These 25 Actors Have Appeared In Two Or More Wes Anderson Movies

Wes Anderson should probably just release a new cut of Bottle Rocket with Bill Murray edited into the background.

Any Wes Anderson fan knows the director likes to reuse actors — a lot.

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Some of them have been with him from the beginning, and some are relatively new additions.

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Here are 25 actors who have appeared in more than one of Anderson's films:

1. Michael Gambon: 2

Buena Vista Pictures, 20th Century Fox

After starring in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou as Oseary Drakoulias, Gambon lent his voice to the role of Franklin Bean in Fantastic Mr. Fox.

2. Léa Seydoux: 2

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Searchlight Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

Seydoux first appeared in The Grand Budapest Hotel as Clotilde and The French Dispatch as Simone.

3. Saoirse Ronan: 2

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Like Seydoux, Ronan first starred in The Grand Budapest Hotel as Agatha and then popped up in The French Dispatch as an unnamed character.

4. Tony Revolori: 2

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Searchlight Pictures

Playing Zero in The Grand Budapest Hotel was also Revolori's first foray into Anderson's world, and he returned to work with the director on The French Dispatch as the younger version of Benicio del Toro's character Moses Rosenthaler. He'll also appear in Anderson's next film, Asteroid City.

5. Harvey Keitel: 3

Focus Features, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Keitel first starred in Moonrise Kingdom as Commander Pierce. A couple years later, he appeared in The Grand Budapest Hotel as Ludwig. A few years after that, he voiced Gondo in Isle of Dogs.

6. Waris Ahluwalia: 3

Buena Vista Pictures, Fox Searchlight / courtesy Everett Collection

Vikram in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou was one of Ahluwalia's earliest roles. He later starred in The Darjeeling Limited as the Chief Steward and The Grand Budapest as M. Dino.

7. Seymour Cassel: 3

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The late Cassel first appeared in Rushmore as Max's father, followed byThe Royal Tenenbaums as Dusty and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou as Esteban.

8. Frances McDormand: 3

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Since playing Mrs. Bishop in Moonrise Kingdom, McDormand has starred in each of Anderson's movies except The Grand Budapest Hotel, voicing Interpreter Nelson in Isle of Dogs and playing Lucinda Krementz in The French Dispatch.

9. Jeff Goldblum: 3

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Goldblum appeared in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou as Alistair Hennessey, The Grand Budapest Hotel in Deputy Kovacs, and Isle of Dogs as the voice of Duke. He'll also star in Asteroid City.

10. Anjelica Huston: 4

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures

Since starring as Etheline in The Royal Tenenbaums, Huston played Eleanor in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Patricia in The Darjeeling Limited, and the narrator in The French Dispatch. (She's also credited as the "Mute Poodle" in Isle of Dogs, though she didn't actually have any lines.)

11. Luke Wilson: 3

Sony Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures

Wilson was in the first three of Anderson's films: Bottle Rocket as Anthony, Rushmore as Peter, and The Royal Tenenbaums as Richie. As recently as 2021, he's talked about reuniting with Anderson to potentially film a Western that's been brewing for nearly 20 years.

12. Andrew Wilson: 3

Sony Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures

Luke and Owen's brother Andrew also appeared in Anderson's first three films. He was Jon Mapplethorpe (aka "Future Man") in Bottle Rocket, Coach Beck in Rushmore, and both the farmer who cut off Margot's finger and the voice of tennis commentator Tex Hayworth in The Royal Tenenbaums. It's also his hand you see with the BB embedded under the skin in the latter movie.

13. Dipak Pallana: 3

Sony Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures

Pallana appeared in small roles in Bottle Rocket (as a bookshop employee), Rushmore (as a teacher), and The Royal Tenenbaums (as a doctor).

14. Kumar Pallana: 4

Sony Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

Dipak's father was also enlisted by Anderson to appear in Bottle Rocket (as a character also named Kumar). He went on to act in Rushmore as Mr. Littlejeans, The Royal Tenenbaums as Pagoda, and The Darjeeling Limited as a train passenger.

15. Bob Balaban: 4

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Balaban first popped up in Anderson's filmography serving as the narrator in Moonrise Kingdom. Since then he's appeared in each of Anderson's movies, as Uncle Nick in The French Dispatch, the voice of King in Isle of Dogs, and M. Martin in The Grand Budapest Hotel. 

16. Willem Dafoe: 4

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Dafoe starred in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou as Klaus, Fantastic Mr. Fox as the voice of Rat, The Grand Budapest Hotel as Jopling, and The French Dispatch as Albert.

17. Adrien Brody: 4

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

Brody's first Anderson role was The Darjeeling Limited, as Peter — a role reportedly written specifically with him in mind. He went on to star in Fantastic Mr. Fox as the voice of a field mouse, The Grand Budapest Hotel as Dmitri, and The French Dispatch as Julian. He's set to appear in Asteroid City.

18. Tilda Swinton: 4

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After first appearing in Moonrise Kingdom as Social Services, Swinton went on to star in The Grand Budapest Hotel as Madame D., Isle of Dogs as the voice of Oracle, and The French Dispatch as J.K.L. Berensen, and will also be seen in Asteroid City.

19. Edward Norton: 4

Focus Features, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Like Swinton, Norton made his debut in the Wes Anderson cinematic universe in Moonrise Kingdom as Scout Master Ward, and has appeared in each of Anderson's films since. He played Henckels in The Grand Budapest Hotel, voiced Rex in Isle of Dogs, and played the Chauffeur in The French Dispatch.

20. Larry Pine: 4

Buena Vista Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

A veteran of Broadway, Pine has appeared as Peter Bradley in The Royal Tenenbaums, Mr. Billingsley in Moonrise Kingdom, Mr. Mosher in The Grand Budapest Hotel, and the Chief Magistrate in The French Dispatch.

21. Wallace Wolodarsky: 5

Searchlight Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection, 20th Century Fox / courtesy Everett Collection

Wolodarsky has appeared in small roles since Rushmore, in which he played the referee. He's also been in The Darjeeling Limited as Brendan, Fantastic Mr. Fox as the voice of Kylie, The Grand Budapest Hotel as M. Georges, and a writer in The French Dispatch.

22. Eric Chase Anderson: 5

20th Century Fox, Focus Features

Yes, he is related to Wes Anderson — they're brothers. You can see Eric in Rushmore as an architect, The Royal Tenenbaums as a medical student, The Life Aquatic as an Air Kentucky pilot, Fantastic Mr. Fox as the voice of Kristofferson, and Moonrise Kingdom as Secretary McIntire.

23. Jason Schwartzman: 6

Buena Vista Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Searchlight Pictures

Rushmore's Max Fischer was Schwartzman's onscreen debut, and he went on to appear (or be heard) in The Darjeeling Limited as Jack, Fantastic Mr. Fox as the voice of Ash, Moonrise Kingdom as Cousin Ben, The Grand Budapest Hotel as M. Jean, and The French Dispatch as Hermès. He's set to appear in Asteroid City.

24. Owen Wilson: 7 (or 8)

Buena Vista Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Searchlight Pictures

Depending on who you ask, Wilson has appeared in either seven or eight of Anderson's films. While he co-wrote Rushmore, he doesn't act in it — though photos of him are used to portray Rosemary's husband, Edward.

He starred in Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The French Dispatch.

25. Bill Murray: 9

Sony Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection, Buena Vista Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection, Focus Features / ©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection, 20th Century Fox, Searchlight Pictures

The only of Anderson's films Murray hasn't appeared in is the first one, Bottle Rocket.

He played Herman Blume in Rushmore, Raleigh St. Clair in The Royal Tenenbaums, the title character in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, the unnamed businessman in The Darjeeling Limited, the voice of Badger in Fantastic Mr. Fox, Mr. Bishop in Moonrise Kingdom, M. Ivan in The Grand Budapest Hotel, the voice of Boss in Isle of Dogs, and Arthur Howitzer, Jr. in The French Dispatch.

He'll also appear in Asteroid City.

Correction: This post has been updated to reflect that Anjelica Huston also served as the narrator in The French Dispatch.