While it’s the waking dream for most aspiring actors to make it as a movie star, many who do fulfill that dream can soon view their success to be a nightmare if they find themselves being typecast. Pigeonholed into the same performance over and over again, it’s a maddening, repetitive career trap that has limited the talents of many great actors.
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Some actors have ventured to extreme and drastic lengths to break the typecasts they have fallen into, even risking alienating fans of their image to showcase the full extent of their range. From masters of comedy adding some strings to their bow to heroic good guys showing just how bad they can be, these actors put it all on the line to earn the versatile careers they have today.
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hillmade a name for himself with his roles in a number ofJudd Apatow’s comedies through the 2000s, including his first starring role in 2007’sSuperbad. As his string of comedies continued into the early 2010s, Hill grew eager to break his typecast as the foul-mouthed sidekick in slacker comedies and did so with an eye-opening performance in the sporting biopicMoneyball.
He earned his first Academy Award nomination for his performance as Peter Brand before getting his second forThe Wolf of Wall Street. It was a risk that could have left Hill open to criticism, but his impressive performances opened the door for him to become a versatile acting talent, and even led to hisdirectorial debut with 2018’sMid90s.
Bryan Cranston
Making his first big impression as the father inMalcolm in the Middleafter having minor recurring roles in a number of 90s sitcoms,Bryan Cranstonwas defined by his flawless comedic instincts which so often stole the show. In 2008, he starred in the first season of AMC’s crime dramaBreaking Badwhich proved to be one of the biggest hits television has ever seen.
His performance, showcasing the steep moral decline of Walter White, threatened to tarnish the lovable goofball image which forged his career. The risk paid off big time though, with Cranston winning four Primetime Emmies for his acting throughout the series and paving the way for an illustrious film and television career ever since.
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Matthew McConaughey
After establishing himself in the 1990s with major roles in some of the decade’s best dramas,Matthew McConaugheyfound a comfy niche through the 2000s as a leading man in romantic comedies. The typecasting resulted in a reliable source of income for McConaughey, but he made a decisive shift back to more dramatic roles in the early 2010s.
The shift didn’t reap instant financial rewards either, but it did re-establish McConaughey’s acting chops and led to his Oscar-winning performance inDallas Buyers Club. He then starred inTrue DetectiveandInterstellarin 2014, thus solidifying his standing as one of the greatest actors of his generation.
Daniel Radcliffe
Starring in a hit film franchise as a child actor over the course of a decade can be both a blessing and a curse asDaniel Radcliffelearned all too well. Eager to expand beyond his portrayal of Harry Potter, Radcliffe broke the mold almost immediately after theHarry Potterfilms came to end,appearing in a string of horrors and dark dramas through the early 2010s.
His leading role as an undercover FBI who goes undercover inImperiumwas where many started to really differentiate him from Harry Potter. His career has taken another turn in recent years with a big shift towards eccentric characters.Guns Akimbogarnered interest, his villainous role inThe Lost Citywas a highlight of the film, andWeird: The Al Yankovic Storyhas the makings to become a cult classic smash hit.
Robert Pattinson
It doesn’t seem all that long ago that the British actor was one of cinema’s most polarizing figures as Edward Cullen in theTwilightmovies. Starring in several other romantic movies at the time,Robert Pattinsonwas staring down a career limited to being the love interest and living in the shadow of theTwilightsaga.
He actively pursued more expansive roles in the years after, with his performance in the Australian neo-WesternThe Rovera major change from the actor which set him on a pathway in indie films. Through the rest of the 2010s he earned acclaim in pictures likeGood TimeandThe Lighthousebefore breaking out anew inTenetand, of course, the superhero blockbuster hitThe Batman.
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Steve Carell
One of the most successful and versatile comics the entertainment industry has ever seen,Steve Carellbecame a major star in the 2000s with his hilarious performances for both film and television. Excelling as lovable oafs who grind to painfully awkward encounters they can’t navigate, his work inThe OfficeandThe 40-Year-Old Virginremain adored comedic performances to this day.
While his comedy career remains active, Carell took a major risk to branch out into drama with 2014’s sports crime biopicFoxcatcher. An unrecognizable performance from Carell, it was completely depleted of his comedy prowess and earned him an Academy Award nomination. He has shown his dramatic talent routinely ever since with fantastic performances inThe Big ShortandBeautiful Boyamong others.
Anne Hathaway
Throughout the beginning of her career,Anne Hathawaywas something of a Disney princess, starring inThe Princess Diariesand other family comedies of the early 2000s before making a seismic transition to more adult films later in the decade. WhileHavocstands as the first of her forays into grittier roles, it was her performance inBrokeback Mountainwhich announced her as a genuine acting talent to be taken seriously.
Hathaway has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s most versatile talents, appearing in everything from iconic comedies to compelling dramas and blockbuster epics. She’s been nominated for two Academy Awards, winning one for her heartbreaking supporting role in the 2012 musical dramaLes Misérables.
Elijah Wood
Elijah Woodstarted as a prolific child actor through the 1990s, starring in plenty of films across a range of genres before breaking out as Frodo Baggins in the fantasy epicThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy. Wood almost preempted being typecast and strayed away from heroic performance immediately after in a risky career move that saw him an extensive range of interesting characters.
The decision saw Wood make an instant impact with his performances inEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,Sin CityandGreen Street Hooligans. He appeared in everything from quirky comedies to unnerving horrors ever since in a decorated and underrated film career postThe Lord of the Rings.
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With a breakout performance in the 1984 filmSplash,Tom Hanksfast became known for his charming and kind demeanor in leading roles in romantic comedies of the 80s and early 90s. Starring in such films asBig,Turner & Hooch, andSleepless in Seattle, his career trajectory seemed to be set in stone, but that all changed rather rapidly.
A turn to drama with 1993’sPhiladelphiashowcased the full range of Hanks’ acting talents and earned him his first Academy Award. Just 12 months later he won his second Oscar forForrest Gumpand has been regarded as one of Hollywood’s greatest and most personable actors ever since.
Charlize Theron
Making the transition from modeling to acting in the mid-1990s,Charlize Theronstruggled for work initially but soon picked up roles on account of her striking looks. She caught attention with her brief performance in2 Days in the Valleyand, while she feared being typecast, was encouraged to keep taking similar roles.
While she experienced something of a major breakout in 1997’sThe Devil’s Advocate– and enjoyed a career boom in the years after – it wasn’t untilshe starred in 2003’s biographical crime-dramaMonsterthat she took full control of her career. The confronting performance won Theron an Academy Award and led to more leading roles which saw her become the action heroine she is known as today.
