Being typecast as an actor can be a positive or a negative thing depending on how one looks at it since from a negative point of view it would mean that an actor only takes on certain types of roles and as such might not have a lot of range when it comes to their talents. But on a positive note, they do know how to perform a function that they might be able to find several roles for. But more than that, if someone that’s normally typecast can find a role that moves away from their normal fare it can come as a real surprise to their fans, and with the right movie and director, they can stand to make a huge impact. Some actors don’t mind being typecast since it allows them to stay in their comfort zone while possibly working on other acting skills that might benefit them later on down the line. But a lot of actors do try their absolute best to avoid being typecast, but it’s a bit difficult when an actor becomes known for one particular type of role that they continue to be cast in. People start to expect them to stick with that character, so long as it works, and might actually be upset if they step outside of their own comfort zone. There have been plenty of actors that have done this and prospered, and there have been those that have tried and had to go back to what they knew best.
Here are a few of the most typecast actors of all time.
5. Danny Trejo
Danny tends to be seen as the tough guy that you don’t want to cross because he has multiple ways that he can use to mess a person up. His appearance in From Dusk till Dawn made it clear that he’s a tough individual, but his prison record only heightens that feeling. Over the years he’s taken on various roles, and he’s even been a part of a few projects that were geared for kids, so it’s easy to see he’s been trying to shed the tough guy act at least a little bit. But thanks to his appearance he’s been seen as perfect to be either the hardened villain or the rough and tough hero that’s had a checkered past.
4. Seth Rogen
For a long time now Rogen has played the part of the guy that you might have known when you were younger and were friends with simply because both of you needed someone to hang out with. But throughout a lot of his movies it became evident that no matter how grown up he acted at times he was still the guy that hadn’t fully grown up yet and had no plans to. It didn’t even matter when he lost a ton of weight since he was still the manchild that knew that he would eventually have to grow up but hadn’t decided on how to do that just yet. He’s done his best to step out of that role but it’s never gone that well.
3. Michael Biehn
He’s usually been some type of authority in his movies, either military or law enforcement, and he’s fit this role quite well since while he’s not as big or even that prominent as a lot of actions are, he’s still fit the role without any issue. But there was one turn that saw him act the part of the villain, there’s been more than one, that saw him take on a truly demented persona that was a lot of fun to watch. His time as Johnny Ringo, a fictionalized version obviously, in Tombstone was great since he broke bad without breaking a sweat and made the character someone that people could really love to hate.
2. Jason Statham
Let’s face it, he’s an action star and that’s how it’s going to be for the foreseeable future since there’s very little in his resume that doesn’t include him being a tough guy that has a troubled past of some sort. He’s usually a decorated veteran that served in some branch of the military or is a specialist in some field, and he always knows how to fight. One good thing about Statham though is that his characters do usually get lumped up a bit, he’s not a Seagal-type hero that never gets hit, and the fight scenes he’s involved in are usually kind of interesting.
1. Morgan Freeman
The wise old man role has been taken on by quite a few individuals throughout the history of cinema, but something about Freeman’s voice and character simply put him in this light no matter what role he’s taken on. He’s been the bad guy before, and it just doesn’t really stick to the memory as many other roles have since many people listen to his voice and instantly want to feel soothed.
Typecasting isn’t always bad, but unless it gives people room to work with a type of character it can be a bit stifling.
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