Actors have to be chameleons at work, living out characters of different hues. However, getting type-casted is always a problem in Hollywood, with actors frequently being shackled to an image that fetched fame in the past. Then, they find it hard to shed the image. Here’s a list of 20 actors who decided to reinvent themselves and break free from the mould.
1. Daniel Radcliffe
Cinema's Harry Potter had a lot to do in order to shake off his wizard persona, and the actor has done well for himself. Post the Harry Potter films, Radcliffe took on intriguing roles such as Allen Ginsberg in Kill Your Darlings, Igor in Victor Frankenstein, and Al Yankovic in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. As Al Yankovic, the actor gave comedy a shot and proved his versatility to fans and critics.
2. Steve Martin
Steve Martin has had an impressive run. He began as a stand-up comic and became successful. His first starring role in a feature film happened in the 1979 comedy, The Jerk, and the performance was loved by audiences and critics alike. Martin was among the most in-demand comedy stars of Hollywood for most of the eighties, nineties and the 2000s, starring in hits such as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Father of the Bride, The Pink Panther and more. However, at the peak of popularity, the actor ventured out and learned tap dancing for six months for his role in Pennies from Heaven.
3. Gillian Anderson
One of the most beloved TV actors of the 1990s, Gillian Anderson rose to fame as Dana Scully in The X-Files. The pathbreaking paranormal show was a global hit, and Anderson's portrayal as Scully, an FBI special agent and MD who was into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), had an impact. It triggered off The Scully Effect, inspiring many women of the generation to take up roles in these challenging fields. However, Anderson surprised all by deviating from straightjacket roles and playing the quirky sex therapist Jean Milburn in Sex Education.
4. Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh avoided being stereotyped as the protagonist’s best friend, and opened the avenue for herself and other Asian actors. As Dr. Cristina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy, Sandra Oh won hearts playing a smart and supportive friend to Meredith Grey on the show. Oh, however, yearned for more and went on to stun audiences and critics with her role of Eve Polastri in Killing Eve, who has a dark side to her.
5. Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston was known for playing the awkward father, Hal Wilkerson, in the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. A dedicated actor, he demonstrated physical comedy brilliantly and made it difficult for anyone to imagine him in serious roles. Therefore, fans and critics were bowled over when he portrayed the powerful persona of a drug lord in Breaking Bad. The show marks his breakthrough success and underlines how versatile the actor is.
6. Julie Andrews
Known for her back-to-back musical superhits Mary Poppins (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965), Julie Andrews was quickly pigeonholed as the sweet and angelic protagonist who can do no wrong. But the actress decided to go against the grain and starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s political thriller, Torn Curtain, and even went topless in the black comedy, S.O.B. Even though the movie didn’t become successful, Andrews was happy to shun her miss-goody-two-shoes image and take on something more challenging.
7. Zac Efron
Zac Efron won the hearts of teenage girls with his starring role in High School Musical, as the popular basketball jock and romantic partner. However, he would soon become typecast as a heartthrob and star in similar films such as 17 Again. Efron then decided to reinvent himself by starring in Baywatch, Firestarter, The Iron Claw, and more. His most notable shift happened with his portrayal of the serial killer Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. It was a role that demanded Efron to completely transform from chocolate boy hero to brutal villain.
8. Jensen Ackles
Known for portraying Dean Winchester in the fantasy show, Supernatural, Jensen Ackles found fame by becoming typecast as the cute actor who always played morally upright characters. His roles in Days of our Lives and Dawson’s Creek, were considered safe characters, too. The actor then chose to play Soldier Boy in the dark satire The Boys, and his versatility shone through. Ackles was finally able to shed the Winchester prototype, with a character that was destructive and fun.
9. Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz came into Hollywood from the world of modelling, and was soon stereotyped as the beautiful bombshell thanks to her roles in films such as The Mask, She's The One, My Best Friend's Wedding and There’s Something About Mary. The actress then challenged herself playing Lotte Schwartz in the surrealist comedy, Being John Malkovich. Departing from her glamorous persona, she transformed into a frumpy, frizzy-haired character and earned a Golden Globe nod. She went on to show her range as an actor in films such as Vanilla Sky, Gangs of New York, and more.
10. Robert Pattinson
The handsome actor achieved massive success by portraying the vampire Edward Cullen in the hit franchise, Twilight. The romantic fantasy film series quickly stereotyped him as a teenybopper heartthrob, but the actor was looking to reinvent his screen image. He proved this by signing varied roles in films such as Water for Elephants, Cosmopolis, High Life, and more. Pattinson is now considered a versatile actor and has proved to fans and critics that he loves challenging roles.
11. Daniel Craig
Although Daniel Craig started out as an actor in the early 1990s, he shot to global fame only in 2006 as the iconic spy James Bond in Casino Royale. The character, which he portrayed across five films over a decade and a half, has primarily defined him but Craig has over the years managed to show he is much more than just the super spy with swagger. As Benoit Blanc in Knives Out, for instance, the actor proved he could change his mannerisms, accent, and style to become a comical sleuth from the intense Agent 007. His roles in Flashbacks of A Fool and Defiance were also appreciated as credible departures from the Bond image.
12. Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey won the ladies’ hearts as the handsome protagonist with a charming smile in a string of romantic comedies such as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and more. He became typecast as the cocky hunk who gets the girl. The actor reinvented himself with for darker roles in films such as The Lincoln Lawyer and True Detective, besides an Oscar-winning act in Dallas Buyers Club.
13. Henry Fonda
Veteran actor Henry Fonda was known for playing roles that embodied honor and integrity. Fans loved him as the morally upright protagonist in films such as The Grapes of Wrath and 12 Angry Men. Things changed when he was cast as the heartless villain Frank in the Western, Once Upon a Time in the West. Although the actor was hesitant at first, he played the role with full conviction and was loved by the audiences and critics for the image makeover.
14. Charlize Theron
Model-turned-actress Charlize Theron gained popularity for her looks, but that was also the thing that held her back as an actor. Although she starred in films such as The Italian Job and Mighty Joe Young, the actress was always on the lookout for meaty roles. The stereotype was busted when she was cast as the killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. The actress went through an impressive physical transformation and her performance won her an Oscar. Theron subsequently landed complex roles in Tully and North Country.
15. Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway won people’s hearts playing the dork-turned-beautiful princess in The Princess Diaries franchise. She played a similar role in Ella Enchanted but decided to shift gears soon. The actress portrayed more serious roles in Brokeback Mountain and Interstellar, to balance lighter roles in The Intern and The Devil Wears Prada. Her role as an addict in Rachel Getting Married earned her an Oscar nomination.
16. Steve Carell
Steve Carell gained popularity as the cringy and hilarious boss, Michael Scott, in the popular sitcom, The Office. The actor is known for his comedy hits such as The 40-year-old Virgin, Date Night, and Crazy, Stupid, Love, too. Carell, however, decided to take on darker roles and stunned audiences and critics playing murderer John du Pont in Foxcatcher, a role that fetched him an Oscar nomination. He went on to portray dramatic roles in The Big Short and Vice, too.
17. Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood became famous as a child artiste and played roles in The Good Son and North. His breakthrough role happened in The Lord of the Rings trilogy where he plays Frodo, the underdog. The actor, however, decided to shake things up by taking on darker roles like the psychopath Kevin in Sin City, and a killer in Maniac.
18. Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks has been one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood over the past three decades. The actor shot to fame with comedies such as The Money Pit and Splash early in his career and was widely known for his nice-guy charm, before he decided he wanted to shift from the stereotype. Hanks played a gay lawyer in Philadelphia, a pathbreaking role when the film opened in 1993, and the effort won him an Oscar as Best Actor. The versatile actor has since then played intense characters in numerous films including Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away, Captain Phillips and Sully.
19. Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock became a top star in Hollywood with roles in films such as Speed, While You Were Sleeping and The Thing Called Love, which primarily explored her comic side. However, she showed her versatility in films such as The Blind Side, for which she got an Oscar, Gravity, and Bird Box. Bullock is now Hollywood royalty and considered one of the industry's most versatile actresses.
20. Melissa McCarthy
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Melissa McCarthy started her career as a stand-up comic and gained massive popularity. She shifted to Hollywood and continued to essay comedic roles in films such as Bridesmaids. But the actress surprised fans and critics by taking on the serious role of Lee Israel in Can you Ever Forgive Me? She went on to earn an Oscar nomination for the role in the Best Aegory. McCarthy dramatically changed her physical appearance, style, and mannerisms for the role and gave a compelling performance.
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