Actors that have played God

01 of 27

Rex Ingram in The Green Pastures (1936)

In one of the most successful classic films with an all-Black cast, Ingram plays God, Adam, and more in a set of stories that combine the Bible and Black folklore.

02 of 27

Groucho Marx in Skidoo (1968)

Groucho Marx called his final silver screen performance—in which he plays God in the heavily LSD-influenced experimental film—"God-awful" in his 1976 book The Groucho Phile.

03 of 27

George Burns in Oh, God! (1977), Oh, God! Book II (1980), Oh, God! You Devil (1984)

Through the Oh, God! film franchise, veteran entertainer George Burns found new wind in his career playing Lord and Savior to a different character in each movie.

04 of 27

Ralph Richardson in Time Bandits (1981)

In director Terry Gilliam's first film in his Trilogy of Imagination, Richardson plays a Supreme Being that employs little people to fix holes in the space-time continuum.

05 of 27

Robert Morley in Second Time Lucky (1984)

Second Time Lucky (1984) (screen grab)Robert Morley — Broadbank Investments

British actor Robert Morley plays God making a wager with Satan on whether or not Adam and Eve can stay moral through a series of different time periods, and save humanity from eternal damnation.

06 of 27

Ferdy Mayne in Night Train to Terror (1985)

NIGHT TRAIN TO TERROR, (aka, SHIVER), from left: Ferdy Mayne, Lu Sifer, (c) 1985 Visto Intertnationa — Everett Collection

European actor Ferdy Mayne plays another version of God making a wager with Satan on whether a sample size of humans deserve heaven or hell.

07 of 27

George Plimpton in A Fool and His Money (1989)

A Fool and His Money (1989) (screen grab)George Plimpton — Blossom Pictures

Writer and media personality George Plimpton makes a quick appearance as God in this religious satire starring a young Sandra Bullock.

08 of 27

Charlton Heston in Almost an Angel (1990)

Almost An Angel (1990) (screen grab)Charlton Heston — Paramount Pictures

While we actually see Charlton Heston play God in this box office bomb starring Paul Hogan, the late actor was much more known for voicing the deity in The Ten Commandments.

09 of 27

Robert Mitchum in Les Sept Péchés Capitaux (1992)

Robert Mitchum Portrait Session — Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images

Classic film actor Robert Mitchum somehow found his way into playing Dieu in an obscure Belgian comedy.

10 of 27

Scott Bairstow on Touched by an Angel (1994)

The long-running CBS drama Touched By An Angel came to a conclusion with Monica (Roma Downey) finally meeting God in the body of a young man, played by Scott Bairstow.

11 of 27

Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves (1996)

Provocative filmmaker Lars von Trier made God a woman in the form of Emily Watson. The role earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 1997 Oscars.

12 of 27

Bob Odenkirk on Mr. Show (1998)

In a popular sketch from David Cross and Bob Odenkirk's cult classic sketch show Mr. Show, the future Better Call Saul star plays a God that emulates the late Hollywood producer Robert Evans.

13 of 27

Maurice Roëves in The Acid House (1998)

THE ACID HOUSE, from left: Maurice Roeves, Stephen McCole, 1998, © Zeitgeist Films/courtesy Everett — Everett Collection

As is common with many of these projects, actor Maurice Roëves is another person woven into several interconnecting stories who turns out to be God himself.

14 of 27

Alanis Morisette in Dogma (1999)

Alanis Morisette appeared as God in Kevin Smith's cult classic film that came out around five years after the release of the Canadian "You Oughta Know" singer's groundbreaking Jagged Little Pill album.

15 of 27

Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf in Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000)

Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000)Henry Joseph Nasiff Jr

Henry Nasiff Jr., also known as Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf from radio personality Howard Stern's Wack Pack, has a cameo as God in this B-movie sequel that came out in New York shortly after his death.

16 of 27

Whoopi Goldberg in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)

IT'S A VERY MERRY MUPPET CHRISTMAS MOVIE, Pepe the Prawn, Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, Whoopi Goldb — Everett Collection

Yes, there's a Muppet movie where God is a character, and, of course, they are played by Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg.

17 of 27

Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty (2003), Evan Almighty (2007)

BRUCE ALMIGHTY, Morgan Freeman, Jim Carrey, 2003, (c) Universal/courtesy Everett Collection — Everett Collection

Morgan Freeman put his velvety voice to good use as the entity reigning over heaven in the Jim Carrey-lead comedy Bruce Almighty. He even returned in the lesser sequel Evan Almighty, where Steve Carell plays a modern Noah.

18 of 27

Antônio Fagundes in God Is Brazilian (2003)

GOD IS BRAZILIAN, (aka DEUS E BRASILEIRO), Antonio Fagundes (left), 2003, (c) Columbia/courtesy Ever — Everett Collection

Brazilian dramedy God Is Brazilian lives up to its name by casting Brazilian actor Antônio Fagundes as the all-seeing and all-knowing God.

19 of 27

Will.i.am, Zachary Quinto, and more on Joan of Arcadia (2003)

Short-lived network dramedy Joan of Arcadia had multiple actors play God throughout its two seasons, including Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and Zachary Quinto.

20 of 27

Rodney Dangerfield in Angels With Angles (2005)

Angels With Angles (2005) (screen grab)Rodney Dangerfield — Sierra Mar Pictures

Like comedy legend Groucho Marx before him, stand-up icon Rodney Dangerfield's last film role was that of God. Weirdly, the film also has an actor playing fellow former onscreen God George Burns.

21 of 27

Rob Benedict on Supernatural (2005)

Seven seasons after the character Chuck Shurley (Rob Benedict) is introduced, and in the eleventh season of the long-running show Supernatural, he is revealed to actually be God.

22 of 27

Whoopi Goldberg in A Little Bit of Heaven (2011)

A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN, from left: Kate Hudson, Whoopi Goldberg, 2011. ph: Patti Perret/©Millennium — Everett Collection

Goldberg falls back into the role of God, trading Muppets for Kate Hudson in this rom-com.

23 of 27

Paul Sorvino in Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival (2012)

The Devil’s Carnival (2012), Paul Sorvino

Goodfellas actor Paul Sorvino plays God among sinners in a twisted musical horror film.

24 of 27

Isaac Andrews in Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) (screen grab)Isaac Andrews — 20th Century Fox

In Ridley Scott's controversial adaptation of the story of Moses, young British actor Isaac Andrews play Malak, the boy God possesses to get a message across to the prophet.

25 of 27

Mark Harelik on Preacher (2016)

Veteran TV actor Mark Harelik dazed and confused the cast of the edgy AMC series Preacher through four seasons as the elusive God.

26 of 27

Octavia Spencer in The Shack (2017)

THE SHACK (2017)Octavia Spencer stars as 'Papa' — Jake Giles Netter/Lionsgate

In an adaptation of the popular 2007 Christian novel, Oscar winner Octavia Spencer plays God, who's living in a mystical shack with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

27 of 27

Steve Buscemi on Miracle Workers (2019)

Miracle WorkersEpisode 107: "1 HOUR"Steve BuscemiPhoto by Curtis Baker/TBS — Curtis Baker/TBS

Steve Buscemi offers another oddball take on God, bored and ready to end humanity on this TBS anthology series. Buscemi returned for the next seasons, with new settings of the Dark Ages and the Oregon Trail.