10+ Actors Who Returned to Their Old Roles After Many Years

Some actors hold a close attachment to their roles, so much that they reprise them even a decade after. For instance, stars like Tom Felton returning as the iconic blonde wizard, Draco Malfoy, is just what fans needed to reminisce the golden days of Harry Potter.

1. Jackie Chan in Karate Kid

You might remember Jackie Chan playing the wise old sensei, Mr. Han, teaching a young Jaden Smith a thing or two about Kung Fu back in 2010. Well, Chan reprised this role in 2025 in the newly released, Karate Kid: Legends as the same wise old mentor.

He wasn’t the only one to return. Starring alongside him was Ralph Macchio, a familiar face in the even earlier movie, The Karate Kid, shot in 1984.

2. Ellen DeGeneres as Dory in Finding Dory

Starring as the forgetful little blue tang, Ellen DeGeneres started her journey with Finding Nemo way back in 2003. After more than a decade, she returned as an even bigger star in the movie’s sequel, Finding Dory, in 2016. It’s hard to imagine anyone else take on the role of the lovable little fish other than the famed comedian herself.

3. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy

Who can forget the infamous line, “My father will hear about this,” from none other than the snobbish Slytherin, Draco Malfoy? Well, actor, Tom Felton, is coming back, reprising his breakthrough role. But, this time, he’ll be acting in the Broadway show, Cursed Child.

According to Felton, “Joining this production will be a full-circle moment for me, because when I begin performances in Cursed Child this fall, I’ll also be the exact age Draco is in the play.”

4. The Sanderson Sisters in Hocus Pocus

The spooky flick has seen a return after nearly three decades later with the famed Sanderson Sisters, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. After such a long wait, actress, Sarah Jessica Parker expressed her shock saying, “To be completely honest, for the past 28 years, I didn’t think much about a sequel.”

In the 2022 release, the trio of witches return after being accidentally resurrected by another trio of women.

5. Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice

Once starring as the creepy poltergeist only known as Beetlejuice (don’t say it thrice), Michael Keaton leaned right back into the role around 36 years later. The renowned actor revealed that Tim Burton, the film’s director, convinced him to reprise this difficult role to fill.

He wasn’t the only one to make a return. Actress, Winona Ryder, also returned to her role as Lydia Deetz, this time playing a mother to the main protagonist, Astrid Deetz, who was played by Jenna Ortega.

6. Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield as Spiderman

Spiderman: No Way Home saw the return of not one, not two, but four old-school Spiderman legends. We see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprising their role as Spiderman, but from different dimensions. We also see the rise of the notorious Green Goblin and Otto Octavius, played by the iconic Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina.

7. Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia

The epic return of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in the new Star Wars sequel trilogy did not go unnoticed. In an interview with Time Magazine, Fisher was asked if it was a hard decision to reprise the role, to which she responded, “I long ago accepted that I am Princess Leia. I have that as a large part of the association with my identity. There wasn’t a lot of hesitation.”

8. Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis in Freakier Friday

The mother-daughter swap flick reigned supreme in the early 2000s. And it’s coming back after over two decades. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are taking back their roles in the new release, Freakier Friday. It’s no surprise, considering how both actresses loved working with each other.

In an Instagram post, Curtis referred to Lohan as the “ULTIMATE movie daughter.” More twists and turns await, as more stars from the old cast are also reprising their roles, including Chad Michael Murray and Mark Harmon as Jake and Ryan, respectively.

9. Mike Myers as Shrek

After 15 years from the last Shrek made (Shrek Forever After), DreamWorks has announced a new release in 2026. Everyone who grew up hearing, “Not in my swamp” and “Donkey!” are on the edge of their seats waiting for Mike Myers to reprise his role as the beloved-by-all green ogre.

Unfortunately, some backlash was met after a teaser trailer released due to the animation not meeting certain fan expectation. Some fans suspect if they put enough pressure on the animation studios, they’ll be able to adjust it just in time for next year. Only time will tell.

10. Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones

It’s hard to imagine anyone else to fill in Bridget Jones’ shoes other than the famed Renée Zellweger. It all started in 2001 and now, 24 years later, Bridget is still going strong as her life of love and drama barely dries up in the newest release, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.

Some characters are just meant for the same actor/actress and no one else. Whether it’s Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia or Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, these actors were born to play these roles. It’s all about getting into character. Just look at how well these actors nailed their roles.