There are some actors who have done some amazing things over the years, playing incredible roles, doing their own stunts, or just cranking out a lot of movies over their lifetime. As with anything else in the world, if you can be the only person to have ever done something, that unique status can be considered pretty cool. It’s doubtful any actors set out to accomplish these specific goals, but inevitably there’s always going to be one person who is the only person to have done a thing, at least until someone else does it, assuming that’s at all possible. For now, these are the only actors who have achieved these remarkable accomplishments.

10. Anthony Daniels is the Only Actor in all 9 Star Wars Movies

The very first Star Wars movie came out in the year 1977. It was followed by two sequels in the early ’80s. The prequel trilogy premiered in 1999. The sequel trilogy began in 2015 and the final film, Rise of Skywalker, came out in 2019. That means the Star Wars film saga has been going for 42 years. And in that time, across 9 feature films in the central storyline, only one actor appeared in every single one – Anthony Daniels.

Anthony Daniels plays C-3PO, and he’s literally the man inside the suit.  When he first got the role, he assumed it was going to be a one and done kind of deal until the producers came back to him with an idea for a sequel and then another sequel. He went on to play C-3PO in the Rogue one movie, and he’s voiced him in several animated projects, and even appeared on The Muppets at C-3PO. He lent his voice to Star Wars rides at Disney World, and has done commercials and other promotional projects in character as well.

9. Sylvester Stallone Is The Only Actor To Have a Number One Movie Six Decades in a Row

Sylvester Stallone has been a versatile force in Hollywood for decades now. On screen, some of his early roles made audiences think he was sort of a big, dumb muscle man. But it’s worth remembering he was the writer behind Rocky and won an Academy Award for that. He’s actually done quite a bit of writing work over the years in addition to his acting. 

While not all of his movies have been award winners, they are often very popular. Because of that, and because of the length of his career, Sylvester Stallone is actually the only actor who’s had a number one movie in each of six different decades. 

The movie Rocky premiered in 1976 and made $225 million at the box office. Not a big deal today but adjusted for inflation that’s over $1 billion, so definitely a hit.

In the ’80s Stallone made a killing and more than one film hit number one including both Rocky and Rambo films. In the ’90s he scored big with the movie Cliffhanger and then later with Demolition Man and Cop Land.

The 2001 movie Driven topped the box office, giving him his first hit of the new millennium. In 2010 he released The Expendables, which spawned another franchise and also hit number one, and finally in 2021 he clinched the sixth decade when Suicide Squad, in which he plays King Shark, hit number one, and he’s added to that with 2023’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. 

8. Oscar Isaac is the Only Actor to Have the Marvel Triple Crown

Being in a comic book movie is a rite of passage these days. Very few actors of renown have not appeared in a movie for either Marvel or DC at this point. There are a couple of actors who have had some crossover and appeared in both Marvel and DC properties. Ryan Reynolds has been Deadpool in Marvel as well as the Green Lantern for DC. Chris Evans played the Human Torch as well as Captain America. But Oscar Isaac is the only actor who has tripled down on Marvel.

While the MCU is the juggernaut of the Marvel universe, it’s not the only place to get movies based on Marvel characters. Because of various contracts and rights issues over the years, Marvel has been split up in some unusual ways. Sony has the rights to Spider-Man and his associated characters. For a long time Fox had the rights to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, although those now belong to Disney. And the rest falls under the Disney and Marvel merger that created the MCU.

Oscar Isaac joined the MCU when he played Moon Knight on the Disney Plus series. Prior to that he was in the Fox Marvel movies when he played Apocalypse in the X-Men franchise. In 2023, Isaac finished his Marvel domination by playing Spider-Man 2099 in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (after a post-credits cameo as the character in Into the Spider-Verse). 

7. Will Smith Had 8 Consecutive Films Gross Over $100 Million

There are plenty of ways to define success as an actor, but for many people, especially the people who are getting paid by movies, box office is the be all and the end all. Some stars are generally understood to be bankable. That means that you can count on them to make a lot of money because of how popular they are. For a good deal of time, one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood was Will Smith. 

As a leading man Will Smith has pulled in over $6.5 billion at the box office in his career. That makes him the 9th most profitable leading man in Hollywood. But he does hold a distinction no one else has, and that’s starring in 8 films in a row that all grossed over $100 million domestically. If you go international, he actually had 10 in a row top $150 million.

When top movies make over $1 billion these days, that doesn’t sound like a lot. But for an actor to do 8 in a row is unheard of. Actors often shake up their routine with smaller movies that don’t make as much money, or they’ll just find themselves in a dud that bombs at the box office. 

6. Jonathan Freeman Voiced Jafar in Aladdin the Movie and on Broadway

There have been occasions in the past when an actor has played the same character on screen as they have played on stage, or vice versa. Jonathan Freeman seems to be the only actor who has transitioned a character from an animated film onto the stage.

Freeman was the voice of Jafar in the original Aladdin movie back in 1992. When the cartoon was adapted to Broadway, he played the character on stage giving it a little more authenticity since the voice was exactly the same.

Freeman has voiced Jafar in more than one animated film, as well as video games and theme park rides. All told, Freeman had been voicing the character for about 30 years in various media. 

5. Bernard Hill Is the Only Actor To Star in More Than One Film That Won 11 Oscars 

Every once in a while a movie comes out that is so beloved across the board that, when award season shows up, it seems to sweep nearly every category. Both Ben Hur and Titanic received multiple Academy Award nominations when they were released, with Ben Hur getting 12 of a potential 15 nominations and Titanic getting 14 of a potential 17. And even with all those nominations, scoring wins for most of this is no easy task.

All told, only three films have won 11 Oscars and none have won more. The two previously mentioned and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. And Bernard Hill is the only actor to have starred in more than one.

Hill played the character of King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He also played Captain Edward J. Smith in Titanic. You certainly can’t attribute the overwhelming success of both films to Hill alone, but the fact remains no other actor has been in as many highly awarded films to date.

4. Tom Hanks is the Only Actor In the Army Rangers Hall of Fame 

Back in the year 2013 actor Tom Hanks was voted the most trusted person in America. This was based solely on the persona that he has in movies. People like Tom Hanks because he seems like a good guy. The effects the characters he plays in movies has on people goes far beyond just convincing everyone he’s trustworthy. Nothing serves as a better example of this than the fact that the Army Rangers inducted Tom Hanks into their Hall of Fame strictly because of his work in movies. He’s the only actor who has ever been inducted to the Army Ranger Hall of fame.

Hanks received the honor as a result of his work in the film Saving Private Ryan, as well as for his commitment to honoring those who served in war. 

3. Kelsey Grammer Was Emmy Nominated for Playing the Same Character on Three Shows

If comic book movies have taught us anything it’s that actors love seeing crossovers with characters from other films. But comic books didn’t hold exclusive rights to this idea. Over the years, TV shows have flirted with crossovers to keep audiences interested and sometimes your favorite characters would appear on someone else’s show for an episode or two.

In the history of television, Kelsey Grammer is the only actor who has been nominated for his portrayal of one character but on three different shows. Grammer made a career out of playing Dr. Frasier Crane, a psychiatrist who first appeared frequenting the bar Cheers back in the 1980s. That was where Grammer received his first Emmy nomination.

Crane was such a hit that NBC gave him his own show. On Frasier, Grammer went on to receive more Emmy nominations and while it seems like it should end there, it doesn’t. He also did a guest spot on the NBC show Wings where he played the doctor and that was also nominated for an Emmy.

2. John Cazale is the Only Actor Whose Entire Filmography Was Nominated for Best Picture

If you use award nominations as a metric for the talent of an actor, then an actor who has been in nothing but movies nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards might be considered one of the best actors ever. Most of the actors that are considered the best in the world, those who have received multiple awards for their skill over the years, can’t claim to have been in nothing but Best Picture nominees. In fact, only one actor can make that claim. His name is John Cazale.

John Cazale starred in 5 movies over 7 years. That was the full length of his career. But if an actor was only going to work for that long on so few films, then they could make no better choices than Cazale did. He starred in The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter. Both Godfathers and The Deer Hunter won Best Picture while The Conversation and Dog Day Afternoon were nominated.

In addition to only starring in Best Picture nominees, Cazale is the only actor whose entire filmography was chosen by the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant.

Cazale had been diagnosed with cancer while filming The Deer Hunter and passed away before it was released.

1. James Dean Is The Only Actor To Get More Than One Posthumous Oscar Nomination

Getting a posthumous Oscar nomination is not as rare as you might think. A fair number of actors and filmmakers have received nominations after they unfortunately passed away, and 16 of them actually ended up winning. Heath Ledger from The Dark Knight is one of the most famous cases of this happening. 

The first actor to ever receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination was James Dean. As famous as James Dean is, and his legacy lives on today, nearly 70 years after his death, it’s surprising to remember that Dean only starred in three movies.

Not only was Dean the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award nomination for his work in the movie East of Eden, he became the only actor in history to be nominated for two Academy Awards posthumously when he was nominated the following year for the film Giant.

It’s always impressive when something record breaking happens. The hottest day on record. The most expensive hamburger ever made. Even a personal record can be remarkable, whether that’s running your fastest mile ever or beating your taco eating record. And while these onetime achievements are very interesting, there’s something to be said for a sustained, long-term achievement that can happen over a very long period making it that much more impressive.

10. Ricardo Abad Ran Marathons 607 Days in a Row

Many people consider running a marathon to be a great achievement in life. Some people train for months to run the biggest marathons in the world and not everyone is able to complete them as they can be extremely physically demanding. And not to diminish anyone’s achievements or hard work when it comes to running marathons but no one in the world runs marathons like Ricardo Abad runs marathons. In fact, Abad holds a record for essentially marathoning marathons. He ran 607 consecutive marathons in 607 straight days. 

Initially Abad, a runner and factory worker from Spain, had the idea to do 500 marathons. After he reached that goal he intended to do another 500 for a full 1,000 but even Superman has his limits. After 607, Abad had to call it quits with a record that was still far above his closest competitors.

9. St. Petersburg Florida had Sunshine 768 Days in a Row

Natural records can happen any time and in any place. Often there’s no way to tell it’s happening until it’s already happened. That was likely the case when the city of St. Petersburg in Florida managed to pull off the unexpected weather feat of having pleasant, sunny days for over two straight years. 

St. Petersburg calls itself the Sunshine City, a title well-earned on February 9, 1967. That was the first day the sun rose over the city after some cloud cover the previous day. Then the same thing happened on February 10th. Same on March 10th. July 10th. And even February 10, 1968. It wouldn’t be until Tuesday, March 18, 1969 that the people of St. Petersburg would have to bid the sun goodbye and endure a little cloud cover like the rest of us.

8. Marble Bar, Australia Had a 160+ Day Heat Wave

As sunny as things get in Florida, the temperature there is not necessarily record breaking. And for sustained, oppressing, absolutely horrid temperature records then you need to go to the other side of the world and visit a place called Marble Bar, Australia.

Heat waves are nothing new and, unfortunately, they’re becoming more and more commonplace these days. In the United States, the average heat wave lasts for four days. These can be incredibly serious as well since people who are unable to manage the temperatures with things like air conditioning or adequate shelter and water can suffer ill effects potentially even dying. 

In Marble Bar, it’s not unusual for temperatures to reach over 120F or 49C for about 8 months per year. But it was their 1923 heat wave that makes it such a noteworthy place. Every day for 160 to 170 days (there are contradictory figures), the temperature was around 100F or hotter. 

7. In 1862, a Storm in California Lasted Over 40 Days

You may recall that the Bible made mention of a quite significant flood that lasted for 40 days and 40 nights somewhere in the Book of Genesis. Any storm that lasts for more than a month would surely seem cataclysmic to people back in that day and age and, if we’re being honest, it’d probably be worse today because people can share doomsday theories on social media. Somewhere in the middle is what the people of 1862.

Beginning in December 1861, the rains that drowned out hundreds of miles of land in California lasted for 43 straight days. The Central Valley, home to cities like Sacramento, Fresno and Bakersfield was under 15 feet of water. One third of the property in the state was destroyed. One in 8 homes was swept away. Over 200,000 cattle died. When the new government of California was inaugurated on January 10th, he had to row to the governor’s mansion and enter through a second story window. It’s estimated around 4,000 residents died as well.

6. Dale Webster Went Surfing 14,642 Days in a Row

The difference between a hobby and a job tends to be that no one pays you for hobbies so you do them for the joy you get out of it. And, with that in mind, what hobby do you have that you’d be willing to stick with for 14,642 days in a row without a break?

Dale Webster, sometimes known as Everyday Dale, liked to surf. And so he went surfing every day for about 40 years. He started his surfing marathon in September, 1975. Every day, he’d catch at least three waves, usually in a place called Bodega Bay. No matter the weather, he was out there.

Webster called his 40 year streak quits on October 4, 2015. That was because he had kidney surgery on October 5th and was put on bedrest for a few weeks. 

5. Lakeview Gusher Spewed Oil From a Geyser for 544 Days

Have you ever seen a video of an oil well going off? It happens in movies sometimes, and you may see clips on the news of these oil geysers spouting into the air. But when we see them they’re in little clips and often it seems like the next logical step is that someone caps it somehow and stops the oil from spewing out. But that’s not always the case. 

The Lakeview Gusher, an oil geyser that blew its top in California in 1910, raged for 544 days without anyone stopping it. It formed an entire lake of oil and produced 18,000 barrels per day for a total of 9 million before it stopped. 

Drillers were looking for oil about 100 miles north of LA at the time. When the geyser went off, it shot oil 200 feet into the air. The volume and power seemed to be more than people could handle and rather than controlling it they tried to deal with it. Sandbag walls and pipes to redirect the oil were established even as it formed a crater around the initial geyser, destroying the undersized derrick and other equipment.

Eventually the well collapsed on its own somewhere deep in the earth, sucking everything back to the depths as quickly as it had appeared.

4. An Alpine Swift Can Stay in Flight for 200 Days Straight

We’re always impressed when we see a human who can run fast or lift a huge amount of weight. And it’s likely a bit of human arrogance that makes us focus so much on incredible things humans can do as opposed to what other creatures in the world can do. That’s a shame because there are some animals out there that leave humans in the dust in every conceivable way. Take, for instance, the humble alpine swift.

These small birds can be found in parts of Europe and Asia and, for the most part, seem unremarkable. To see what makes a swift a real standout, you have to have a lot of time on your hands. An alpine swift is able to stay in the air for 200 days in a row without ever touching ground once.

Researchers were able to determine that the swift has such remarkable flight stamina after putting a tracker on one. The tiny birds, which weigh under half a pound, summer in Europe then migrate to Africa for the winter. The point of tracking was mostly just to see how the birds handled their migration. Where they go, how long they spend there, how long they stop, and so on. 

What the team discovered when the birds returned to Europe and the tags were collected was that, when the birds aren’t breeding, they aren’t landing. Because the sensors collect data on acceleration, the angle of the bird relative to the ground, and the angle that light is hitting the bird to determine sunrise and sunset, they were able to determine the birds never actually went to ground. They can sustain flight or a glide for 200 days. 

The birds eat flying insects, so that aspect of how they manage their marathon was easy enough to understand. But how they slept was another matter. Clearly, the birds are able to sustain flight while sleeping or, as some speculate, they may not really need to sleep at all. 

3. A Man Went to Disneyland 2,995 Days in a Row

Have you ever heard the term “Disney adults?” It’s a name given to adults who are such fans of all things Disney that they devote an intense amount of time and money to supporting their fandom. That can include buying what seems like an inordinate amount of Disney merchandise and, in particular, visiting Disney theme parks frequently. Some people will go so far as to make almost weekly trips to Disneyland and Disney World. And, to be clear, these are adults. They may have children that come with them but typically, to meet the definition, they do not.

You would be hard pressed to find anyone who meets the status of a true Disney fan and a Disney adult more than Jeff Reitz. Because of the covid restrictions in 2020 that saw Disneyland closing its doors to visitors, Reitz had to end his unbroken streak of regular park visits. Prior to the closing he had been to Disneyland every single day for 2,995 days. 

Reitz started going to the park in 2011 and would often head there right after work. He’d spend an average of three to five hours walking around then head home. When the park finally closed, cutting his streak off, he actually had difficulty adjusting to life without it. According to Reitz, he started falling into a depression and found it difficult to even get out of bed some days. 

2. Donna Griffiths Sneezed for 976 Days in a Row

In terms of physical achievements there are probably many that any of us would be happy to reach. Being the best at something; the strongest or the fastest or the smartest could hardly be seen as a bad thing. But there are plenty of personal, physical achievements that are less desirable and then some that are just weird and unpleasant.

Donna Griffiths holds the dubious honor of having spent more time sneezing than anyone else in the world. She started sneezing on January 13, 1981 and stopped sneezing September 16, 1983. That’s 976 days of sustained sneezes. It was estimated she belted out one million sneezes in her first year alone. 

1. Valeri Polyakov Spent 437 Days in Space

Most missions to the International Space Station see astronauts spending about six months in space. That’s a decent length of time to not be on an actual planet anymore. Astronaut Mark Vande took that to extremes when he spent 341 days in space. That gave him the record for the longest spaceflight by an American astronaut and it’s very impressive. Just imagine nearly a whole year in a place where you can’t go out to get food or water or medical care, or even visit a friend. You can’t even go out for some air. Your life is sustained by what you have with you and what can very rarely be brought to you. Definitely not for the claustrophobic or the easily rattled. And despite Vande’s amazing achievement, it’s not the record by any means.

Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov has the current record for longest time a human has spent in space. From 1994 to 1995, Polyakov spent 437 days aboard the Mir space station. He only completed two missions in his life but in that time he could have almost made it to Mars and back.

Polyakov volunteered for his extended stay in space to be something of a guinea pig. The plan was to assess the effect of prolonged space flight on the human body and mind. After he returned, Russian officials determined that he had suffered no permanent or even long lasting effects from his experience apart from a decline in mood that lasted a few months before returning to normal.