Some people like Lucy played different characters who were very similar, but I'm thinking of actors or comics who played characters who were very different in personality such as Ted Danson in Cheers and Becker. Those characterizations were very different from each other and both were successful shows. I don't remember The Life of Riley so I can't say if Jackie Gleason's role in that was very different from The Honeymooners though I believe it was. Other examples are Tony Randall in Odd Couple and Love Sidney and Richard Mulligan in Soap and Empty Nest.

Who are some other actors who leaded more than one sitcom (successful or not) playing very different parts?

ron howard played different characters, i think.

Originally posted by Jack Be Quick 101
ron howard played different characters, i think.

That is correct, Jack Be Quick 101. He was Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show and then Richie Cunningham on Happy Days.

conrad bain played a complete jerk .dr. harmon on maude and a few months after that gig ended he switched gears and became the loveable mr. drummond on different strokes.

Bob Denver was Rufus on "The Good Guys" and, of course, Gilligan on "Gilligans Island"

Ted Knight played a bumbling newscaster on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and a sensible father on Too Close For Comfort.

Sherman Helmsley, George Jefferson on the Jeffersons, and Deacon Ernest Frye on Amen. Similar characters. Both were loud and egotistical.

Sherman Helmsley, George Jefferson on the Jeffersons, and Deacon Ernest Frye on Amen. Similar characters. Both were loud and egotistical.

Don Knotts-Barney Fife(Andy Griffith Show) & Ralph Furley(Three's Company)

Andy Griffith-Andy Taylor(Andy Griffith Show) & Matlock(Matlock)

Ted McGinley-Roger Cunningham(Happy Days) & Jefferson D'Arcy(Married....With Children)

John Ritter-Jack Tripper(Three's Company & Three's A Crowd) & Paul Hennesy(8 Simple Rules)

Katey Sagal-Peggy Bundy(Married....With Children) & Cate Hennesy(8 Simple Rules)

David Spade-Dennis Finch(Just Shoot Me) & CJ Hennesy(8 Simple Rules)

Howard Hesseman played the semi-burnt out DJ Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati and then played the role of Charlie Moore, teacher to gifted students, on Head of the Class.

Sarah Jessica Parker played the geek on Square Pegs, and then played the chic Carrie on Sex And The City.

Although not the lead character, Betty White played Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and later went on to play Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls. Those two characters couldn't have been more different.

Bob Newhart - Bob Hartley (The Bob Newhart Show), Dick Loudon (Newhart), Bob McKay (Bob)

Mary Tyler Moore - Laura Petrie (The Dick Van Dyke Show) and Mary Richards (The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Annie McGuire (Annie McGuire)

Michael Learned - Olivia Walton (The Waltons) and Mary Benjamin (Nurse)

Robert Reed - Mike Brady (The Brady Bunch) and Dr. Adam Rose (Nurse)

Dick Van Dyke - Rob Petrie (The Dick Van Dyke Show), Dick Preston (The New Dick Van Dyke Show) and Dr. Mark Sloan (Diagnosis Murder)

Bill Cosby - Cliff Huxtable (The Cosby Show) and Hilton Lucas (Cosby)

Beatrice Arthur - Maude Findlay (Maude) and Dorothy Zbornak (The Golden Girls)

Patrick Duffy - Bobby Ewing (Dallas) and Frank Lambert (Step by Step)

Suzanne Somers - Chrissy Snow (Three's Company) and Carol Foster Lambert (Step by Step)

Phylicia Rashad - Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show) and Ruth Lucas (Cosby)

Linda Lavin - Alice Hyatt (Alice) and Edie Kurland (Room for Two)

Redd Foxx - Fred Sanford (Sanford and Son) and Al Royal (The Royal Family)

Meredith Baxter Birney - Bridget Fitzgerald Steinberg (Bridget Loves Bernie), Nancy Lawrence Maitland (Family), Elyse Keaton (Family Ties), Flynn Sullivan (The Faculty)

Larry Hagman - Tony Nelson (I Dream of Jeannie) and J.R. Ewing (Dallas)

Donna Reed - Donna Stone (The Donna Reed Show) and Miss Ellie Ewing (Dallas)

Valerie Harper - Rhoda Morgenstern Gerald (Rhoda) and Valerie Hogan (Valerie/The Hogan Family)

Katherine Helmond played a wild, man-crazy mother on Whos the Boss?, yet on Everybody Loves Raymond she guest stars as Debra's gentle, peace-loving mother.

Originally posted by RurryMicelli
Katherine Helmond played a wild, man-crazy mother on Whos the Boss?, yet on Everybody Loves Raymond she guest stars as Debra's gentle, peace-loving mother.

Katherine Helmond also played Doris Sherman on the final two seasons of Coach. She was the Orlando Breakers' owner.

Tisha Campbell-Martin- Janet Kyle (My Wife and Kids), Gina Payne (Martin)

Dawnn Lewis was in A Different World then was in Hangin' With Mr. Cooper

:)

Holly Robinson Peete was in Hangin' With Mr. Cooper and then For Your Love

Bob Newhart played almost the same character on both Newhart and The Bob Newhart Show. A level-headed man in a sea of nutso's! I love him!:lol:

This doesn't fit the bill of your question, exactly, but...

Carroll O'Connor played Archie Bunker in All In The Family. Later he played a small town Mississippi Police Chief, Bill Gillespie, on In The Heat of the Night. Those were two very diverse characters.

Alyssa Milano's characters on Charmed and Who's The Boss were as different as night and day.

Seth Green was pretty different on Buffy, Greg The Bunny and Family Guy (if cartoon characters count... since Chris is the total opposite of the other characters he plays live action)