7 Faces Of Dr. Lao Cast Tony Randall As Seven Characters

In the surreal 1960s fantasy film 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao actor Tony Randall plays not one, not two but seven different characters. An actor playing multiple roles in one movie can feel a tad gimmicky, but with the right script it can be an amazing opportunity – not only is extra screen time guaranteed, but it’s also a way for performers to show off their acting prowess and versatility with a variety of characters. In Coming To America, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall used their multitude of roles to exercise their comedic chops while dual roles in films like There Will Be Blood or Enemy gave actors Paul Dano and Jake Gyllenhaal a chance to shine in dramatic roles.

The undisputed king of playing multiple characters was Peter Sellers, who performed the feat several times during his career in films like The Mouse That Roared, The Prisoner Of Zenda and – most famously – Stanley Kubrick’s black comedy Dr. Strangelove. Interestingly, George Pal, the director of 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao, initially wanted Sellers to star in his 1964 movie but the part – or rather, parts – went to The Odd Couple’s Tony Randall instead.

Based on Charles G. Finney’s novel The Circus Of Dr. Lao and set during the turn of the last century, 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao follows a mysterious Chinese impresario – the titular Dr. Lao – who brings his weird and wonderful traveling circus to the desert town of Abalone, Arizona and promises its residents a hell of a show. Blending elements of fantasy, Western and morality play, the movie sees Lao and his menagerie of performers teach the townsfolk – among them idealistic newspaper editor Edward Cunningham (John Ericson), prim librarian Angela Benedict (Barbara Eden) and jaded tycoon Clint Stark (Arthur O’Connell) – a few uncomfortable truths about themselves.

Alongside playing the titular Dr. Lao, Tony Randall also portrays many of the fantastical and mythological characters that make up the doctor’s circus including Arthurian magician Merlin, Greek god Pan, blind fortune teller Apollonius of Tyana, Greek gorgon Medusa and a giant, talking serpent. Though Randall is credited as playing the Abominable Snowman, it was really director George Pal’s son Peter in costume. The seventh character Randall plays in 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao is an unnamed circus audience member and the only role in which he appears as himself, rather than in heavy make-up and costumes.

It’s impossible to discuss 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao without addressing the fact that Tony Randall playing the Chinese Dr. Lao is yet another example of a white actor donning “yellowface” to play an Asian character – a practice that was, unfortunately, all too common during early 1960s cinema. While that’s just one aspect of the film that absolutely wouldn’t fly today, 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao received a fair share of critical acclaim after its 1964 release, with make-up artist William Tuttle taking home an honorary Academy Award for his pioneering work and stop-motion animator Jim Danforth being recognized with an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects.