Actors in unexpected roles

CinnamonSugar

CinnamonSugar

A Quiet American
Been watching "Bones" (2005)... some interesting recurring guest stars they have on there.... Stephen Fry as a psychologist is not too much of a stretch; Ralph Waite (the father on "The Waltons") is still the beloved rough-around-the-edges-but-loving character. But the first 2-3 times Ryan O'Neal came on as Temperance's father, I couldn't get my head around it. The main movie I've seen him in is "What's Up Doc"-- he played a *totally* different character in that Screwball Comedy.

Have you ever had an actor pop up in a role that was not what you were used to and it took some time to accept them in a new role?
 

Former SNL comedian, Bill Hader, played a ruthless, sociopathic hitman with severe PTSD in a series called Barry.

In his most popular SNL skits, Hader portrayed Stefon, a gender-fluid journalist obsessed with primping his side-swept hairdo and incapable of harming a fly, who couldn't make it through his reviews on bizarre (made up) NYC night clubs without getting a sissified case of the giggles.

:oops:
 
Murrmurr said:
Former SNL comedian, Bill Hader, played a ruthless, sociopathic hitman with severe PTSD in a series called Barry.

In his most popular SNL skits, Hader portrayed Stefon, a gender-fluid journalist obsessed with primping his side-swept hairdo and incapable of harming a fly, who couldn't make it through his reviews on bizarre (made up) NYC night clubs without getting a sissified case of the giggles.

:oops:
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Wow that would be jarring, @Murrmurr Especially when a long-time comedic actor goes for a villainous role.
 
Tom Wilkinson in the role of: Gerald Cooper in the 1997 film: "The Full Monty." He had the ability to make every character in every role that he played, believable, from Batman Begins to Shakespeare in Love, the latter, a film that won seven Oscars.
 
Remember Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe on Friends? Recently I have seen interviews and clips of her with Ray Romano in a dark new comedy called No Good Deed. It seems like a very different role. I would like to see it but I don't do Netflix.
 
Babs2u said:
Remember Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe on Friends? Recently I have seen interviews and clips of her with Ray Romano in a dark new comedy called No Good Deed. It seems like a very different role. I would like to see it but I don't do Netflix.
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They are both good in that! IMO
 
CinnamonSugar said:
Been watching "Bones" (2005)... some interesting recurring guest stars they have on there.... Stephen Fry as a psychologist is not too much of a stretch; Ralph Waite (the father on "The Waltons") is still the beloved rough-around-the-edges-but-loving character. But the first 2-3 times Ryan O'Neal came on as Temperance's father, I couldn't get my head around it. The main movie I've seen him in is "What's Up Doc"-- he played a *totally* different character in that Screwball Comedy.

Have you ever had an actor pop up in a role that was not what you were used to and it took some time to accept them in a new role?
Click to expand...
I agree about O'Neal. He's great in comedy, e.g. What's Up, Doc?; Paper Moon, and others but is a bit incongruous in straight roles. In The Driver (1978) he plays a heist driver and bad guy. It really doesn't come off because after the previous comedies the audience expects him to smile and be funny, but it's a straight role.

In a series that may be more familiar to Brit audiences, the veteran Caroline Catz plays a teacher named Louise in the lengthy run of Doc Martin (10 seasons). She's the treasure of the series-- brilliant acting in comedy and earnestness. So on that basis we started the series DCI Banks. Catz played a serious Detective Inspector, but she didn't fit. I suppose if one had seen her in that role first it might have been different. But she has a real gift for comedic and lighter roles, so perhaps that should stay her forte.
 
I still enjoy Caroline Catz in reruns of Doc Martin but have not seen her in anything else.
 
"Have you ever had an actor pop up in a role that was not what you were used to and it took some time to accept them in a new role?"
Tom Wilkinson in any role.

Most recently I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. What was he doing in a cast that was all young people? What a fish out of water.
 
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