Typecasting#Playing against type

Actors are sometimes so strongly identified with a role as to make it difficult for them to find work playing other characters. It is especially common among leading actors in popular television series and films.

One example of typecasting occurred with the cast of the original Star Trek series. During Star Trek{{'}}s original run from 1966 to 1969, William Shatner was the highest-paid cast member at $5,000 per episode (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|5000|1966|r=-3}}}} today), with Leonard Nimoy and the other actors being paid much less.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5JUOIKG2XcwC&q=trekkie+1975&pg=PA218|title=From Sawdust to Stardust: The Biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek's Dr. McCoy|last=Rioux|first=Terry Lee|year=2005|publisher= Simon and Schuster |isbn=0-7434-5762-5|pages=166–167, 297}} The press predicted that Nimoy would be a star after the series ended,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B7dGAAAAIBAJ&pg=3727,498929|title=Mr. Spock's Trek To Stardom|work=Warsaw Times-Union|date=December 4, 1967|agency=Newspaper Enterprise Association|via=Google News|access-date=May 7, 2011|author=Kleiner, Dick|location=Warsaw, Indiana|page=7}} and James Doohan expected that appearing on an NBC series would help his post-Star Trek career.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3a8iAAAAIBAJ&pg=4120,5103972|title='Star Trek' Ace Is Former Pilot|agency=United Press International|work=Beaver County Times|date=April 21, 1969|access-date=May 6, 2011|location=Beaver, Pennsylvania|pages=B12}} The series so typecast the actors, however—as early as March 1970, Nichelle Nichols complained of Star Trek having "defined [her] so narrowly as an actress",{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WWtkAAAAIBAJ&pg=1085,4768770 | title=Star Trek Player Nichelle Nichols Performing Here Tonight, Saturday|work=Calgary Herald|date=1970-03-13|access-date=May 7, 2011 | last=Leney |first=Peter | page=28}} and Doohan said in 1976 that even producers he worked for before Star Trek now told his agent "I don't want a Scotsman"{{Cite AV media |url=http://www.tvparty.com/70-star-trek.html |title=Star Trek cast on Tom Snyder's Tomorrow, 1976 |type=Television production |orig-date=1976-02-04 |series=Tomorrow |access-date=2024-03-15 |via=YouTube}}—that only Shatner and Nimoy continued working steadily throughout the 1970s, and even their work received little attention unless it was Star Trek-related.{{r|michaels19781210}}

Walter Koenig in 1976 noted the disparity between the adulation from Trekkies at Star Trek conventions and his obscurity in Hollywood.{{r|tomorrow19760204}} Residuals from the series ended in 1971;{{r|tomorrow19760204}}{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19850606&id=b0pUAAAAIBAJ&pg=7087,1658629|title='Trekkers' keeping TV series out of this World|work=Boca Raton News|date=June 6, 1985|access-date=December 16, 2014|last=Wigler|first= Stephen|pages=4B}} Koenig, Doohan, and DeForest Kelley discussed the paradox of starring in what Kelley described as "the most popular series in the world" because of reruns, but "not getting paid for it".{{r|tomorrow19760204}} Cast members' income came mostly from personal appearances at conventions; by 1978 Kelley, for example, earned up to $50,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|50000|1978|r=-3}}}} today) annually.{{Cite news |last=Michaels |first=Marguerite |date=December 10, 1978|title=A Visit to Star Trek's Movie Launch |pages=4–7|work=Parade|url=https://trekkerscrapbook.com/2013/04/23/the-daily-scrapbook-parade-magazine-cover-december-10-1978/ |access-date=June 1, 2022}} In 1979, the first of six films starring the cast appeared; Kelley earned $1 million for the final film, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).{{r|rioux2005}}

Parade stated of the cast, "They are 'stars' only in the world of Star Trek ... [They] lost control of their destinies the minute they stepped on the bridge of the make-believe Enterprise in 1966", and The New York Times observed in 1991 that "For most of the actors in the original "Star Trek" series, Starfleet has never been far off the professional horizons." Being identified so closely with one role{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/15/arts/tv-view-the-star-trek-curse-a-lifetime-starfleet-commission.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm | title=TV VIEW; THE 'STAR TREK' CURSE: A LIFETIME STARFLEET COMMISSION | work= The New York Times | date=1991-09-15 | access-date=May 3, 2011 | author=Marriott, Michael}} left the series' cast with mixed emotions; Shatner called it "awesome and irksome". Koenig called it "bittersweet ... People are interested in Chekov, not me", but admitted that there was "a certain immortality in being associated with Star Trek".{{r|michaels19781210}} Doohan said that being part of a "classic" was "beautiful. Your great-grandchildren will still be seeing Star Trek".{{r|tomorrow19760204}}

Some of the Next Generation actors also became typecast. Patrick Stewart recalled that a "distinguished Hollywood director I wanted to work for said to me 'Why would I want Captain Picard in my movie?' That was painful".{{cite news | url=http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/what-s-on/patrick-stewart-can-t-wait-for-chichester-role-1-1249400 | title=Patrick Stewart can't wait for Chichester role | work=Portsmouth News | date=2010-04-13 | access-date=1 April 2016}} His most prominent non-Star Trek film or television role, Professor X in the X-Men film series, shares similarities to Jean-Luc Picard. Stewart has stated "I don't have a film career. I have a franchise career"; he continues to work on stage as a Shakespearean actor.{{cite news | publisher = News Corp. | url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article2785374.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511195800/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article2785374.ece | archive-date=2008-05-11 | title=Patrick Stewart: Keep on Trekkin' | work=The Sunday Times | date=2007-11-04 | access-date=April 27, 2011 | author=Appleyard, Bryan}} The Next Generation had one of the largest budgets of its time,{{cite book | title=Entertainment Industry Economics: A Guide for Financial Analysis | publisher=Cambridge University Press | author=Vogel, Harold L. | year=2007 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zjHg5j0CsEoC&pg=PA222 | page=222 | isbn=978-0-521-87485-4}} and the cast became very wealthy.{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UlhPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5604%2C1577738 | title=In Step With: Patrick Stewart | work=Parade | date=1992-04-05 | access-date=April 28, 2011 | author=Brady, James | page=21}} Jonathan Frakes stated that "it's better to be type-cast than not to be cast at all."{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/frakes/printpage.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011115185829/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/frakes/printpage.html | archive-date=2001-11-15 | title=Jonathan Frakes - The Next Generation's Number One, Will Riker, and Trek director | publisher=BBC | access-date=May 7, 2011}} Michael Dorn said in 1991, "If what happened to the first cast is called being typecast, then I want to be typecast. Of course, they didn't get the jobs after 'Trek.' But they are making their sixth movie. Name me someone else in television who has made six movies!"{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-05-05-tm-2100-story.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106201722/http://articles.latimes.com/print/1991-05-05/magazine/tm-2100_1_star-trek | archive-date=2015-11-06 | title=How Gene Roddenberry and his Brain Trust Have Boldly Taken 'Star Trek' Where No TV Series Has Gone Before : Trekking to the Top | work=Los Angeles Times | date=1991-05-05 | page=16 | access-date=April 27, 2011 | last=Teitelbaum |first= Sheldon | url-status=live }}

John Larroquette said that after winning four consecutive Emmy Awards, "it was 10 years after Night Court ended before I got a role as a dad. Because Dan Fielding was such a bizarre character, he had made such an impression, that typecasting does happen. Every role was some sleazy lawyer or some sleazy this or some sleazy that."{{cite news | url=https://www.avclub.com/articles/john-larroquette,2331/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091219164545/http://www.avclub.com/articles/john-larroquette,2331/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=December 19, 2009 | title=Random Roles: John Larroquette | work=The A.V. Club| date=2008-06-05 | access-date=September 25, 2012 | last=Rabin |first= Nathan |author-link=Nathan Rabin }} During his years on the comedy Married... with Children, Ed O'Neill's scenes were cut from the film drama Flight of the Intruder (1991) after a test audience laughed when he was on the screen.{{cite news | url=http://theoccasionalcritic.blogspot.com/2012/12/ed-oneill-july-1995.html | work=Standard-Examiner | date=July 1995 | access-date=March 25, 2013 | author=Porter, Donald | location=Ogden, Utah | title=Ed O'Neill, July 1995}}

Jon Hamm stated that after the success of Mad Men, he received "about 40 scripts that were all set in the 60s, or had me playing advertising guys" like his character Don Draper.{{cite news|last=Brooks|first=Xan|title=Mad Men's Jon Hamm is the talk of The Town|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/sep/09/jon-hamm-the-town|access-date=September 14, 2010|work=The Guardian |location=UK|date=September 9, 2010}}

Clayton Moore, who played the Lone Ranger in the Golden Age of Television, embraced his typecasting, stating that he had "fallen in love" with the character of Lone Ranger, and regularly appeared in public in character, to the point that Jack Wrather, who owned the character, issued a cease and desist order to Moore in 1979. The dispute was dropped in 1984 and Moore resumed his appearances.{{cite news|title= Who's That Masked Man? Hi-Yo-It's Clayton Moore!|work=Los Angeles Times|date=1985-01-15|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-01-15-mn-7324-story.html|access-date=2010-11-01}} In a similar case, Alan Hale Jr. parlayed his fame as Skipper Jonas Grumby on Gilligan's Island into a seafood restaurant and a travel agency that offered three-hour boat tours.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-01-04-mn-92-story.html|title=Alan Hale Jr., 68; Skipper on TV's 'Gilligan's Island'|last=Lee|first=John H.|date=January 4, 1990|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=December 15, 2012}}

Jonathan Frakes' sentiments about typecasting were echoed by Ben McKenzie, who became a star in the role of Ryan Atwood in The O.C. at age 24, after two years of seeking acting work in New York City and Los Angeles. Eleven years later, after starring in two more television series playing what The New York Times described as a "quiet, guarded leading man", McKenzie said that "if you are being stereotyped, that means you have something to stereotype. So they're casting you. That is an amazing thing. That is a gift. Worry about being pigeonholed in your 50s."{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/23/arts/television/ben-mckenzie-returns-to-new-york-for-gotham.html | title=Sometimes, Old-Fashioned Pays Off | work=The New York Times | date=2014-11-23 | access-date=18 January 2015 | author=Hale, Mike | pages=AR19}}

Daniel Radcliffe was cast as Harry Potter at age eleven, playing the character over ten years in an eight-film franchise. Radcliffe was thus faced with two transitions: moving from child actor to adult star and moving from being typecast as Potter to playing other roles. His career following the Harry Potter franchise has included appearing on stage, as in Martin McDonagh's The Cripple of Inishmaan; in independent films such as Kill Your Darlings, in which he played Allen Ginsberg; and major studio films like Victor Frankenstein, in which he played the hunchback Igor, and romantic comedies like The F Word (released in some countries as What If?).

{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/radcliffe-says-he-wont-play-potter-again-1201271538/|title=How Daniel Radcliffe Killed Harry Potter and Found 'What If'|last=Setoodeh|first=Ramin|date=July 30, 2014|work=Variety|access-date=9 February 2021}}

Peter Robbins largely left acting after aging out of his most famous role, the voice of Charlie Brown. He retained a strong affection for the role throughout his life, including having a tattoo of the character.{{cite news|url=https://fox5sandiego.com/entertainment/charlie-brown-voice-actor-dies-at-65/|title='Charlie Brown' voice actor dies at 65|first=Phil|last=Blauer|publisher=Fox 5 San Diego|date=January 25, 2022|access-date=January 25, 2022}}

Soviet actor Mikheil Gelovani depicted Joseph Stalin in 12 films made during the leader's lifetime, which reflected his cult of personality. Among them were The Great Dawn (1938), Lenin in 1918 (1939), The Vow (1946), The Fall of Berlin (1950) and The Unforgettable Year 1919 (1952). These films were either banned or had the scenes featuring Stalin removed after the 1956 Secret Speech. Following Stalin's death, Gelovani was denied new roles since he was so closely identified with Stalin.{{cite journal |journal=Soviet Film|date=September 1989|volume=9|pages=16–17|title=Mikhail Gelovani: One-Role Actor|author= A. Bernstein |issn=0201-8373 }} According to The Guinness Book of Movie Facts and Feats, Gelovani had probably portrayed the same historical figure more than any other actor.{{cite book |first=Patrick|last=Robertson|title=The Guinness Book of Movie Facts & Feats|year=1991|publisher=Abbeville Press|isbn=9781558592360 }}. Page 105. Die Zeit columnist Andreas Kilb wrote that he ended his life "a pitiful Kagemusha" of Stalin's image.{{cite news |url=http://www.zeit.de/1991/39/die-meister-des-abgesangs|title=Die Meister des Abgesangs|trans-title=The Masters of the Swan Song| language =de |first=Andreas|last=Kilb |date=20 September 1991|publisher=Die Zeit|work=zeit.de|access-date=19 September 2011}}

Vaughn Meader is another example, as he depicted President John F. Kennedy in the 1962 comedy record The First Family. Meader's career success came to an abrupt end after President Kennedy's assassination on November 22, 1963. Meader's TV and nightclub bookings were all canceled. His career never rebounded as he was too closely associated with President Kennedy and his attempts to criticize his typecasting also led to his indirect blacklisting.[http://mentalfloss.com/article/66030/surprising-story-famed-jfk-impersonator-vaughn-meader-and-why-youve-never-heard-him The Surprising Story of Famed JFK Impersonator Vaughn Meader (and Why You've Never Heard of Him)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170515200915/http://mentalfloss.com/article/66030/surprising-story-famed-jfk-impersonator-vaughn-meader-and-why-youve-never-heard-him |date=May 15, 2017 }} Mental Floss. Retrieved January 23, 2019.

"Playing against type" is when an actor performs in a role or style different from the types of roles that they are known for.{{cite web|url=https://www.fandango.com/movie-photos/13-actors-who-have-played-against-type-1224|publisher=Fandango|title=13 ACTORS WHO HAVE PLAYED AGAINST TYPE|language=en-US|url-status=live|access-date=May 2, 2022|archive-date=August 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810021314/https://www.fandango.com/movie-photos/13-actors-who-have-played-against-type-1224}}{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/ten-best-against-type-performances-movies-ranked/|author=Sharp, Nathan|title=The 10 Best Against Type Performances In Movies, Ranked|publisher=Screen Rant|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=July 6, 2021|access-date=May 2, 2022|archive-date=July 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716185647/https://screenrant.com/ten-best-against-type-performances-movies-ranked/}}

• Christian Bale's role as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho (2000) was different from his earlier performances and he was warned against the film.{{Cite web |last=Marcos |first=Gia |date=2021-05-18 |title=Why Christian Bale Was Advised Against Playing Patrick Bateman In 'American Psycho' |url=https://www.thethings.com/why-christian-bale-was-advised-against-playing-patrick-bateman-in-american-psycho/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=TheThings |language=en}} Similarly, when he was offered the role of Batman in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins (2005), he was warned that he would be forever known as only Batman and would have trouble getting roles. The Dark Knight Trilogy turned out to be a blockbuster and Bale's performance was appreciated.{{Cite web |date=2022-11-05 |title='If you play Batman, you're never gonna play anything else again': Christian Bale Was Warned Playing Batman Was Career Suicide, His Badass Reaction: "BRING IT ON" |url=https://fandomwire.com/if-you-play-batman-youre-never-gonna-play-anything-else-again-christian-bale-was-warned-playing-batman-was-career-suicide-his-badass-reaction-bring-it-on/ |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=fandomwire.com |language=en-US}} Bale has since performed in a range of award-winning roles.{{Cite web |title=Christian Bale Awards: List of awards and nominations received by Christian Bale {{!}} Times of India Entertainment |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Christian-Bale/awards |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com |language=en}}
• Jackie Chan was originally known for playing heroic and physically comedic roles in action and adventure films across over three decades. He was cast against type for a serious role as a Chinese immigrant opposite Pierce Brosnan as a corrupted Irish politician in the 2017 thriller The Foreigner, for which Chan garnered critical acclaim.{{cite web |title=The Foreigner Review: Jackie Chan goes the 'Taken' route in Revenge Thriller |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/peter-travers-the-foreigner-proves-jackie-chan-is-still-the-man-w508341 |author=Travers, Peter|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=October 11, 2017|access-date=September 7, 2023|archive-date=September 7, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230907155818/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/the-foreigner-review-jackie-chan-goes-the-taken-route-in-revenge-thriller-114886/}}
• Sacha Baron Cohen was known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen, before potraying Israeli spy Eli Cohen in the Netflix miniseries The Spy (2019).{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/04/sacha-baron-cohen-to-star-eli-cohen-the-spy-netflix-limited-series-1202362096/|title=Sacha Baron Cohen To Star As Eli Cohen in Netflix Limited Series 'The Spy'|first1=Nellie|last1=Andreeva|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=11 April 2018}}
• Bryan Cranston had originally played the immature, childish character Hal on Malcolm in the Middle. When Vince Gilligan approached AMC about his plan to cast Cranston as the morally dubious Walter White in Breaking Bad, the network was opposed to his casting in light of his previous comedic work.{{Cite web|last=Harding|first=Amanda|date=December 13, 2020|title='Breaking Bad' Showrunner Vince Gilligan Recalls Casting Bryan Cranston in 'The X-Files' — 'OTW, Off to Wardrobe'|url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/breaking-bad-showrunner-vince-gilligan-recalls-casting-bryan-cranston-in-the-x-files-otw-off-to-wardrobe.html/|access-date=October 12, 2021|website=Showbiz Cheat Sheet|language=en-US}}
• Tom Cruise was typically known for playing heroes before director Michael Mann cast him as an amoral hitman in Collateral (2004).
• Tony Curtis was known as "Hollywood's most handsome matinee idol"; as such, he was cast against type when he played serial killer Albert DeSalvo in The Boston Strangler (1968).
• Matt Damon was at first best known for his dramatic performance skills, as showcased in Good Will Hunting (1997), before being cast against type as the action hero Jason Bourne in the Bourne films.
• Henry Fonda, best known for playing morally upright, everyman heroes, was cast by director Sergio Leone to play a sadistic villain in the Western Once Upon a Time in the West (1968).{{cite magazine|last1=Corliss|first1=Richard|title=Top 25 Greatest Villains - Henry Fonda as Frank|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2007/04/26/top-25-greatest-villains/slide/henry-fonda-as-frank/|magazine=Time|publisher=Time Inc.|access-date=8 April 2016|date=25 April 2007}} Film critic Roger Ebert argued that much of the principal cast in Once Upon a Time in the West were cast against type: "Fonda is the bad guy for once in his career; Charles Bronson is impressively inscrutable as the mysterious good guy; and Jason Robards is a tough guy, believe it or not."{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/once-upon-a-time-in-the-west-1969|author=Ebert, Roger|publisher=RogerEbert.com|language=en-US|url-status=live|title=Once Upon a Time in the West|date=June 6, 1969|access-date=February 28, 2023|archive-date=May 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515164724/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/once-upon-a-time-in-the-west-1969}}
• Ice-T, who achieved fame as a gangsta rap artist early in his career, garnered critical acclaim for his subsequent acting roles as police detectives in New Jack City (1991){{cite news |title=The Ace Behind 'New Jack'|author=Mils, David|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1991/03/10/the-ace-behind-new-jack/b8621e30-8767-4b60-b218-be9f4a696226/|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=March 10, 1991|access-date=August 16, 2022|archive-date=August 16, 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220816163507/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1991/03/10/the-ace-behind-new-jack/b8621e30-8767-4b60-b218-be9f4a696226/}} and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.{{cite web |title=Ice-T: How 'Cop Killer' Rapper Became 'Law & Order: SVU' Star |url=https://www.allvipp.com/tv-movies/law-and-order-svu-ice-t|author=Anderson, Lucas|website=ALLVIPP|date=February 16, 2021|language=en-US|url-status=live|access-date=August 16, 2022|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111154241/https://www.allvipp.com/tv-movies/law-and-order-svu-ice-t}}
• Gordon Jump, often typecast as milquetoast characters such as Arthur Carlson on WKRP in Cincinnati, took on the role of a child molester in the very special episode "The Bicycle Man" on Diff'rent Strokes. Jump considered the role "one of my most painful but rewarding parts,"{{cite news|last=Grossberg|first=Michael|date=August 12, 1997|title=A Jump Shot|work=The Columbus Dispatch|page=08E|edition=Home Final}} and the casting against type was noted as a standout moment in Jump's career.{{cite magazine|last=Ross|first=Dalton|date=October 3, 2003|url=https://ew.com/article/2003/10/03/legacy-7/|title=Legacy|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=January 15, 2020}}{{cite web|last=Grossberg|first=Joss|date=September 23, 2003|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/45900/wkrp-s-gordon-jump-dies|title=WKRP's Gordon Jump Dies|work=E! Online|access-date=January 15, 2020}}{{cite news|last=Oliver|first=Myrna|date=September 24, 2003|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-sep-24-me-jump24-story.html|title=Gordon Jump, 71; Was 'Maytag Man' in Ads, 'Big Guy' on 'WKRP' TV Series|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=January 15, 2020}}{{cite magazine|last=Cavanaugh|first=Tim|date=September 23, 2003|url=https://reason.com/2003/09/23/they-really-do-come-in-threes/|title=They Really Do Come In Threes|magazine=Reason|access-date=January 16, 2020}}
• Michael Keaton had previously starred primarily in successful feel-good comedies before director Tim Burton cast him as Bruce Wayne / Batman in the dark action-drama Batman (1989).{{cite book | first=Mark| last=Salisbury |author2=Tim Burton |author2-link=Tim Burton | title =Burton on Burton | publisher =Faber and Faber | year =2006 | location = London | pages =70–83 | isbn = 0-571-22926-3 | chapter = Batman}}
• Matthew McConaughey, who, after making several romantic comedies, sought other, more dramatic film roles. He appeared in a supporting role in The Wolf of Wall Street and starred in Interstellar and Dallas Buyers Club, receiving critical acclaim in all three films and winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for the latter. This change in the direction of his career has been dubbed the "McConaissance", and is considered a remarkable career turnaround.{{cite magazine | url=https://deadline.com/2014/06/emmys-matthew-mcconaughey-qa-on-following-oscar-with-the-game-changing-hbo-series-true-detective-740222/ | title=EMMYS Q&A: Matthew McConaughey On Following Oscar With The Game-Changing HBO Series 'Detective' | magazine=Deadline Hollywood | date=2014-06-04 | access-date=4 June 2014 | author=Fleming, Mike Jr.}}
• Glenn Milstead performed mostly as a woman under his drag queen persona, Divine, performing mostly in the works of John Waters. In 1985, he appeared in what would his be his only male role in Trouble in Mind, a role written for him but against his usual drag type.{{Cite book|title= Not Simply Divine! |last=Jay |first=Bernard |year= 1993|publisher= Virgin Books|location= London |isbn=978-0-86369-740-1 |pages=179–181}}{{Cite book|title= My Son Divine |last1=Milstead |first1=Frances |last2=Heffernan |first2=Kevin |last3=Yeager |first3=Steve |year=2001 |publisher= Alyson Books |location= Los Angeles and New York |isbn=978-1-55583-594-1 |pages=122–125, 149}} A second male role in Married... with Children was never filmed, as Milstead died after rehearsals but before taping.
• Pat Morita was known for his comedic roles in his early acting career, particularly as Arnold in the American TV sitcom Happy Days. The casting directors of The Karate Kid (1984) were initially opposed to casting Morita as Mr. Miyagi, a serious role, due to Morita's background in comedy.{{cite web |title=Pat Morita discusses getting cast as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoBeHY1Rvs0|publisher=Television Academy Foundation|via=YouTube|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=August 29, 2011|access-date=August 21, 2023|archive-date=August 21, 2023|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/MoBeHY1Rvs0}}
• Leslie Nielsen had an established career as a dramatic actor since the 1950s before appearing in the successful comedy film Airplane! (1980), specifically due to the gravitas he was able to bring to the satire. This prompted a career reinvention that saw Nielsen go on to helm the Police Squad! series and The Naked Gun trilogy. Reflecting on his against-type casting, Nielsen later stated that he always felt more comfortable as a deadpan comedic performer and embraced being typecast in that style the rest of his life.{{cite news |last1=Dalton |first1=Andrew |last2=Thomas |first2=Bob |title='Airplane!', 'Forbidden Planet' actor Nielsen dies |work=The Monitor |url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBIT_LESLIE_NIELSEN?SITE=TXMCA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208205723/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBIT_LESLIE_NIELSEN?SITE=TXMCA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |archive-date= 8 December 2010 |url-status=dead}}
• George Peppard was typecast in "tough-guy" film roles following his portrayal of a young playboy and megalomaniacal tycoon in the 1964 film The Carpetbaggers.{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/1994/5/9/19107902/pneumonia-claims-actor-george-peppard|title=PNEUMONIA CLAIMS ACTOR GEORGE PEPPARD|publisher=Associated Press|via=Deseret News|date=May 9, 1994|access-date=May 9, 2021|archive-date=May 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509171448/https://www.deseret.com/1994/5/9/19107902/pneumonia-claims-actor-george-peppard}} His career as a traditional leading man had been fading at the time by 1983, when he accepted the lead role in the TV series The A-Team, as the wisecracking, cigar-smoking head of a team of wanted commandos. Peppard stated he had wanted to transition into character actor roles but had never been given the opportunity until The A-Team.{{cite news| title=Pendulum Swings to Peppard| url=https://latimes.newspapers.com/image/633547031/?terms=Pendulum%20Swings%20to%20Peppard&match=1| last=Mann| first=Roderick| newspaper=Los Angeles Times| date=February 8, 1983| page=G2}}{{cite news| title=It's got guns and bombs, but no blood| last=Davis| first=Ivor| newspaper=The Globe and Mail| location=Toronto| date=February 26, 1983| page=10}}
• Tyler Perry came to prominence for comedic roles but in the crime drama in Gone Girl (2014) played a lawyer who specializes in defending men accused of killing their wives.{{Cite web|url=https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2014/10/movie-review-gone-girl-2014/|author=Owen, Luke|title=Movie Review: Gone Girl (2014)|date=October 2, 2014|access-date=April 4, 2021|website=Flickering Myth}}
• Bob Saget began his career as a particularly vulgar stand-up comic. In the late 1980s, he was cast against type on television as the squeaky-clean Danny Tanner on Full House, which led to him also hosting the family-friendly America's Funniest Home Videos. Despite his new reputation as "America's Dad" from these roles, Saget maintained his vulgar stand-up routine for the rest of his life and played the contrast between the two types for laughs, which is credited with keeping his appeal fresh among the young adults (millennials) who watched him as children.{{Cite web|last=Harvilla|first=Rob|date=2022-01-10|title=The Duality of Bob Saget Is What Made Him Special|url=https://www.theringer.com/tv/2022/1/10/22875920/bob-saget-full-house-aristocrats-obituary|access-date=2022-01-12|website=The Ringer|language=en}}
• Adam Sandler is best known for his comedy roles, in which he typically plays an "aggressive man-child" and an "extreme character surrounded by regular people."{{cite web |date= 6 November 2018 |last= Kirshner |first= Alex |title= How the people behind 'The Waterboy' created a cult classic |url= https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/11/6/17969268/the-waterboy-movie-interview |website= SBNation.com }} Director Paul Thomas Anderson cast Sandler in a dramatic role in Punch-Drunk Love (2002), as a man facing psychosis who goes "from understated sorrow to rage and back again." He again returned to serious work in The Meyerowitz Stories (2017), with Peter Debruge of Variety writing of his role, "With no shtick to fall back on, Sandler is forced to act, and it's a glorious thing to watch."{{cite magazine|author=Debruge, Peter|title=Cannes Film Review: 'The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)'|magazine=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/the-meyerowitz-stories-review-1202437960/|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=May 21, 2017|access-date=August 17, 2020|archive-date=May 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523121843/https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/the-meyerowitz-stories-review-1202437960/}} For his leading role in Uncut Gems (2019), Sandler received critical acclaim, with some commentators calling it the best of his career.{{cite news |last1=Loughrey?|first1=Clarisse |title=Uncut Gems review: The best performance of Adam Sandler's career |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/uncut-gems-review-adam-sandler-safdie-brothers-cast-director-a9276151.html |access-date=March 30, 2023 |work=The Independent |date=January 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227152613/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/uncut-gems-review-adam-sandler-safdie-brothers-cast-director-a9276151.html |archive-date=February 27, 2023|url-status=live |quote=In the Safdie brothers' Uncut Gems, he plays Howard Ratner, a gambling addict and jeweller in New York's Diamond District – it's the best performance of his career. Sandler toys with his audience's empathy, disgust and pity like a cat with its next meal.}}{{cite news |last1=Dowd |first1=A. A. |title=Adam Sandler delivers the performance of his career in the audacious stress-machine comedy Uncut Gems |url=https://www.avclub.com/adam-sandler-delivers-the-performance-of-his-career-in-1840375231 |access-date=March 30, 2023 |work=The A.V. Club |date=December 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327200929/https://www.avclub.com/adam-sandler-delivers-the-performance-of-his-career-in-1840375231 |archive-date=March 27, 2023}}
• While James Stewart was known for his "affable" everyman roles, such as a businessman and father in It's a Wonderful Life, in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958), he was cast against type as a "troubling or unsettling" character whose "mind unravels" until he attains a "cold, chilling air of sexual paranoia and control."{{Cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/uk/go/41250|title=15 actors who magnificently played against type|website=Den of Geek|author=Wilson, Sean|date=June 10, 2016|access-date=February 9, 2021|archive-date=March 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317011112/http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/movies/actors/41250/15-actors-who-magnificently-played-against-type}}
• John Wayne, known for playing heroic cowboys and lawmen, played antihero Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (1969). Wayne was cast against type several times in his career, including as Genghis Khan in The Conqueror (1956).Weiler, A. H. (March 31, 1956). [https://www.nytimes.com/1956/03/31/archives/screen-the-conqueror-john-wayne-stars-in-oriental-western.html "Screen: 'The Conqueror'".] The New York Times. 13.
• Betty White, known for playing the sexually liberated Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show,{{cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/news/golden-girls-facts|title=10 Things You May Not Know About 'The Golden Girls'|author=Maranzani, Barbara|publisher=Biography.com|date=March 30, 2021|access-date=August 22, 2021|archive-date=March 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330173330/https://www.biography.com/news/golden-girls-facts}}{{cite web|author=Henbest, Danielle|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/interviews/still_golden_a.html|title=Still Golden – A Talk With Betty White|date=2007|access-date=August 22, 2021|archive-date=May 17, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517004416/http://www.dvdtalk.com/interviews/still_golden_a.html}}{{cite web|author=Nasson, Tim|url=http://www.wildaboutmovies.com/interviews/WildAboutMoviesGoldenGirlBettyWhite.php|date=November 1, 2004|access-date=August 22, 2021|title=Golden Girl Betty White Interview with Tim Nasson|archive-date=January 2, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050102234935/http://www.wildaboutmovies.com/interviews/WildAboutMoviesGoldenGirlBettyWhite.php}} and Rue McClanahan, who had been known for playing scatterbrained characters such as Vivian Harmon in Maude and Fran Crowley in Mama's Family, were cast in opposite types in The Golden Girls: White played the naïve Rose Nylund, and McClanahan played sultry Southern belle Blanche Devereaux. Bea Arthur, for whom the lead role of Dorothy Zbornak had been conceived, was initially reluctant to join the cast, thinking that the typecasting would prompt viewers to see White and McClanahan as simply continuing their previous roles, but the "flip-flop" casting of the two types, and the originality of the show's premise, convinced her to sign on to the project.{{cite book|author=White, Betty|title=Here We Go Again: My Life In Television|series=A Lisa Drew book|isbn=0-684-80042-X|location=New York|publisher=Scribner Books|year=1995|oclc=32132388}}
• Robin Williams, a successful comedian and situation comedy actor, was cast against type in Insomnia and One Hour Photo (both 2002), two films in which he depicted "spine-chilling psychosis" and insanity. He also played the role of a therapist in Good Will Hunting.
• Chris Evans' first real success as an actor came by playing a series of character he has called "jocky pricks": good-looking but mean-spirited men known for their smugness, in films including Fantastic Four (2005), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), and What's Your Number?. Evans has commented, "I got cast as a lot of assholes." His role in Captain America featured a very different morality to the character.{{cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/story/chris-evans-october-cover-profile-2023|title=Chris Evans Is Having Second Thoughts|magazine=GQ|author=Baron, Zach|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=September 19, 2023|access-date=September 27, 2023|archive-date=September 19, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230919182014/https://www.gq.com/story/chris-evans-october-cover-profile-2023}}{{cite book |last1=Stevens |first1=J Richard |title=Captain America, Masculinity, and Violence: The Evolution of a National Icon |date=2015|page=277|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=978-0815633952}} After fulfilling a seven-picture contract with Marvel Studios to play the character, which ended with Avengers: Endgame (2019), Evans returned to playing villainous characters in films such as Knives Out (2019), The Gray Man (2022), and Pain Hustlers (2023).
• Robert Downey Jr. was known as a critically acclaimed actor, getting nominated for Academy Awards for his role in Chaplin and Tropic Thunder. Then he played Tony Stark / Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for 11 years from Iron Man (2008) to Avengers: Endgame (2019). Downey Jr feared that he might lose his acting skills by playing the same character for a decade, saying, "You start to wonder if a muscle you have hasn’t atrophied". Post leaving MCU, Downey starred in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, as Lewis Strauss, getting critical acclaim for that role and won an Academy Award.{{Cite web |last=Dumaraog |first=Ana |date=2023-07-11 |title=RDJ Admits Fears The MCU Ruined His Acting Skills As His Latest Role Gets Raves |url=https://screenrant.com/robert-downey-jr-mcu-iron-man-acting-skill-fear/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}{{Cite news |last1=Pulver |first1=Andrew |last2=Shoard |first2=Catherine |date=2024-03-11 |title=Robert Downey Jr wins best supporting actor Oscar for Oppenheimer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/11/robert-downey-jr-best-supporting-actor-oscar |access-date=2024-04-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
• Jim Carrey, notable for starring in comedies like Liar Liar (1997), Dumb and Dumber (1994), and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), played against type in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) where he plays a bookish introvert.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-28 |title=25 films where actors brilliantly played against type |url=https://www.yardbarker.com/entertainment/articles/25_films_where_actors_brilliantly_played_against_type_122723/s1__24515020 |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=Yardbarker |language=en}}
• Emma Watson, notable for playing Hermione Granger in Harry Potter series, normally has an image of a good girl. However, she went against her image in The Bling Ring (2013), where she played Nicki Moore, a brash and a self-obsessed fame-seeker, for which she got critical acclaim.{{Cite web |last=Lloyd |first=Brian |date=2013-04-03 |title=Emma Watson talks typecasting fears. |url=https://entertainment.ie/movies/movie-news/emma-watson-talks-typecasting-fears-244776/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=Entertainment.ie |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Strong |first=Hannah |title=Everyone should apologise to Emma Watson about The Bling Ring |url=https://i-d.co/article/emma-watson-the-bling-ring-sofia-coppola/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=i-d.vice.com |language=en}}
• Heath Ledger was known for his lighthearted or romantic roles in films like 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), A Knight's Tale (2001), and Brokeback Mountain (2005). When he was cast as the psychopathic criminal mastermind Joker in The Dark Knight (2008), it was met with a significant public backlash.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-01 |title="Worst casting decision ever made": Heath Ledger's Joker Casting Got Christopher Nolan in Serious Trouble |url=https://fandomwire.com/worst-casting-decision-ever-made-heath-ledgers-joker-casting-got-christopher-nolan-in-serious-trouble/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=fandomwire.com |language=en-US}} However, after the movie released, Ledger's performance received widespread critical acclaim, to the point that it has been termed as one of the greatest performances ever.{{Cite web |last=Kinsella |first=Carl |date=2023-07-18 |title=15 years on, Heath Ledger's Joker performance remains one of the best of all time |url=https://www.joe.co.uk/entertainment/15-years-on-heath-ledgers-joker-performance-remains-one-of-the-best-of-all-time-400269 |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=JOE.co.uk |language=en-US}} Ledger posthumously received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in the 81st Academy Awards for his role as the Joker.{{Cite web |title=Everyone who has won a posthumous Oscar |url=https://ew.com/awards/oscars/all-the-posthumous-oscar-winners/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=EW.com |language=en}}

• Child actor
• Brat Pack – 1980s
• Brit Pack – 1980s
• Frat Pack – 1990s and 2000s
• Rat Pack – 1950s and 1960s
• Stunt casting

{{Reflist}}

Category:Acting