When Spocks collide

Meeting someone for the first time can be fraught with awkwardness. Once you've covered the weather and your mutual disappointment over The Bourne Legacy, things often dry up.

But if you're an actor, once in a blue moon you get to utter the words "didn't we play the same person that one time?" To celebrate these moments, we have 25 instances of actors who've played the same character captured on camera.

(Images: Getty, All Star, Rex Features)

Nimoy and Quinto

Character: Spock

Played by Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek TV (1966) to Star Trek (2009)

Played by Zachary Quinto in Star Trek (2009)

Dench and Blunt

Character: Queen Victoria

Played by Judi Dench in Mrs Brown (1997)

Played by Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria (2009)

Norton and Ruffalo

Character: Bruce Banner/The Hulk

Played by Edward Norton in The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Played by Mark Ruffalo in The Avengers (2012)

Connery and Brosnan

Character: James Bond

Played by Sean Connery in Dr. No (1962) to You Only Live Twice (1967)

Played by Pierce Brosnan in Goldeneye (1995) to Die Another Day (2002)

Cumberbatch and Lee Miller

Character: Sherlock Holmes

Played by Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock TV (2010-present)

Played by Jonny Lee Miller in Elementary TV (2012)

Heston and Smith

Character: Robert Neville

Played by Charlton Heston in The Omega Man (1971)

Played by Will Smith in I Am Legend (2007)

Sheen and Gruffudd

Character: Tony Blair

Played by Michael Sheen in The Queen (2006)

Played by Ioan Gruffudd in W (2008)

Law and Freeman

Character: John Watson

Played by Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Played by Martin Freeman in Sherlock TV (2010-present)

Dallas Howard and Stone

Character: Gwen Stacy

Played by Bryce Dallas Howard in Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Played by Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Branagh and Tennant

Character: Hamlet

Played by Kenneth Branagh in Hamlet (1996)

Played by David Tennant in Hamlet TV (2009)

Moore and Craig

Character: James Bond

Played by Roger Moore in Live And Let Die (1973) to A View To A Kill (1985)

Played by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale (2006) to Skyfall (2012)

Tennant and Smith

Character: Doctor Who

Played by David Tennant in Doctor Who TV (2005-2010)

Played by Matt Smith in Doctor Who TV (2010-present)

Pfeiffer and Berry

Character: Catwoman

Played by Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns (1992)

Played by Halle Berry in Catwoman (2004)

Ford and Affleck

Character: Jack Ryan

Played by Harrison Ford in Patriot Games (1992) to Clear and Present Danger (1994)

Played by Ben Affleck in The Sum Of All Fears (2002)

Caine and Law

Character: Alfie

Played by Michael Caine in Alfie (1966)

Played by Jude Law in Alfie (2004)

Brolin and Lee Jones

Character: Agent K

Played by Tommy Lee Jones in Men In Black (1997) - Men In Black 3 (2012)

Played by Josh Brolin in Men In Black 3 (2012)

Foster and Moore

Character: Clarice Starling

Played by Jodie Foster in The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

Played by Julianne Moore in Hannibal (2001)

Cain and Routh

Character: Clark Kent/Superman

Played by Dean Cain in The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)

Played by Brandon Routh in Superman Returns (2006)

Stewart and McAvoy

Character: Professor Xavier

Played by Patrick Stewart in X-Men (2000) - X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Played by James McAvoy in X-Men: First Class (2011)

Winslet and Dench

Character: Iris Murdoch

Played by Kate Winslet in Iris (2001)

Played by Judi Dench in Iris (2001)

Takei and Cho

Character: Hikaru Sulu

Played by George Takei in Star Trek TV (1966) to Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Played by John Cho in Star Trek (2009)

Roundtree and Jackson

Character: John Shaft

Played by Richard Roundtree in Shaft (1971) - Shaft TV (1974)

Played by Samuel L Jackson in Shaft (2000)

Ford and Phoenix

Character: Indiana Jones

Played by Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1980) - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Played by River Phoenix in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989)

O'Donnell and Krakowski

Character: Betty Rubble

Played by Rosie O'Donnell in The Flintstones (1994)

Played by Jane Krakowski in The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas (2000)

Fey and Moore

Character: Sarah Palin

Played by Tina Fey in Saturday Night Live (2008-2001)

Played by Julianne Moore in Game Change (2012)