Being someone you’re not takes a lot to pull off. Even if it is for a job, i.e. acting (as opposed to lying, feigning, avoiding situations or responsibilities, etc.).
It’s even more so impressive when an actor who’s historically predominantly been typecast to fill a particular kind of role breaks free from the shackles of assumption and proves to the world just how versatile they are as professionals.
Well, folks on Reddit have been discussing just that: actors who were typecast, but performed spectacularly in a role against that type. Take a scroll down the list to see the answers, and why not also share some of your insights and picks for the list in the comment section below.
And be sure to check out our interview with horror blogger Palvi Sharma who provides insights into typecasting from the perspective of the horror genre.
#1
Tom Hanks was the adorable jokester and lovable romcom man until he did Philadelphia and then he became very versatile for everything.
Image source: Ok-Sprinklez
#2
Ik it’s a TV show but Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad is a no brainer for this.
Image source: cjhoops13, Sony Pictures Television
#3
Surprised I haven’t seen Ralph Finnes in here. Guy built his career on prestige drama roles, and never shied away from playing an unlikable character. See The English Patient, Schindler’s List, Red Dragon, The Dutchess, Harry Potter, etc. His performances are always heavy.
Then he goes and does The Grand Budapest and you see the guy has great comedic timing. Blew my mind to be laughing at Ralph Finnes.
Image source: Snoopy_Dancer, FOX Searchlight Pictures
#4
Heath Ledger as the Joker
Image source: VrinTheTerrible, Warner Bros
#5
Charlize Theron in *Monster*.
Image source: –TheForce–
#6
Robin Williams playing a killer in Insomnia was always so striking to me. He did such a great job and it was so different from his prior roles.
Image source: chrisball96, Warner Bros
#7
Woody Harrelson. It would be an understatement to say people were surprised when Woody from Cheers showed up starring in Natural Born Killers.
Also, Bruce Willis. Until Die Hard, everyone knew him as a romantic lead. He was in Moonlighting with Cybill Shepherd.
Image source: Nerditter, Warner Bros
#8
Bruce Willis broke into action roles with Die Hard.
TheBoredMan replied:
Yeah people these days forget Bruce Willis was a TV heart throb when Die Hard came out. People were used to 80s body builders starring in action movies and a lot of the buzz came from confusion “An action movie starring BRUCE WILLIS wtf??”
moo-loy replied:
Audiences laughed en mass when trailers for Die Hard were aired. The thought of Bruce Willis playing an action hero was hilarious to the general public.
Image source: eddietwoo, 20th Century Studios
#9
Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys. That movie showed the world that he could act and wasn’t just a pretty actor.
Image source: Imzadi76
#10
John Travolta in Pulp Fiction. Everyone and I mean everyone at the time associated him with the Look Who’s talking movies and Saturday Night Fever. Then he just gets this amazing career revival and puts out a badass performance in an instant classic.
Image source: anon
#11
I think Sally Field provided the blueprint for breaking type casting originally with Sybil. Then came her Oscar wins.
Image source: LeeF1179
#12
Gary Oldman played a lot of bad guys. Liam Neeson played a lot of good guys.
Christopher Nolan reversed that typecasting in Batman Begins.
Image source: BlueRFR3100, Warner Bros
#13
Several have mentioned Robin Williams but I didn’t see any mention of *Awakenings*, a straight dramatic role with virtually none of his usual comic shenanigans.
Macaulay Culkin in *My Girl* plays a role that’s almost a total opposite of the *Home Alone* character he’s best known for.
Image source: mwalimu59
#14
Steve Carell comes to mind for mainly being known for his comedic roles to then doing films like foxcatcher and beautiful boy.
AmusingMusing7 replied:
I think Little Miss Sunshine was his first real dramatic role.
Image source: Tacoenthusiast212, Annapurna Pictures
#15
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. People were scoffing at the idea that the snarky goofball from Fantastic Four would be the stalwart, noble leader of the avengers. Said Downey would act him off the screen in Avengers. That the character itself was too boring and he wouldn’t elevate it. Instead became the heart and soul of the MCU and a superhero icon.
Image source: Afwife1992, Marvel Universe
#16
Between the latest James Bond movies and *Layer Cake*, **Daniel Craig** is mostly known as “suave British spy / criminal.” But later he proved he has comedic talent and also a knack for southern accents in *Logan Lucky* and the *Knives Out* films.
Image source: TJ_McWeaksauce
#17
Stanley Tucci in the Hunger Games.
Image source: PostMerryDM, Lionsgate
#18
Most recently I would say Jamie Lee Curtis in Everything Everywhere All At Once. She is known for pretty or sexy or put together characters. In Everything she is dowdy (sometimes evil) but never her usual – and she was great.
Image source: fish23407
#19
Tom Cruise – Les Grossman.
Image source: pintosmooth, DreamWorks Pictures
#20
Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems.
acart005 replied:
I scrolled too damn far before I saw Adam. That man is a Robin Williams level actor in the right films when it comes to flawless serious and comedic acting.
The problem is he figured out he gets paid more to hang out with his friends on camera for mid comedies (ex. Grown Ups). You can’t blame him if the studio is gonna pay for you and all your bros to hangout in Hawaii for a few months AND you get a dump truck of cash, you would do it too. So even though I think he has the actual acting potential to equal Robin, his overall filmography never will which is sad.
His debut comedies are eternal classics and Punch Drunk Love, Longest Yard, and Uncut Gems are all extremely well made serious films.
Image source: Upbeat-Fox7091, A24
#21
Robert Pattinson post-Twilight BUT ALSO I have so much respect for Elijah Wood and Daniel Radcliffe. They made their money and then just started doing BONKERS stuff that they really believed in and wanted to do. Elijah Wood in Sin City and I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore (plus SpectreVision which is a production company he started that produces proper B horror), and Radcliffe in Horns, Swiss Army Man, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
FreeShavocadoCitizen replied:
Agree 100%. Loved Elijah so much growing up, then he went from hobbit to serial killer and it was chilling.
justhere4daSpursnGOT replied:
Green street hooligans is a great movie that he really gave his all in. Completely changed my view of him
Image source: skinnyminnesota, Tango Entertainment
#22
Marlon Wayans in Requiem for a Dream
Image source: widdumqueso717
#23
I think Matthew McConaughey is up there for breaking out of the romcom stuff to do things like Interstellar.
Image source: Maut99, Warner Bros
#24
Jason Bateman in Ozark?
Image source: Sxn90
#25
Jeff Daniels in *Dumb & Dumber*
Image source: Positive_Prompt_3171, Universal Pictures
#26
Tom Hanks in Road to Perdition. He leaned into that role so hard and it really paid off. Never would’ve thought he’d play a great gangster like that.
Image source: Wilthadg, DreamWorks
#27
Most recently Dave Bautista in Knock at the Cabin.
AliasUndercover123 replied:
Bautista in every role. Dude broke in with Guardians and then made a decision to go as varied as possible to break the typecast and prove he’s got skill. He’s the anti-Rock.
deathbystereo007 replied:
I love that he very obviously cares about working with great directors and pushing boundaries with interesting roles. The Rock has chosen instead to chase money & feed his ego – & thus, has taken on almost no roles that take risks. At one time he did seem relatively eager to take on different types of roles (like in Be Cool), but somewhere along the way he became satisfied with just playing the same character over and over. I don’t mean to say that all of his films are bad. The Jumanji reboot & the sequel were surprisingly good. I just always know exactly what I’m getting from The Rock in a movie & that can become stale pretty quickly.
Image source: maskofharrow89, Universal Studios
#28
I haven’t seen anyone mention James Caan’s amazing performance in Elf or George Clooney going to near Nic Cage levels in Burn After Reading. I think Burn After Reading is an amazing overlooked Coen Brothers movie that does a good job getting actors to play against type
Image source: trans_pands, Focus Features
#29
Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me.
Image source: monachopsisismynorm, Twentieth Century Fox Film
#30
Hugh Grant in The Gentlemen
Image source: Nothingnoteworth, Entertainment Film Distributors
Follow Us
