bart instead, and series creator Matt Groening gave her the part after hearing the audition. Cartwright not only voices Bart but also provides the voices for several other recurring children on the show, including Ralph Wiggum, Nelson Muntz, and Todd Flanders. Her work on the character has been recognized with awards such as a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance and an Annie Award for voice acting.

Yeardley Smith – Lisa Simpson on ‘The Simpsons’

Yeardley Smith has voiced Lisa Simpson since the first ‘Simpsons’ shorts and throughout the main television series. She was initially asked to audition for Bart but was instead cast as Lisa when producers felt her voice suited the younger sister. Smith’s performance focuses on Lisa’s intelligence, musical talent, and social conscience, and she slightly adjusts her natural speaking voice to achieve the character’s sound. Over the years she has rarely voiced other recurring characters on the show, making Lisa her primary long-term role in animation.

Masako Nozawa – Son Goku in ‘Dragon Ball’

Masako Nozawa began voicing Son Goku with the first animated adaptation of the ‘Dragon Ball’ manga and has continued playing the character across multiple sequel series, films, and video games. She also voices several members of Goku’s family, including Son Gohan and Son Goten, as well as alternative versions such as Goku Black. In recognition of the length of this work, Guinness World Records has cited her for the longest video game voice-acting career and for voicing the same video game character over the longest period. Nozawa’s performance ties together the various animated incarnations of ‘Dragon Ball’ across television, cinema, and interactive media.

Gillian Anderson – Dana Scully in ‘The X-Files’

Gillian Anderson has portrayed FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in ‘The X-Files’ across the show’s original run, two feature films, and a later revival series. She first joined the series as a medical doctor assigned to partner with Fox Mulder on investigations into unexplained phenomena and government conspiracies. Anderson remained a principal cast member throughout the initial nine-season run and returned again for additional seasons produced many years later, keeping continuity for the character over that full span. Her work as Scully earned major awards, including an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild honors, and she also wrote and directed an episode of the series.

Jamie Lee Curtis – Laurie Strode in ‘Halloween’

Jamie Lee Curtis first played Laurie Strode in the original ‘Halloween’ film and later reprised the role in multiple sequels and reboots over more than four decades. The character appears in different narrative continuities across the franchise, with Curtis returning in later installments that revisit Laurie at different stages of her life. Sources note that her last appearance as Laurie came in a recent trilogy-closing film, creating a span of around forty-four years between her first and latest performances in the role. This long association makes Curtis one of the longest-tenured performers to return to the same character in a major horror franchise.

Neve Campbell – Sidney Prescott in ‘Scream’

Neve Campbell has played Sidney Prescott across multiple entries in the ‘Scream’ film series, starting from the original movie and continuing through sequels released over several decades. She led the initial trilogy and later returned for newer installments that revisited older characters while introducing a younger cast. After sitting out one recent film during a contract dispute, Campbell agreed to return as Sidney for a planned seventh installment, extending the character’s on-screen lifespan even further. Coverage of the franchise notes that she has become closely identified with the role, anchoring the series whenever her character appears.

Carrie-Anne Moss – Trinity in ‘The Matrix’

Carrie-Anne Moss first portrayed Trinity in the original ‘The Matrix’ and returned for its two immediate sequels as part of the core trio of protagonists. She later reprised the role in a follow-up film released many years after the original trilogy, continuing Trinity’s story in a new phase of the franchise. Moss has also voiced Trinity in related media such as games and tie-in projects connected to the film universe. Interviews with the actress describe how landing the role became her major career breakthrough and how she welcomed the opportunity to revisit the character in the more recent sequel.

If you can think of other actresses who’ve lived with the same character for decades, share your favorites in the comments.