Top 10 Type Cast Breakers
It’s not at all uncommon for a performer to get pigeon-holed into a specific archetype of a role or a genre, especially if they excel in one role that takes off. Some actors become known for playing a repeated type of character in several projects, not being able to diversify their filmographies. In this list we’ll look at 10 actors who broke the mold set against them by appearing in roles extremely different from what they were being typecast for.
Liam Neeson - The most recent breaker of the mold on this list, Neeson was certainly known as a versatile actor. He’s played dramatic roles in ‘Nell,’ ‘Rob Roy,’ ‘Michael Collins,’ & ‘Schindler’s List,’ earning an Oscar nomination for the last of these. He has also dipped his toes into big budget franchises like ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Batman,’ & ‘The Chronicles of Narnia,’ in which he plays Qui-Gon Jinn, Ras al Ghul, & Aslan, respectively. But after ‘Taken’ released in 2008, Neeson began to star almost exclusively in action thrillers, most of which were fairly unremarkable (there were some exceptions, with Neeson also appearing in films like ‘Silence’ & ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West.’ With his extensive action background, there was no one better to fill Leslie Nielsen’s shoes for the lead role in ‘The Naked Gun,’ but I personally was blown away by how funny Neeson was, solidifying himself as a legit comedy star.
Matthew McConaughey - One of top rom com leading men of the 2000s, McConaughey made a name for himself in romantic comedies like ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,’ ‘The Wedding Planner,’ ‘Failure to Launch,’ ‘Fool’s Gold,’ & ‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.’ Then, the McConaissance began. He took a two year hiatus from acting, holding out for more dramatic roles. In 2011 he got his wish, starring in ‘The Lincoln Lawyer.’ This would then lead to a string of other dramatic roles such as ‘Mud,’ ‘Dallas Buyers Club,’ & ‘Interstellar,’ with ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ winning him the Oscar for Best Actor. He has continued to diversify his portfolio, venturing into sci-fi, animation, action, and even back to comedies, solidifying himself as one of the most recognizable names currently working in Hollywood.
Hugh Grant - Another popular rom com lead who was stuck in that genre is Hugh Grant, known for rom coms like ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral,’ ‘Notting Hill,’ ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary,’ & ‘Love Actually.’ In the back half of the 2010s, Grant began to take very different roles, playing the real life Clair Bayfield in ‘Florence Foster Jenkins’ and a bumbling villain in ‘Paddington 2,’ both of which earned him nominations for the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor. But he didn’t stop there. He took a role in Guy Ritchie’s action film ‘The Gentlemen’ before going with even crazier parts in the 2020s. In 2023 he played an Oompa Loompa in ‘Wonka’ & in 2024, the lead antagonist in the horror film, ‘Heretic’ which secured him another BAFTA nomination, and a Golden Globe nomination.
Jim Carrey - Carrey will likely never be able to escape his over the top slapstick persona with big movements, facial expressions, and silly voices, and for good reason. He very well might be the best at what he did, making every role he took on a certified pop culture success. With hits like ‘Ace Ventura,’ ‘Dumb and Dumber,’ ‘The Mask,’ ‘The Cable Guy,’ ‘Liar Liar,’ ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas,’ & most recently, the ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ films. But sprinkled between these, Carrey dropped stellar performances that were a touch more serious. He won Golden Globes for his lead roles in ‘The Truman Show’ & ‘Man on the Moon’ and achieved critical success with his most dramatic role in ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.’
Michael Keaton - This is hard for someone of my age to wrap my head around, but Michael Keaton used to be known solely as a comedic actor. With comedies like ‘Night Shift,’ ‘Mr. Mom,’ ‘Johnny Dangerously,’ ‘Beeteljuice,’ & ‘The Dream Team,’ under his utility belt, it was no wonder people were confused when was cast as the titular hero in ‘Batman.’ Keaton certainly still has his comedic chops and has flexed them in more recent films, but ‘Batman’ completely changed his career trajectory, opening him up to a world of other genres.
Adam Sandler - Sandler is probably the most questionable name on this list, because he is still primarily thought of as crude humor, critically panned actor, Adam Sandler. And while he still does churn movies like that out, I think he really shut people up with ‘Uncut Gems.’ I almost feel like he did that movie just to put people on notice and show them, ‘oh by the way, I am still a legit actor.’ He followed this up with ‘Hustle,’ which isn’t quite as different as ‘Uncut Gems,’ but still leans more dramatic than we typically see from the Sandman. He’s set to star in ‘Jay Kelly’ later this year and my early prediction is that this film will earn him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Steve Carell - Carell of course rose to stardom on TV’s ‘The Office’ as Michael Scott before becoming starring in a whole host of 2000s comedies like ‘Anchorman,’ ‘The 40-Year Old Virgin,’ ‘Evan Almighty,’ ‘Get Smart,’ ‘ Date Night,’ ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love,’ as well as voice performances in ‘Over the Hedge,’ ‘Horton Hears a Who!,’ & ‘Despicable Me.’ In 2014 he earned an Oscar nomination for his dramatic portrayal of Jon du Pont in ‘Foxcatcher’ and has continued to star & excel in both comedies & dramas since.
Bruce Willis - For a 21st century kid like myself, I’d be hard pressed to think of Bruce Willis as any type of actor other than an action star. But when he first took on the role of John McClane in ‘Die Hard’ many doubted Willis as an action star due to his success on the TV comedy, ‘Moonlighting.’
Robin Williams - Another funny man who showed his dramatic skills, Robin Williams starred in the sitcom ‘Mork & Mindy’ as the titular alien, Mork. The actor’s first lead film role was that of ‘Popeye’ and with those two roles, combined with his stand up comedy success, many believed Williams would only ever be a character actor in funny man roles. Hindsight of course tells us Williams would earn an Oscar for the drama, ‘Good Will Hunting’ as well as nominations for ‘Good Morning, Vietnam,’ ‘Dead Poets Society,’ & ‘The Fisher King.’ Even most of Williams’ dramatic roles contain some tones of his signature comedy, but those are harder to find in his darker/more villainous roles in ‘Insomnia’ & ‘One Hour Photo.’
