20 Actors who broke the myth of typecasting

Often, while acting, actors develop a niche area of their expertise in which they perform quite wonderfully. For some, it may be action for others comedy, and often switching from one niche to another, can fail quite miserably. This usually happens because the audience gets used to seeing a particular actor in that type of role. However several actors have managed to break the myth of typecasting. Here is a list of 20 such actors.

20) Bruce Willis

It might be quite difficult to imagine Bruce Willis in a comedy role, but initially, when the actor started his journey in Hollywood, it was with a comedy TV series titled Moonlight. He was much loved in that role and imagining him in any other type of role other than comedy was proving to be quite difficult for the audience. Bruce Willis managed this shift, with his 1988 movie – Die Hard. Although he earned a lot of popularity with this role, Bruce Willis did not limit himself to being an action hero. He went on to work in thrillers like Pulp Fiction and dramatic movies like The Sixth Sense. He has even worked in dark humor films like – The Whole Nine Yards.

19) Amanda Seyfried

Another example of a versatile actress who managed to break the typecast stereotype is Amanda Seyfried. She came into public notice with her role as Karen Smith in the movie Mean Girls. Her performance bordering on comedy was quite loved, and then she moved on to work in a musical, the iconic 2008 film – Mamma Mia. Audiences started noticing her as a comic comforting actress, but then she gradually started changing her niche. Through working in other romantic films like – Dear John, and Letters to Juliet, Amanda Seyfried then moved on to performing in much darker and more intense roles, such as those in the movies – Chloe, Lovelace, First Reformed, and others. She is now well known for her performance in horror movies too, like – Jennifers Body and Things Heard and Seen.

18) Ralph Fiennes

Actor Ralph Fiennes found himself being typecasted as a villainous character in a lot of films. It started with the movie – Schindler's List, and he followed it up with his roles in movies like – The English Patient, The Constant Gardener, and Coriolanus. After he portrayed the role of none other than Lord Voldemort, the biggest and the darkest villain of all, the audience was not ready to see him perform any other role. But Raph Fiennes broke out of this notion when he worked in the film – The Grand Budapest Hotel, where he portrayed the role of a concierge, who is quirky, charming, witty, and humorous. Thus he managed to move out of dark roles and embrace comedy.

17) Elijah Wood

Elijah Wood has been working in the industry for a long period. He started his career as a child actor in the film - The Adventures of Huck Finn. He reached peak stardom with the film The Lord of the Rings, and by this time he had managed to typecast himself as a fantasy actor. Elijah Wood was determined to change his image which was perceived in the industry and managed to do so with his role in the film - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and even dark roles in films like – Sin City, Maniac, and Come to Daddy, to mention a few.

16) Daniel Radcliffe

Another actor who found himself troubled by the notion of typecasting was Daniel Radcliffe, also known as Harry Potter. The Harry Potter series was so popular and so loved that the audience wasn't ready to imagine actor Daniel Radcliffe in any other role. It is well-known in the industry that typecasting leads to the downfall of talented actors. But Daniel Radcliffe was determined to prove this notion wrong and started taking up emotionally intense rules such as those of in the movie – Equus and musical - How to Succeed in Business without really trying. It was after Daniel Radcliffe established himself as a deep actor that he moved on to performing in comedy films like – Swiss Army Man and horror films like – The Woman in Black and Horns. His most notable role since Harry Potter came with the magician thriller movie – Now You See Me 2.

15) Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler is now a name synonymous with comedy in Hollywood. He has worked in a plethora of comic movies like – Billy, Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, 51 First Dates, Grown-Ups, and so many more. Sandler working in any other genre besides comedy was a shock for the audience and it happened with his role in the movie Punch– Drunk Love. His role in this movie was very emotional and he was widely praised for it. He then moved on to action roles with films like - Uncut Gems, thus breaking his typecast as a comic actor.

14) Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is another actor who had established himself in the industry as a comic genius. His guest roles in the TV series – Sex and the City and Alias, played pivotal roles in making him a successful star in comedy. He solidified that reputation with further roles in the movie – Wedding Crashers, and the iconic – The Hangover Trilogy. Bradley Cooper changed this typecast with dark and intense roles like those in the movies – Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, American Sniper, and A Star is Born. He even debuted singing for his role in the movie – A Star Is Born.

13) Bryan Cranston

Bryan Cranston started his career with comedy roles in television series like – Baywatch, Seinfeld, Malcolm in the Middle, and others. He was widely appreciated for his comic timing and was often offered roles in comedy series like these. But he broke all the myths and notions related to typecasting with his incredible transformation for the role of Walter White in the prime-time Emmy-winning series – Breaking Bad. He continued his career in dark action roles with films like – Argo, Drive, The Infiltrator, and even Godzilla. This was not it for Cranston. He then moved on to Broadway and with his role in the play – All the Way and Network, winning a Tony Award for each. This shows his versatility and talent as an actor.

12) Natalie Portman

Actress, Natalie Portman debuted in Hollywood at the age of 12. She started with action roles in movies like – Leon: The Professional and Star Wars – the Phantom Menace. She moved to more dramatic roles in movies like – V for Vendetta. By then she had established herself as an action star who was great with stunts. However, Natalie Portman broke all expectations and proved that she could even perform those roles that required physical as well as mental preparations like that in the movie – Black Swan. She further diversified her acting prowess in the romantic comedy No Strings Attached in 2011.

11) Chris Pratt

When Chris Pratt began working in the acting sector, nobody could have imagined he would take up action-requiring roles in the future. He started his career in the comedy series – Parks and Recreation. He made a reputation for himself with his lovable, quirky humor and earned a lot of appreciation for his role. He defied all expectations when in 2014, the Marvel Cinematic Universe cast him as Peter Quill in the movie series – Guardians of the Galaxy. Even though this role required some action sequences, he still managed to keep the comedy and charm that was associated with him. But he proved that he could work in a lot of versatile roles when he took up the sci-fi film – Passengers alongside Jennifer Lawrence and the time travel action film – The Tomorrow War.

10) Matthew McConaughey

When Matthew McConaughey debuted in Hollywood with a role in the film – Dazed and Confused, he established himself as a laid-back romantic guy. This landed him other roles in films of the same genre– The Wedding Planner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Failure to Launch and so many more. To break free of the typecasting of the guy next door type of roles, he shifted over to, the movie – The Lincoln Lawyer and Mud, which were on a more deeper note. He truly shed away the typecasting with his role in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi film – Interstellar. He is widely appreciated in the movie fraternity, especially after he won an Oscar for his role in the movie – Dallas Buyers Club.

9) Charlize Theron

When the actress Charlize Theron started acting in Hollywood, she was stereotyped for being a beautiful woman only. Most production companies gave her roles that only required her to dress up and play dumb, like those in the movies – Two Days in the Valley, The Devil's Advocate, and others. She was so keen to break out of the stereotype that she took up the movie Monsters. She underwent a transformation where she gained 30 pounds used prosthetics to change her facial features and broke out of the beauty stereotype. After her role in Monsters, she got more dramatic roles like those in – North Country and Young Adults. She further broke typecasting when she entered the field of action with a role in the film – Mad Max: Fury Road.

8) Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway has proven that she is the perfect fit for any role. Be it comedy or drama, she can work it all. But this was not the case always. When she started acting, she first gained public attention with her movie – The Princess Diaries. She was typecast as a charming, innocent young girl who got her other Disney movies like – Ella Enchanted and The Devil Wears Prada. She broke out of this typecast with her role in the 2012 movie – Les Miserables. This role was quite an intense one and required her to shave off her hair and even sing in the movie. She received a lot of appreciation for her role and because of this started getting offers of much more bolder and complex roles like those in the movie – Interstellar. She entered the sector of action with her role as cat woman in The Dark Knight Rises and even has experience in comedy with movies like – The Hustle and Oceans Eight.

7) Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson established himself globally, with his role in the vampire romance movie – The Twilight Saga. He portrayed the role of the vampire, Edward Cullen, and became a teenage sensation. But despite the fame, this role brought with it, it also led to a problem of typecasting where he struggled to find deep and meaningful roles after this. He first broke away from typecasting with the 2012 movie – Cosmopolis, and then an even more haunting role in the movie – The Rover. Since then he has done many dark roles, but what managed to establish a new image of Robert Pattinson was the 2022 movie – The Batman. This role managed to give him a completely different sector of fans and in fact, he was even appreciated for his excellent portrayal of the iconic figure - Batman.

6) Daniel Craig

Daniel, Craig is well known for his role as the iconic James Bond. Portraying the 007, agent in movies like – Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre made a reputation for him in Hollywood as an action star who does wonders in drama and thrillers. The audience was not ready to see him in any other role, but he managed to break this typecast with his fantastic performance in the comedy movie – Logan Lucky and Knives Out. Comedy was not the only genre he chose to break his typecast with. Portraying James Bond had made him a hero-like figure in the eyes of the audience. So he even undertook some villainous roles, where he portrayed, morally grey characters like those in the film – The Golden Compass, Flashbacks of a Fool, and others.

5) Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey is another actor who rose to fame with comedy. His iconic career-defining roles came with comedy films like – Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. Moreover, he went on to become a successful comedy star with roles in other comedy films, like – Liar Liar, The Truman Show, and Bruce Almighty. By then people loved and appreciated him as a quirky happy guy who had a knack for comedy timing and managed to make the audience laugh. His transformation came with his 2004 role in the movie – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This role required emotional depth which he was able to provide excellently and this led him to enter the more dramatic and darker side of the industry with his role in movies like – Man on the Moon, The Majestic, Kick-Ass 2, and a lot more.

4) Robin Williams

Just like Jim Carrey, Robin Williams also was appreciated for his comedy. He even started his career as a stand-up comedian and then moved on to television shows like – Mork and Mindy, Good Morning Vietnam, and Mrs Doubtfire. To break the stereotype of comedy, he slowly started shifting to roles that were an amalgamation of drama and humor. These roles included movies like – Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, and The Fisher King. But he completely broke free of the mold with his complex, and much more challenging roles like those in movies such as Insomnia, One Hour Photo, and Patch Adams.

3) Will Smith

Will Smith enjoys global dominance with his role in movies like – Bad Boys, Independence Day, The Pursuit of Happyness, and various others. But when he entered acting, it was in the TV series – The Fresh Prince of Bel–Air. This role established him as kind of a hip comedy rap guy and he was offered roles on the same note. Despite this, Will Smith managed to break free of the typecasting, with his dramatic roles in movies like Bad Boys and Independence Day, and his most emotionally vulnerable role came in the 2006 movie – The Pursuit of Happyness. He moved on to other dark roles like those in the movies – I, Robot and Seven Pounds. Today he enjoys stardom and is known for being a versatile actor, who can perform excellently in comedy roles, action ones, and sometimes even emotional roles.

2) Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp entered the industry with little to no experience or training in acting. So when he performed excellently as a teen heartthrob in the movie - 21 Jump Street, viewers started associating him with that niche. And to break free from this and establish himself as an actor who can do it all, he starred in the 1990 movie – Crybaby. He then went on to show the world that he could do great in comedy and took up roles like – Edward Scissorhands. His most popular breakthrough came with the Pirates of the Caribbean series where his performance as the pirate captain Jack Sparrow was so powerful and full of his personal inputs that he established himself, not only as an action hero but also as a pioneer of humor.

1) Tom Cruise

When the name, Tom Cruise is mentioned, an action star is what comes to one's mind. Tom Cruise has established himself as a successful action star who performs his stunts in movies like – Top Gun, Mission Impossible series, Jack Reacher series, Born on 4 July, Edge of Tomorrow and so many more. While it is so easy to be typecast as an action hero, Tom Cruise throughout his career has proved that he can do much more. His versatility can be seen with his roles in films like - Risky Business and Jerry Maguire, where he showed the romantic comedy side of his acting prowess. He also proved he can perform dramatic and emotionally vulnerable roles with movies like – Rain Man and Mongolia. His comedy side was further portrayed in the movie Tropic Thunder and in fact, he took it a step further by proving that he can also work excellently in gothic period films like – Interview with the Vampire.